clothes in April

Definitely no bare legs or open toe shoes.

Here's a post that should help you. Layers are your friend when packing light.

Preparing for Scotland April 2026

Looking at the current forecast (subject to change) for April 13 in Edinburgh high of 49°, low of 37° and chance of rain.

It won’t be significantly warmer in the cities than in rural locations. Expect April to still be pretty chilly and wear what you’d probably consider winter clothing.

Layers that you can put on and take off - I was in Glasgow one Easter weekend and it was really warm, young men stripping of their shirts trying to tan their veeery pale, milky chests! Not that I’m suggesting you do that exactly, but it was about 24C and very sunny so the weather could do anything.

The weather in Scotland is unpredictable.

Layering is the best idea. It's doubtful you will need shorts and open toed shoes. There have been some summer dyas where I need to wear a light jacket.

If you go to Accuweather, you can plug in the location and month to get the exptected temperature range (high and low) for each day. You can also look at past Aprils to see the historical record of temperatures.

A word of caution about jeans - if they get wet, they take ages to dry and wet jeans will cool you down really quickly. You would be better taking a pair of quick drying walking trousers instead.

If you are going to travel with carry on, plan to wear the same clothing in towns that you are wearing in the Highlands. Unless you are going to do some dressy restaurants you will blend in with all the other people who are visiting Scotland. If you are going to dressy restaurants, pack one dressy blouse to wear with dark pants and add a scarf.

I am a jeans wearer. Mine are cotton/poly blend so will dry in 24 hours if they get wet. Yes, I even hike here at home in jeans but I'm not doing overnight backpacking where "cotton kills".

I suggest 2 pr of jeans or whatever you call warm slacks plus a 3rd pair. You'll pack 2 and wear one on the plane. Are you hiking in the Highlands or are you touring? If you are hiking, I would have a pair of waterproof rain pants.

I would not pack sweaters as they are pretty bulky. I would pack one or 2 lightweight but warm topper layers to wear over long sleeve shirts. I'd have a puffy vest or jacket that will fit under a waterproof jacket. If it's cold or rainy all your photos of yourself will be you in your rain jacket so no-one will see what you are actually wearing!

I'd pack a combo of long and short sleeve shirts depending on what the weather is a few days before you travel. I usually do a combo of long and short sleeve tee shirts that are cotton/modal blend that can sink wash and dry overnight. You pack what will work for you and your style.

Definitely closed toe shoes. Are you taking hiking boots? Those will be fine in Edinburgh and Glasgow for day wear but as mentioned above if you are going someplace dressy for dinner, maybe take a pr of ballet flats.

Weigh your bag before you leave if you are going to have to heave it on and off buses/trains!

Sorry to post again but I was just going thru my email and thought of you. Do you ever look at the capsule wardrobes from The Vivienne Files? I've followed her for years and although many of her suggestions are too dressy/too expensive for my casual North Idaho lifestyle sometimes she works in things I can use, such as basics from Lands End.

She is apparently in England right now so temps/weather may be what you will experience in Scotland when you travel in a month.

https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2026/03/the-simplest-packing-i-can-devise-england-march-2026.html/

You may be able to shop in your closet to get items that are similar to what she is putting in her bag. Last year she featured a chambray shirt from Lands End that I purchased and it's worked out really well for me both at home and as a travel piece. Her shoes would never work for me as I've got crummy feet so I just go with my black Altra athletic shoes, 1 waterproof, 1 regular.

Well, I always pack at least a couple sweaters, one or two merino (Uniqlo) and maybe a cashmere for evening if I know I'm going somewhere "special". and sometimes a cardi. They are all lightweight and not bulky. The key to dressing in layers is too keep the layers thin.

Pam, thanks for the link to the Vivienne Files. I haven't looked at her site in a awhile.

I will say her sweaters are much bulkier than mine and she spends a lot more on scarves than I do. But, if that Elizabetta silk scarf finds its way to Nordstrom Rack, it's mine!

I am a senior woman from Canada heading there for 5 weeks in mid April also doing carry on only. I will be in Orkney as well as a group nature week. So may have more outer wear than you, but from what I can see, your highland wear will work in the cities. With .Edinburgh hills and cobble or brick sidewalks and uneven surfaces, a good sole and closed toes are still relevant. Scots more often dress for weather and practicality.
I have 2 short sleeve, 2 long sleeve merino tops. 1 merino cardigan, 2 matching scarves for 'dressing up'. I extra long sleeve to wear over a cami with thin leggings for hotel evening schlepping wear. Heat often gets turned off in April. 1 pair of jeans, 1 dressy yoga pant wide leg stretch pant and 1 pair of lightweight trekking pant. Trekking shoe and a waterproof ankle shoe. Packable down jacket and rain shell. That's it for visible clothes. 5 weeks April/May. No one cares what I wear, but I'll look presentable, blend in and be comfortable and 3quipped for the environment.

Western Scotland, including Glasgow, tends to be wetter and perhaps a few degrees warmer than the east. Although you could be very lucky, assume you will encounter quite a lot of days with rain. April is one of the driest months of the year, but the monthly-average climate charts in the Wikipedia articles for Oban and Portree show rain on almost every other day in April. If your clothes get soaked and it's chilly, it can be unpleasant. I had nice, warm temperatures on my May 2025 trip, but in Dundee there were some really chilly, gusty winds. I swear they were coming from the Arctic. I had a packable puffer jacket with me that seldom leaves my suitcase, but it did in Dundee. I also wore merino-wool long john bottoms. It was fortunate the weather was dry at the time.

I am very fond of my 96%/97% nylon slacks from Eddie Bauer/PrAna/Columbia. I'm sure they're available elsewhere as well. Some places carry a fleece-lined version, which I use at home on what I call cold days (anything below 50-55F). Those are a lot heavier than the unlined version and much slower to dry, so I think I may just pack unlined slacks and long johns in the future. Those pants, while definitely not waterproof, shed rain pretty well. Even better if you have long johns underneath them. I've been caught in significant rain several times in western Scotland, and the long john/nylon slacks combination kept me from being miserable and wanting to head straight back to my hotel. I do not hike; if I did, I would certainly take rain pants.

@jeanm - I hope "your" scarf turns up at Nordies Rack! So pretty! And no, not spending $200 on a scarf. But...question of the day....will I spend $99 on a scarf?

@ MariaF - Ohhh, you know I love Orkney. You may have waterproof pants/trousers in your bag but if not, I'd recommend them. Get the ones that zip up the sides so you can pull them on without taking your shoes off. Also, consider a waterproof ball cap (and I am NOT a ball cap wearer!) to wear under the hood of your rain jacket to keep the rain off your face/glasses./binoculars.

@Pam. Yes, I realize I forgot to say I have rain pants...and assume they will be my Orkney pant of choice. I hate ball caps too. My rain jacket has a small bill (?) But I am more likely to want my beanie than a ball cap....but it also may make more sense than my birding hat. Thanks for the recommendation

@MariaF- Well, appallingly, I used a beanie over a ballcap under my rain jacket hood. Just didn’t want to admit that, lol. Another tour member started it and it was very functional albeit slightly dorky looking. Glad you have the rain pants!