Highlands in October

Hi Lola- glad you got fair weather during your May visit! Last month (August) we got intermittent rain, but then again the hurricane that had plastered the USA a few days earlier moved over the UK and drenched Scotland. I got the sense that it pretty much rained on a regular basis throughout the year, but wasn't constant, all day every day. I also understand that Inverness and points to the east are typically relatively drier than the more westerly portions, subject of course, to seasonal and other variations. I'm sure you'll get some responses from folks with direct October knowledge & experience.

Would e-mailing the nature center offer any information, from the source, about their outdoor conditions?

Yes, I could ask them, but I didn't want to sound too "needy" if that makes any sense. Thought I would try here first.

Hi Lola, While I've not been in Scotland during October, all I've read indicates that it's a lovely time to visit. Some places are closed, but most are open through the month. There is still sufficient light to enjoy the outdoors. I don't think that you'll find it's as cold as Alaska, as Alaska misses out on the Gulf Stream, which finally ends near Scotland. I think you'll enjoy uncrowded opportunities to enjoy much of Scotland. If you have questions about specific places you should not hesitate to ask. Have you found www.visitscotland.com ? It is a great resource combined with Undiscovered Scotland.

Pam

Thanks, Pam. I did use the Visitscotland website in planning our last trip ( last May) but not the Undiscovered one. I will have a look,

The nature center is Aigas Field Center near Inverness. I did send an inquiry about the amount of walking in the various programs they offer ( we want more rather than less), and they responded with copies of trip reports from last October, which included weather reports for each day. It looked pretty good---about half sunny days. But I need to find out what "dreich" means!

Two more days until the vote.

Hi Lola- "dreich" is dreary and depressing, what we experienced on occasion during our drive along the east side of Loch Ness in the pouring rain -- although the drive was spiced up with the occasional vehicle crossing the center line into our narrow lane!

Other Scottishisms are "overby," which we took as "nearby," and "outwith," which we took as "except for." So our drive was enjoyable, outwith the dreich weather and the coaches and lorries overby.

Oh, and "fresh," for breezy. A sheep farmer came up to us on a sunny but very windy day and remarked how fresh it was. We heard that on several days when the wind was blowing.

Check this out. It's fun.

Pam

Pam---did you mean to post a link?

It is now 4:00 am in Scotland. The voting begins soon. We just learned today that 16s and up will vote---as well they should, as it is their economic future at stake.

Yes. The link is there. Click on the word this. :)

Pam

Thanks! Somehow my eye did notice that "this" was in blue. That is very helpful. I have heard some, but not all of those. I think I will adopt the word crabit into my own talk. Haver is useful too.
Unfortunately my husband says we used up all our good weather karma for Scotland on our last trip, and he doesn't want to go back in October. Now we are looking at Croatia+Italy instead..

Outwith is 'outside.' An example would be 'the US outwith New York.' This means the states not New York.

Of the link Pam provided some were funny seeing them written down some not quite how we would say them. We would say 'greetin' dropping the g, and here it is 'cla(r)ty;, and wheesht would be used as 'haud yer wheesht' for 'be quiet'.

If pure is placed in front of a word it is a mark of emphasis. Greetin' = crying, pure greetin' = crying alot. Gubbed = beaten, pure deid gubbed = beaten so thoroughly it is embarassing.

So, gaun yersel an gie's a shuggle!

My Glaswegian grandmother used to say "Haud your whisht" ! Haven't heard it since she died.

An Aberdonian one, see if you can translate it (phonetic for ease)

'Fit fit fits fit fit?'

MC, in the US, we'd say you're giving us fits!

To translate:

'fit fit fits fit fit?' = 'which shoe fits which foot?'

Wow! So, i' th' fit fits, wear it!