Scotland trip in winter

never drove right side and don’t think winter makes best first time

We drive on the left, if that helps.

Your big challenge apart from the weather is the short daylight hours at that time of year.

I really really would advise against doing that as a trip at that time. The days will be short, the weather will be at its most wintery, and a lot of tourist places will simply be shut.

The Old Man of Storr is easy to do on the 57/57A bus- https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/North%20Scotland/Highlands/Service%2057A%2057C.pdf

The Fairy Pools is not utterly impossible by bus- you would get off at the Sligachan Hotel, but it is about 6 miles each way to the Fairy Pools, so more than a bit of a hike.

You could in theory return from the Carbost direction on the #608 bus to Portree but the service is so infrequent (2 or 3 a day) you would be walking against the clock all day- not really adviseable. The timings of the bus are such that it would have to be that way round.

In winter, even if (a big if) the weather conditions are favourable that is most of the hours of daylight. So it is distinctly questionable if it really makes sense.

A lot of the guided tours, like Rabbies and Timberbush cancel a lot of tours in the winter, so I would definitely check that beforehand.

I will say that I agree with MC Glasgow and isn31c. I love Scotland passionately, but I wouldn’t go there in January unless it was just to hang out and not see too much. Not only will you have bad weather, but you’re only going to have 7 hours of daylight, depending on where you are. And in the Highlands and northern areas, you’re looking at around 6 1/2 hours. Not to mention that public transportation will slow you down considerably, as isn31c mentioned, and that’s going to eat up a lot of your daylight time.

Is there some reason you can’t go later in the year? Even going in March or April would be better than January, in my opinion.

Friends of mine visited their son and his Scottish wife during the Winter Holidays and enjoyed Blue Skies and crisp tempertures. This made the accumulateded snow most excellent for cross country skiing. What a great way to tour relic castles and oracle circle stones. PS They rented a house in or near the Cairngorms National Park.

Be prepared for the worst weather wise - snow, gales or fog, but hope for the best - cold, sunny days. Have back up plans in case of road closures etc. Make sure you have warm inner and outer clothing. Always go with a companion when walking or hiking, and make sure you let people know your route. It’s serious country up there even if you are not climbing mountains and the weather can change quickly.

I agree with those discouraging this type of trip in winter. I used to live in Edinburgh and the winter is very bleak- as others have mentioned the daylight hours are extremely short- the sunset time in late January is 4.30pm and of course it starts getting dark before that. It also rains all the time. If you want to visit Scotland in the winter, I would look at indoor activities- there are plenty in Edinburgh and Glasgow- or something like visiting distilleries. I'm not sure it's even safe to climb the Old Man of Storr at this time of year to be honest.

Well that’s the only time daughter has out of university so it’s a done deal. What’s not a done deal is how we plan the trip. I switched the stay at Inverness to take tours out of there and stay two nights in Aviemore. I get it’s winter but it’s the only time we get so I need to make best out of it

Maybe to add - much more interested in nature, scenery than tourist places like castles … also coming from Canada so cold doesn’t really scare me - it’s more around where can I get without a car; I think Scot rail is very scenic and affordable - and does it make sense to stay in Inverness 4 nights - can I visit Loch Ness, Culloden, etc even if there are no tours?

Scotland has an extensive bus network that can be used in addition to Scotrail. These are more long distances coaches than city buses. The three largest operators are Ember, Citylink and Stagecoach but there are other smaller operators.

You could also download the Traveline Scotland App and use their Journey Planner. While it doesn't include everything it will give you some idea of who travels where.

It is not the cold we are warning about. Inverness is as far north as the north of the Canadian prairie provinces. January and February is also when we get out winter storms, there is nothing between Scotland and the Arctic and the Atlantic. There is a serious chance at that time of the year you will be stuck in a hotel room watching British day time television.

If Scotland is your goal for that time of the year I would really suggest basing in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Perth, Aberdeen where the local museums will still be open. Or down south to somewhere like York. Is there a specific reason it has to be Scotland?

What you possibly want for the train is either the Scottish Grand Tour or the Spirit of Scotland rail tickets.

As there seem to be 2 of you also buy a Two Together Railcard, and you get 1/3 off both tickets which makes them fantastic value.

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/combined-tickets-travel-passes/scottish-grand-tour

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/combined-tickets-travel-passes/spirit-of-scotland

Although it makes less difference currently with all bus fares (even on long distance buses) being £2, the Grand Tour includes certain long distance bus routes in the Highlands and Islands.

You could still get to Skye under your own steam (as opposed to by tour). At least some of the hotels are still open and would honestly welcome trade in the quieter winter season when most of their trade is locals for meals.
They still have bills to pay (3 or 4 peak summer months don't pay a years bills) so offer quite keen rates in the winter.

You can still enjoy the scenery of the island with a round trip (for £2) on the 57/57a as above, or the 56 to Dunvegan for the scenery (as the Castle is closed for the winter), even on the 55 from Broadford to Elgol, even if the boat trips are not running for the winter.

If by chance the weather did allow you to do some lower level walking, or even the Old Man of Storr, all the better.

It is still entirely possible to go to Oban (with good weather day side trips to Mull/Iona, Kerrera or Lismore or Kilmartin are entirely possible).

If you can find somewhere to stay in Mallaig (even one of the two hostels at a pinch) and take the first ferry of the day over then Monday to Friday the 54 bus connects to Portree.

Thank you . The comment re Arctic and Atlantic makes total sense. It would be a shame to spend all that money and be stuck in a hotel watching tv.. I kept thinking -2 to 6 isn’t bad at all.

The main goal was really the rugged beauty of Scotland Highlands and Skye , not distilleries, or museums.

Thank you, everyone … Will definitely keep Scotland plan for future visit and not in winter

As a Scottish person, Tenerife is nice that time of year :)

I'd probably split my time between Glasgow and Edinburgh. I'd have a plan B for any outdoor activity you plan. It's a very different climate to Canada. It's not the cold, or even the risk of snowfall, it's getting absolutely blasted with wind and sideways rain that's the risk. This is all the more likely in the west, particularly if you're going to any of the islands. Waiting for buses is no fun if your luck runs out with the weather, and any serious walking / hiking gets into the dangerous territory if you're not experienced and careful.

I applaud your determination, but I'm not sure if I'd sink a bunch of money into booking ahead for a lot of activities. Better playing it by ear when you get to Scotland in my opinion. You're very much at the mercy of your luck with the weather for getting much outdoorsy stuff done.

Is your daughter living in Scotland? Has she had experience of a winter yet?

One of the issues about Scotland isn't the actual temperature registered on a thermometer, but the wind chill. This can make the temperature feel a lot colder. High humidity also makes this feel a lot worse.... On dull, damp and misty days you can feel the warmth being sucked out of your body. So make sure you have lots of warm and windproof layers.

Ask any Canadian (or Scandanavian also used to low temps) who’s spent a winter in Scotland and they will tell you it feels colder. The damp seeps into your bones.

Yes, as Helen says. Our geographic location as a collection of islands is why winters in Britain and Ireland can feel worse than colder countries, and our heatwaves in summer can feel unbearable at lower temperatures. Sir Terry Pratchett in Wyrd Sisters described Scottish and a lot of other winter winds perfectly

Winter meant the coming of the lazy wind, which couldn’t be bothered to blow around people and blew right through them instead.

Neither of us have been to Scotland before, so definitely no experience with the weather nor the seeping cold you are talking about. I am definitely not good with that kind of cold, and constant rain was not in my plan at all.

I am a hiker (not in winter though!) and love fall hiking which I thought this would be like judging by temperature alone; but not in open field with horizontal cold rain. That’s more of a fight against the elements .
In Ontario -2 to +5 is ideal for hiking - ground is frozen so no mud, no snow in the day, the boots are usually enough to hold ground…

And yes , I didn’t consider waiting at bus stops and early closures and all.

I’ll look for a better time to visit your beautiful country!
Appreciate all your thoughtful responses and suggestions

I hate to put you off Scotland in the winter altogether.

It's just quite unpredictable and is really down to your luck with the weather. Its my opinion that two weeks split between Glasgow and Edinburgh might work. Maybe cities aren't your thing, but it saves you being stuck out in the middle of nowhere with only daytime telly as your bad weather option. There's still loads of trips you could do from either city into more rural places. Let us know if you would like help with planning something

I would definitely leave the islands off this trip and keep an open mind about going anywhere with too much elevation and getting stuck outside.

Just to add to your OP, it's Fort William btw :) No "s".

You didn’t, trust me. But Scotland isn’t cheap , and my daughter isn’t as outdoorsy and ready to go against elements as me and I truly feel this trip would be wasted.
For me , the entire beauty of it is in West Highlands- so if I can’t hike the Isle of Skye, Glencoe, and the rest of it- not worth it for me.
I could still do winter , and I think it being off season and no tourists is a beaut, but that would need to be with my partner.
Tours by bus is when they take you to a place, you see it from a distance , and if you are lucky get half an hour to walk it. I want to hike all day, climb up there, see it and feel it. Not from a bus window. And you said it yourself - daylight is scarce, tours can get cancelled. So tour to Skye from Glasgow is going to lose 3 -4 hrs just to daylight…

I’ve already cancelled flights and hotels. But I will definitely be back perhaps for late fall and maybe that time rent a car and back here to go through details with you.

I think you can improve your chance of getting better weather in the Highlands and Islands if you're at the end of April or start of May. You're never guaranteed decent weather that's pleasant outdoors in Scotland but waiting until at least late spring is better.

edit: late fall still sounds quite high risk :) Pretty much any time of year in Scotland it's probably not a bad idea to be ready for weather if you're out hiking somewhere. Personally, I (or my folks) was used to having a car to see Scotland when I was younger. I'd still advocate for using public transport in lots of scenarios, but if you can drive a car it lets you see more in remote spots.

Trying to do ferry crossings in January is a bit of a gamble. I'd prefer to have a car in in the west highlands and islands. The thought of being in Fort William when it's blowing a gale and raining in January with no car fills me with dread lol :) You can go around and not even see the mountains because everything above 200' is solid cloud and rain.

You tend to get more settled predictable weather in the south east of England in winter. I notice a big difference in climate between London where I live and the Glasgow area where I grew up. Tends to be a bit colder and wetter the further north you go as a very general rule.

It is possible to have a good holiday in Scotland in winter. But it has to be one where you are building against the weather. My choice would always be to a) have a car, b) be self catering or in a hotel where a lot of events and activities are available. Because the weather is seriously unpredictable, and Mountain Rescue will not thank you got going out in bad weather. I've had relatives and friends visit over December and January and loved it.

Adding to Gerry's point, it is not just a north south thing, it is also an east west one with the weather. A lot of the west coast from Cornwall to the top of Scotland is 'temperate rainforest', it gets that much rain. Ditto over in Ireland. Rain is just something that happens.

You can see the weather reflected in the houses, older houses in the west tend to be sturdier and squatter than the equivalent in the east. The fishing towns and villages, even the port cities tend to sit up stream from the sea. See Edinburgh and Aberdeen right on the coast, Glasgow tucked in up the Clyde. The east side though tends to be colder and more prone to snow on a similar latitude.