Rain on RS Best of Scotland

That is an impossible question. We were in Scotland four years in May for a couple of weeks. Never rain while we were outside. A couple of times may have rained in later pm or early am. Didn't see it but the streets were wet. Pack a rain jacket, a hat, and don't worry about it 'cause there is nothing you can do about it.

I enjoyed a RS Scotland tour in June. Some mornings temp was about 5C (40F)---in June! Day's weather varied but that was part of the experience. Just bring layers (don't over pack) & a rain coat. Wore shorts many afternoons.

I don't remember if it rained at all as that wasn't an overt memory. I was in Scotland! And that's all that mattered.

I was also on a RS tour in Paris in February. Mornings were 5C, but for most of the week afternoon temp was 15C (60F) !

As a Euro traveler of 15 trips/25 countries, I would never let anticipation/fear of rainy days influence my trip (except to be prepared with a rain coat). ab

This year we were in Scotland from April 28 to May 12. It was an expectionally warm and dry year. There were fires being started by steam trains. Most of our visit was in the central part of Scotland between Edinburgh and the Isle of Arran. We only encountered showers one day around Loch Ness and Inverness.

We were in Scotland for 10 days last May and had a lovely time. We had more dry days than rainy days for sure. A little foggy on Loch Ness, but that was about it. Our worst rain day was on the Culloden Battlefield (wind, rain, chilly.) But blue skies at St Andrews and in Edinburgh. I agree with the others: bring layers, waterproof jacket, and a few hats. Consider waterproof walking shoes with a good tread for slippery cobblestones. I would go in spring to avoid crowds, rather than summer when the hordes descend on Edinburgh and elsewhere. Have fun, whenever you go.

Greetings from the very soggy PNW!
I was with another tour company and in early October but quite similar itinerary to RS. Rain doesn't mean torrential downpour all day (hopefully!)- it was sunny and pleasant and then dark clouds rolled in and the rain came (in varying amounts) but then it typically quickly cleared again. Repeatedly. (So many rainbows!)
I wore my 100 waterproof hooded jacket every day for three weeks. The wind can also make it feel colder than it really is.
I either tied it around my waist or stuffed it in my day bag as needed. Water- resistant shoes are another must. I was hiking so needed actual hiking boots, but my ON white sneakers weren't the greatest city choice at times.
Tip: do NOT be tempted to leave the rain coat on the tour bus, no matter how beautiful the current weather, when you arrive at your touring stop! I learned this the very wet way...
Please don't let this deter you. I think rain and a brooding landscape or cozy cafe is part of the experience. And the spectacular changing colors of The Highlands due to the shifting clouds and sun is memorable.

Its Scotland in spring. You could conceivably experience all 4 seasons multiple times on your trip. Or just one. Which one depends on the year, and I dare anyone to guarantee the weather months in advance. Pack layers, including a waterproof one. And while past doesnt guarantee future, you can look at previous years monthly averages on websites like weather spark.

No one can predict what the weather will be. If you just cannot tolerate a wet trip even with the proper clothes then maybe it’s best you go somewhere further south.

In general, western Scotland is wetter than eastern Scotland and just a bit warmer. Statistics indicate that on the Best of Scotland tour, your biggest risk of rain will be while you're in Oban. You can see Wikipedia's climate summary chart here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oban. Skye tends to be wetter, but the tour doesn't go there. In my experience (summer 2018), the weather in western Scotland can be rainy enough to significantly affect outdoor activities. I had a frustrating day in Oban and another on Skye. That doesn't mean it will happen to you; for one thing, April and May are less wet in Oban than the summer months.

One other thing to be aware of is that even on a very nice day (of which I've had many in Scotland) it's possible to have quite a cold wind--which could be very unpleasant if you weren't properly attired. That happened to me in Dundee, on the east coast, in May of this year. I have no idea whether the same thing was happening in Edinburgh at the time; I know the tour doesn't go to Dundee. On the positive side, I've spent nearly two weeks in Edinburgh (summer 2018 and May 2025), and I don't recall a day with annoyingly persistent rain.

Weather predictions in Scotland are not exactly reliable, so I think the best a traveler can do is think about how much they'd be bothered by cold, wet or really windy weather. If the answer is "a lot", the traveler should pack accordingly. I'm cold natured, so I take merino wool long johns to Scotland. I didn't need them in May this year but was glad to have them on one icky (wet and chilly) day in Oban back in 2018. I imagine most others would have been able to soldier on without merino wool. I definitely needed some form of windbreaker when the cold wind settled in during my Dundee stay this year.

I spend a lot of time in Scotland. Averaging three months a year. All seasons. (In fact, I'm in Scotland now.)

Here's what I've learned....be prepared for any type of weather. Rain. Cold. Warm. Sun. And that's sometimes in the same day.

It's Scotland.

One thing you can do is go to Accuweather.com, put in the places you wish to visit, click the "Monthly" tab and then go to April and May. It will give you the average temperatures expected and the statistical possibility of rain. Then take it with a grain of salt. I've seen weather predictions of sun for the next day....and it rains. And vice versa.