What to wear: British Isles in May

It would be best if you put your ports of call instead of just Wales, Scotland etc.

Be prepared for cool weather but also have sun protection lotion. Rain is also a possibility.

Of course, thanks for helping. I’m new to this forum. We’ll be spending a day in these ports of call: Holyhead, Wales; Liverpool, England; Belfast, N Ireland; and Glasgow (Greenock) & Inverness (Loch Ness) Scotland. Also—If anyone’s familiar with these locales, what are your must-see suggestions?

There's no such thing as "must see" other than what you have decided, after researching your destinations, that YOU must see. For example, I have been to Belfast twice and still have no interest in the Titanic Museum, while other folks on the forum say they didn't have enough time there.
Anywhere you go in May, especially these places, could have rain, could be cold, might be sunny. Layers with a waterproof jacket/coat on top and comfortable shoes.

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.

You won't be docking at Inverness- whatever the cruise line tells you. You are docking at Invergordon- almost an hour's drive north of Inverness. Thus if you want to go to Loch Ness or Culloden you more or less have to go on a ship's excursion.
Just into Inverness is easy by train or a heavily enhanced local bus service. And don't miss the wartime history of the town including the HMS Natal disaster-the warship was full of unstable explosives and blew up killing over 400 people- some local residents.

Holyhead- if you want to go to Snowdonia then a ship excursion is best. But Conwy would be pretty easy on the train from Holyhead.
There is also great walking on Anglesey- the obvious is to the South Stack lighthouse.

Liverpool- the ship docks right at the iconic Pierhead in the City Centre. Even if you aren't doing the Beatles you have the river cruises on the Mersey ferries, the museums at the Albert Dock could fill your day. For a countryside day out you could nip over to the Wirral on the train from James Street station. Even Chester is very do-able from James Street. Spoilt for choice at Liverpool.

From Greenock the obvious choice is Glasgow- just under an hour from shipside by frequent train to arriving at Glasgow Central.

Belfast depends a bit on which of 3 or 4 possible cruise docks you use. If you want to do the Giants Causeway then a ship's excursion. If you stay in the city then from most of the docks the Titanic Museum is easy to reach, and a black cab tour of the Troubles is one of the near obligatory things.

Cork- a few cruise ships do dock in Cork City Centre, but the vast majority at Cobh. There is the Cathedral, the Emigration Museum and the Titanic stuff to look at. Also a train every 30 minutes into Cork from the station which is literally at the cruise dock.
Spike Island is also a good option from Cobh.
A few ships dock at Ringaskiddy Ferry Port (on a multi ship day)- across the bay- and a dead loss for independent exploration. So check where you are docking.
The hourly bus into Cork from Ringaskiddy can't possibly cope with cruise ship numbers and nothing else is accessible from there.
Ship excursions will take you further afield from Cobh.

Thank you so much! I so appreciate the time you took & the insights you’ve shared. This is most helpful.

We were once in England in May. We experienced all weather. Hot one day, cold and snowy the next, rainy, sunny, foggy, etc. All those things. So layering works best, and I would never go anywhere without a waterproof outer layer. You have to think of rapid changes in weather during the day too.

But you can always buy more clothes there if you need them. Makes a good souvenir and story.

Thank you! It’s going to be an adventure & I can’t think of better souvenirs to help tell the tale when we return.

We were in Scotland, London and South England last May. You'll hear vigorous pro- and anti-waterproof pants people, but I appreciated mine (slim cut, matte finish and not noisy, worn over leggings) and wore them frequently. I also was glad for gloves in my pocket, a couple of knit hats, wool socks, and clothes that looked good in layers. Also my very favorite, waterproof trail runner shoes from REI for the wet, cobblestone streets everywhere.

In 2010, I hiked a 100-mile-long trail on the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland, in May. I packed some moderate-heavy clothing -- one mid-range and two lightweight sweaters, a rain slick, waterproof Gore-Tex pants and an umbrella. I packed perfectly as I didn't get cold or wet. I was also fortunate as there was barely any rain, but that usually starts after St. Swithin's Day (July 15) in the West.

Holyhead- if you want to go to Snowdonia then a ship excursion is best. But Conwy would be pretty easy on the train from Holyhead.

The good thing about going on the ship excursion is that they will certainly have you back to the ship in time for any departure. Some travelers who have taken their own shore excursions have not returned in time for their ship's departure, so they were left to find their own transportation to the next port.

If your ship offers an excursion to include both Conwy Castle and Caernarfon Castle I would take that. Both castles are lovely.

Thank you all for such good advice. I appreciate your time and enjoy hearing about your experiences.

KC, do you mind sharing the brand of your non-noisy waterproof slim pants?

Holyhead town is a bit of a dump. Suggest you take a 1 hour train trip to Conwy. Buy on the day an Anytime Return at Holyhead station - current price £18.10 return. Times >https://www.traintickets.com/?/ (Make a note of when they return).

Check out this You Tube video about Conwy.

As has been said, if you want to tour Snowdonia, it is best to go with one of the cruise organised trips.

If checking train times from Holyhead then check them with the actual train operator (Transport for Wales)- not some random third party website- https://tfw.wales/
The TfW website will give you up to date information on the day.

Describing a town as 'a bit of a dump' seems to be a favourite sport on this forum, and is getting tiresome.

Also at Holyhead there is the Holyhead Maritime Museum. The South Stack light is on the ten mile Holyhead Mountain and Circular walk. Holyhead is on Holy Isle (an island off the Isle of Anglesey). Anglesey is often treated as being just an adjunct to Wales, an inconvenience of a half hour drive across the island on the way to elsewhere. In fact there is a lot to the island, including largely undiscovered beaches- see https://www.visitanglesey.co.uk/en-gb
There are a number of useful village stations on the way across Anglesey and pretty good city bus services round the island.
Trearddur Beach is one of those, only just outside Holyhead.
Anglesey also has it's own Castle (one of the great Edward I castles) at Beaumaris- https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/beaumaris-castle
There are also boat trips to Puffin Island from Beaumaris- https://walesguidebook.com/things-to-do/anglesey/how-to-visit-puffin-island/
Plas Newydd (a National Trust house) is also worth visiting- https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/plas-newydd-house-and-garden

Some of these places may be best visited with a private tour such as https://angleseytours.com/ (as an example)

The train website given by me earlier is fully accredited and has been given because it is very easy to use. It is also recommended by Which = The Consumers Association.

I have used the word ‘dump’ to describe Holyhead town to indicate that it is simply not worth wasting time wandering around. (Look at it on Google Streetview & you will see what I mean).

Note that the trains will be geared to the normal expected flow of passengers. If you plan to take the train to Conwy, it might be best not to mention it to other passengers as they might not get on the train. Most of the Transport for Wales Trains at Holyhead are only 2 or 3 coaches. It might be better to use the Avanti West Coast trains as they have 5 coaches. As these are expresses going to London, they do not stop at Conwy but do stop 1 mile east at Llandudno Junction (LLJ). (For the same price, you could go to Llandudno as well - change at LLJ). On the current weekday schedule, an Avanti express leaves Holyhead at 8.53am. Coming back, one leaves LLJ at 18.01 - but do check the schedules. Alternatively - use TFW back from Conwy station which is near the castle.

A forum like this is a place to gather multiple viewpoints. There isn’t one right or wrong answer. If you don’t think Holyhead is a dump then just explain what you think is worth seeing and doing there. Readers can make up their own minds. It’s all good information and advice. I don’t like seeing replies which are rude or antagonistic in tone. This is holiday planning and it’s meant to be fun.

I find packing for the UK easy because I live in a similar climate. It is all about layers. A Base layer can be a t-shirt or regular top that you would wear in May at home. A warmth layer is a sweater or fleece that you can slip on if it is a little cold. A waterproof rain jacket with hood is the final layer that you put on if it rains or gets really windy. The beauty of layers is that they easily adapt to changing weather. It gets cold, add layers. It gets hot, shed layers. I'd have a warm hat and even gloves for the transatlantic portion.

Since your cruising you can probably afford to pack 2 different types of warmth layers. Slightly cold, really cold. I usually pack a simple knit skirt that I can slip over shorts and easily transition from out and about to Main Dining Room appropriate attire.

Thank you to each of you who’ve recently posted. Your insights are just what I’ve been hoping to hear about the locations and about what to pack to wear. We’re working on our “less is more” packing plan to cover the cruising as well as the exploring, & since this will be the first visit to this area for any of our group of 6, your replies are sure to match up with one or more of our personalities and needs. Thank you again!

"KC, do you mind sharing the brand of your non-noisy waterproof slim pants?"
They're Columbia brand - black, pull-on, front pockets, about 2.5" waistband. I tried without success to find my order info with more specifics - sorry. I actually got a link to these pants on this forum, in late 2023 - early 2024, but couldn't find that either. Good luck - looks like Columbia has a good selection.

By the way at Holyhead you can't walk off the ship, as the cruise pier is far out in the harbour. You have to take a free shuttle bus, which drops you off in the centre of town. Hopefully that will also stop at the Travelodge for the Railway Station. So that is likely to slow things down a bit.
There are also half a dozen times this year when two ships are in (looking at the port schedule). When that happens the second ship anchors off, and tenders in to town. Another potential delaying issue, making timing an inexact science.
As with any tender port, if conditions are too rough, you aren't landing. Another think to check with the cruise line.
Also at Amsterdam many ships use the PTA in the City Centre but an increasing number use Ijmuiden at the other end of the Canal- to avoid the tourist tax. You are bussed in from there (and there is no good alternative)- about 45 minutes. So you need to know which it is as the bus journey impacts your day. As it's a turn round I would hope they use the PTA.