Ireland, England, Scotland weather

Plan for chilly, windy and damp - you'll be pleased when it's occasionally sunny. Nights start closing in late october. It's north and Atlantic .....
S

Ps we don't hate the English
S

Jennifer, It won't necessarily be "fairly rainy in Ireland". I've been there in Sept. / Oct. and the weather was quite nice at that time except for a few days of "drizzle". Check the website for the Weather Underground. That will provide typical weather patterns at that time of year, but of course they could be different during the time you're there. The best way to approach this situation is to remember one of Rick's favourite sayings - "there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing". Pack clothing for layering and some light rain gear, and you should have no problems. I had to use my RS Hide-Away Poncho in Switzerland last year, and it worked well. Happy travels!

You can check out Weatherbase for "average" conditions. It can give you an idea of what to expect. Just like in Wyoming it can rain. Remember that average is just that. The temperature will be higher and lower than the average so be prepared. http://www.weatherbase.com/ Of course, the weather can be just horrible in Scotland but that's the fault of the Scots. They located themselves too close to England. Edit: I actually got a "hate email" for this ending comment. This is a paraphrase out of Rick's Great Britain book. I can't remember if it was directed towards Wales or Scotland. I can't imagine anyone considering this offensive. If you do, please send your comments to Rick so he can edit it out of his next edition.

That's a funny line! As to the original question, you could end up with rain every day. Or you could have decent dry weather. But you will probably have both, alternating at a dizzying rate over the course of each day. As has been mentioned here many times, layers are the key.

Anywhere in Scotland and the islands you can expect good days and damp days. Take a good lightweight raincoat with a hood and shoes that can stand a little moisture. Right now there is a conversation about raincoats on One Bag, One World for the umpteenth time. You can get some good information there.

Anywhere in the British Isles, you can get beautiful weather or rain anytime (often on the same day). Never leave your rain shell out of arms reach - even when there isn't a cloud in the sky (I learned the hard way).

No, the Scots don't hate the English, but they don't want to be taken for English, because they are not. ; ) If you want an interesting view on it, check out Michael McIntyre's bit on the Birth of the Kilt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOPKZRNLg-0 Also, when you're in Scotland try and keep your schedule flexible as the weather can vary within 30 miles. The west can be rainy while the east and north are sunny. So, watch the weather reports. The variation in little sun, sun plus cloud, white cloud, white cloud with drops, and then of course the infamous, black cloud. Note their placements on the map. ; ) And have good rain gear. I like Goretex with a hood. Pam

Jennifer, another GREAT website is: http://www.wunderground.com/
You put in the city, and you can go back and see the weather they've had for a specific date for all the years in history... I love it to see what the weather is typically for a date when we'll be in a city...

I always pack my California weather. You can borrow it. Just visualize it. Everywhere sells umbrellas or shorts.
Betz

Betz... that is funny. I'm from California, too. My mother and I visited England and Scotland in September of 2005 and durign the 21 days we were there, there were only two completely rainy days and a handful of days with just light rain. Our entire 7 days in a row in Bath, the Cotswolds and the Midlands were completely sunny. At each of our B&Bs, when we mentioned we were from CA, they thanked us for the weather. :) Mom and I are going to Irenad at the end of this month and, while we do not expect it to be sunny all the time, we hope there is good weather. We have ponchos if it isn't.