Packing tips for first time to Scotland

Hi, Trish K,

You are going to receive many responses to your question! Weather patterns are definitely changeable. A lot will depend on where in Scotland you're going, and what you plan to do. I've been in Aberdeen in early July when it was so cold that Mrs. A had to buy a winter jacket. Fortunately, as it was summer, the winter jackets were on half price sale!

Waterproof shoes are a big help, especially if you're going to be outdoors a lot. We've been able to get by quite well with Merrell low waterproof hiking shoes. Others will have a specific brand preference.

Long pants aren't absolutely necessary. However, if you're going to be hiking in the Highlands and Islands, they act to keep the midges at bay. If you don't mind being a bit cold, shorts with a pair of lightweight rain pants would be sufficient. If you plan to visit any "fine dining" establishments or church services, then long pants would be in order.

Some sort of waterproof lightweight jacket would be helpful. You can always layer up. If you need something warmer underneath the jacket, and you didn't bring anything with you, you can always find a sweatshirt or a hoodie in a charity shop. I have a nice collection of said garments, and the most I ever paid was six pounds.

Congratulations on visiting Scotland for the first time. You are going to love it! As I always say, visits to Scotland are like potato chips - you can't have just one!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

I agree with Mike that partly recommendations will depend on your activity plan.

My first trip to Scotland was a Rick Steves tour at the end of a June so you keep going no matter what the weather. I wished I had had rain pants! I did have a waterproof jacket with a hood which was a necessity. I did not have waterproof shoes and needed them.

My 2 next trips I had waterproof pants and jacket but I was headed to Orkney and Shetland and wore them frequently.

I would have a puffy vest on stand by and then see what the weather is right before you travel. Last year in July I needed it on Orkney but Shetland turned off fair and “warm” (68F) so did not need it there.

My Orkney and Shetland visits were very outdoor focused and we literally keep going thru everything.

So what are you going to do? Tour? Car rental? Public transit?

I pack my lightweight waterproof/windproof raincoat no matter when I travel to Scotland. If it's chilly I'll wear my packable puffer underneath along with a merino sweater. But, I also bring both short and long sleeve tops. With the layering approach, I'm ready for a huge temperature range. And double check the forecasts prior to your final packing. Sometimes I'll swap things at the last minute if a heat wave or a wet, cold spell is predicted.

I'm a walker, not a hiker, so I never bring waterproof shoes like many suggest.

A lot will depend on your own tolerance of cold. We traveled with friends from Arizona a few Septembers ago. She was always bundled up with a heavy coat, scarf and cap. I was usually in a lightweight cardigan.

Enjoy your trip!

We'll tell you what the weather will be like once you have finished the holiday! To be honest who knows what this year will be like. Keep an eye on the daily forecast once you arrive.

Think layers, with a light weight fleece thay can be worn under a waterproof jacket - not only does this keep you dry, it also cuts down on wind chill. Definitely bring a pair of long pants as you may well be very glad of them. You could always bring a pair with a zip that turnes them into shorts... Bring a pair of quick drying pants rather than jeans. These take ages to dry once they get wet and wet jeans can chill you really quckly.

If you are intending to do any walking, you will need waterproof pants too. That also applies to footwear. If you are spending all your time in cities, museum, stately homes etc, you can probably manage without waterproof shoes. If you are planning on doing any walking across fields, up mountains etc then you may well be gald of waterproof shoes/boots.

A lot depends on where you are going in Scotland and also what you are planning to do. The west tends to be wetter than the east as the mountains stop all the rain coming in from the Atlantic. The further north and the weather could well be a few degrees cooler. Also if going up a mountain, remember it gets colder the higher you go. The temperature drops 1˚C for every 100m you climb. Wind chill can also make it feel a lot cooler.

Where are you going in Scotland and what will you be doing?

The weather in Scotland in unpredictable except that it will change.

Will you need long pants? Probably.

Will you need a jacket? Probably

Will you need waterproof shoes? It depends on where you are going?

For summer, if you are going to the Highlands or Islands, I'd suggest a long sleeve shirt as well as midgie protection. And get yourself a bottle of Smidges just in case you are attacked.

Worst case scenario is you go to a store and buy something you find out you need.

Thanks to all for responding! We are going on Rick’s Best of Scotland in 13 days tour. We travel with just carry-on bags, so the outerwear needed will raise my packing skills to the next level! I already knew about the variability in weather, but your personal experiences with the details you mentioned are very, very helpful. Thanks again for weighing in!

I'd be surprised if you needed short pants, TBH. When I visited Edinburgh in late July 2024, I wished I'd had a light fleece jacket. On my recent trip (got back 3/3), I brought along an insulated ball cap I found at the thrift. A ball cap is not a thing I normally wear, but several Forum folks commented that this props up the hood of their rain jacket (which I take on every trip, no matter the destination, because a waterproof jacket is part of my PNW uniform). Turns out it didn't rain hard enough for me to need the cap.

Trish, if you're needing to purchase outerwear, Uniqlo currently has puffer vests and jackets on sale. Sierra is another good place to look for waterproof (not water resistant) rain jackets.

My Uniqlo vest weighs about 5 oz. and packs in its own pouch. My Eddie Bauer raincoat weighs about 11 oz. and packs in its own pocket. The rain jacket version weighs a few ounces less.

Thanks to you both! I love the tip about the ball cap under the hood. And I will check out those brands-packability is key.
Much appreciation!

Just to add it might not be cool and wet in Scotland….
Last year I seem to remember it was hotter than the south of the UK at certain points of the Summer.
I definitely remember a couple of video meetings with my team based in Glasgow when we agreed the camera could be off due to the outfits they were wearing, or not wearing, due to the heat! :-)
Layers is definitely the way to go with t shirts that can be worn on their own as well as under other clothes.
I find a light cotton/linen scarf really handy keeping my neck and front warm meaning a jacket isnt needed.
Saved me on many an evening in a pub garden.

Don't forget! A nice wool scarf is a lovely not very large souvenir from Scotland and easy to find-just make sure to look at the tags to check it's actually made in Scotland.

Thanks so much for the additional information!

If you are on a RS tour then I would consider lightweight rain pants. The day I needed them was the day you go over to Iona. It was bucketing down and we turned out to only have about 1.5 hours on Iona as the seas were so bad the ferry was going to stop at 3PM so we needed to be back for that ride. My shoes got soaked that day as well. Back at the small hotel I took the insoles out of my shoes and put them under the towel heater in the bathroom so they had dried by the next morning.

I also do the waterproof ball cap under the hood of my waterproof rain jacket. It helps so much with keeping the hood on AND rain off my glasses.

Again, I would check the weather a week or so out and then possibly put in a puffy vest.

BTW, I am a light packer. I pack in a 21" Osprey Rollaboard. I am also plus size but I can get my rain pants in the main compartment and usually stuff the rain jacket and ball cap in an outside compartment.

You are going to have a great time on this tour!

Thanks Emma, Wanderbug, and Pam for your insights and suggestions! I’m looking at rain pants …and scarves/wraps are always great.
Cheers!

For any UK trip, at any time of year, when I’m planning outdoor activities I will take waterproof shoes, jacket and trousers. Then you’ll need a fleece layer and T-shirts and sweaters. Stick in a pair of shorts to be on the safe side.

You have already received such wonderful advice, there is very little I want to add, instead want to reinforce a couple of things.

We just got back from Glasgow 10 days ago. Granted it was February and not July, but I asked a similar question before our trip and there were so many helpful answers, so let me pass on what worked for me. First of all, definitely a waterproof layer. There were various degrees of precip almost everyday, and I liked having a lightweight shell (EB Cloud Cap parka - thank you JeanM!!) to layer over other clothes as the temperature dictated. Most of the time I wore my Eddie Bauer Cirruslite puffy jacket, which is light and packs down very small. In the summer, I would also carry a fleece. I started off wearing full sleeve tees under all of this (IBEX merino) but most places were really well heated indoors, so I started wearing short sleeve tees (again IBEX merino). So layers were really good because I kept taking things off/putting them on as I headed indoors/outdoors.

Shoes - We didn't go hiking, just walking about in Glasgow (including in Pollock country park) and one day in Stirling. I have waterproof Merrells (not ankle height) and I was glad to have the waterproof version because there were lots of mud/big puddles which I could not always jump over. My husband, with his long legs and less clumsiness (!), was able to do fine without waterproofs, so YMMV.

Have a wonderful trip!