Scotland in May

Here's Rick's handy weather table Rick's Weather Tablescroll down to Great Britain: Edinburgh. Long term averages indicate typically lly 40's to mid-50's with about 55%of the days having no rain and 45% having some rain.

Hi Debby, I'm not sure about May, but we were in the north of Scotland in July and it was Wet and Cold.I had jeans,ankle boots,T-shirt and Aran Sweater (my souvenier).Didn't have anything waterproof. Bring Layers and something Waterproof. With all the things you can do on-line with Photos, I would say skip the video cam and just take the SLR. Have Fun

Debby, it's all about the layers. You need to have a Goretex outer layer. You cannot do water repellant you need water proof. I prefer one with a hood so I don't have to mess with an umbrella and keep my hands free to take pictures etc. My parents went in early June one year and were very happy to have their lined jeans with them, but I think I would look at a pair of very light weight long underwear that can be worn under a more easily washable pair slacks. Jeans take forever to dry in the UK. I take a light weight fleece with me and then buy a sweater as one of my special presents. I usually have a pair of good walking shoes--see the many threads on this board for multiple suggestions; I like Finn Comforts. A hat is a good idea, but you could also buy one there if you need it. A light pair of gloves would also be a good idea.

I've not tried a video camera, but I always have my Canon Elan and can hardly wait to go back with Canon Rebel xTI. Landscapes are fantastic. I would recommend one of those lovely all purpose lens that go from 28 to 200 so that you have wide angle and telephoto. I've taken a light weight tri-pod in the past, but might just use a gorilla pod next time. Feel free to PM me if you want more specifics.

I take my video camera and my Cannon digital point and shoot camera on every trip. I like to view both results after I return home. And the audio helps me appreciate the view. Consider that.

You decide whether you need both. Some travelers like the convenience of video viewing and it certainly will cost less to use. Developing film and printing photos and placing in an album is comparatively expensive.

Debby....if you find what you have is inadequate, there's a fantastic store in Blair Atholl, just north of Pitlochry, that has a huge selection of outerwear suitable for Scotland...and at excellent prices. I bought my wife a waterproof lined coat there about two years ago (I think it's against the law to sell just water-repellant in Scotland ;)), and she layers underneath it all year, except for the depths of winter here in Canada. Unfortunately, you'll probably be a little early for the Atholl Highland games and gathering at Blair Castle, the first of the season in Scotland. But Blair Castle has "family fun days" every Saturday thru April and May...kids tours of the castle at 2 pm. Don't know the cost, but you'll see a lot of Scots families there, making it a day trip up from Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the like.

Our first trip over we just took our digital camera, and ended up with beautiful pictures. This last trip we decided to take a video camera too. We bought a new HD video camera, and I took pictures exlusively with it, and my husband with the digital camera. To have both is really priceless! You know how everyone says that a picture just doesn't capture the true beauty? Well, a good video camera really does! And it is really cool to pick up the different languages all around you. A bit more of a hassle..yes, but worth it!

Debby -
Layer, layer, layer, layer!!! In May the weather could go either way - it might be sunny and starting to get warm OR it could be chilly, cold and windy. I was at St. Andrew's around Memorial Day (end of May) and I had to buy a pair of gloves because I was so cold! Wish I knew then what I know now - I would have had fleece and Goretex.

As far as a camera goes, try to stick with taking one lens. I took 2 on my last vacation to Dublin/Amsterdam and had my 18-55mm/55-200mm. I never once used the 55-200mm lens. I don't know what kind of lens you have, but really think about not taking a second one.
For the video camera - if it very compact, I would consider it, if it isn't I don't think I would bother. We took a video camera to Scotland in 1999-2000 when we were there for the Millennium. We stayed with friends for Hogmanay and I sat the camcorder up on the tripod in the corner of the kitchen while we sang folk songs into the wee hours of the morning. It is nice to look at that now, but I do remember lugging it around and hating it at the time. They are more compact now so you might be able to fit it into your camera case.

Be ready for anything. I've only been to Scotland once. It was in mid-May and the weather was nice. A little cool at times but no rain and long days. Even if it looks nice, keep your raincoat in your daypack because it can change quickly.

My wife and I were in Scotland in May, 2008. We first visited Edinburgh and it was cloudy, misty and cold. However, we then spent a few days in Dunkeld which is about 60 miles northwest of Edinburgh. The weather was great. It was actually short sleeve shirt weather. So all of the advice about layering is true. Regarding video cameras -- I think that people waste too much of their time taking pictures. Don't see Scotland through a viewfinder. I use a digital camera with a video feature. The video is not as good as a real video camera; but, it looks good to me. I got a very large capacity memory chip to hold both pictures and video.