Scotland in either late February or March

I wouldn't count on going in the middle of winter to Scotland and seeing no snow. I've recently seen plenty snow south of the border into April and May. There will be sub-freezing temperatures tonight, with the south of England going down as low as freezing. Nobody knows these days about weather, what with global warming and all, so you pays your money and takes your chances...

This is the climate summary for Northern Scotland produced by the Met Office: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ns/ During February and March this indicates snow falling on average 8-12 days, depending on location.

I agree that there is a good chance that you will run into snow in February or March. I do think that the odds are high that the snow would be in the mountainsthe Cairngorms. Outside of the mountains I don't think that the snow in the UK hangs around very long. I remember hearing about a raging blizzard in Orkney one year. I even saw pictures of the 6-8 inches that fell. It was all gone in two days! Now, I was living in Wisconsin at the time and thought it was pretty funny. But, if you can wait until April or go in late March, it would be better. You still won't have many tourists and more places may be starting to open up. One thing that you have to bear in mind is that the hours that attractions are open is reduced and there are fewer options for B&Bs and hotels as some of them close for the season. So, while you might not have to make a reservation, it would be wise to research the areas where you want to go. I've seen some pictures of Scotland in winter and early spring and it looks beautiful. Have you found the Undiscovered Scotland website yet? Look for it. Pam PS The Scots say that people in England have a "clouded" view of Scotland's weather. LOL.

I have checked out the website that Marco recommended, and it looks like the western part of Scotland gets the least amount of snow. I grew up in Jersey and now live in West Virginia, so I am not afraid of driving in the snow, just don't want to have to deal with roads and conditions and a car I am with which I am not familiar. Pamela, I will definitely look for that website. That sounds exactly what I am looking for. I love the wildness of the ocean in the winter and I want to see Scotland (for the first time) the same way. I'm really not into touristy things, tho I do love history. Late March may be better. Or would I be better off going next November before the snow starts?

It snowed a little here in Scotland yesterday! It is not the snow that causes disruption here it is the inability of the roads department to cope with it! It rarely causes more than a few hours of disruption, so if you tuck up somewhere comfortable (nice hotel, warm fire) you will be fine! Early spring can be lovely here, and the sea views tremendous. Check out the coast villages around St. Andrews.

Mary, I haven't personally traveled in Scotland in the winter, but I think Kate has characterized it well from all I have read. One idea might be to spend a few days in Edinburgh and then base yourself in the Inverness area. You can decide if you want a small town, or if Inverness itself would suit you best. If you base yourself in Inverness, you can get to the west coast easily for day trips, but if the weather is bad in the west, there are lots of lovely places in the East, North and South. Inverness is the de facto capital of the Highlands. Since it's not just a tourist town, but one where the business of the north is done, you are more apt to find dining and other options open. From Inverness you can visit Culloden Battlefield, see Loch Ness (there are some nice walks if you want to avoid the Nessie Tat. If you want a walk on some beautiful sands, check out Culbin Sands which has lovely easy walks. You're in easy reach of some distilleries. There are pubs in the town with live music. If you are interested in the Clearances you could do a long round trip to Bettyhill and Strathnavar. You can get to Skye for the day, but it's a very long day to go all the way to Portree or Dunvegan and back. In late March you would have better daylight than in February. You could also head north to Dornoch and Golspie where there is a small cathedral, a castle--Dunrobin--and a Broch, and lots of North Sea. ; ) Pam

If you like wild you might also consider the kintyre peninsula it has a lot of coastline and the beach at macrihanish is very lovely. Have a look at www.kintyre.org it is a somewhat under visited part of Scotland which is a shame since it provides everything from Neolithic sites to distilleries and delightful hotels and eateries. If you like photography there's plenty of opportunity here! Also a lot of it is at sea level so maybe protected from the dreaded snow!

I've been to Scotland twice in late March/early April. It is absolutely gorgeous, daffodils in full bloom everywhere and the Scotch broom is also in full bloom. It does snow but it doesn't usually last except at the very high elevations. You will be wet and it is cold but I've never experienced rain that lasted more than a couple of hours each day. It is often not helpful to try to use an umbrella because the winds are so strong. You need good gloves, a snug hat, a neck scarf, rain coat and waterproof boots. There is good daylight. I have always made reservations and suggest that you do, too as many places were filled. If you have time to go up to Orkney it is quite wonderful and quite different than other parts of Scotland.

After reading all the wonderful posts and going back and forth on multiple maps, I thought Kate's idea of the Kintyre trail sounded really good for a first trip. Then if I had more time I could see Glasgow or Edinburgh or some of the sites in between all those places. Even looked at some of the islands. I looked at Orkney, Beth, or at the least the location. Not sure I want to attempt the distance on a first trip, especially with the left hand side driving. Then I looked for a rental car and at first, all I could find were manual transmissions which would not work for me. (I have bad knees and I only drive a manual if it is for a very short time). Tho, my son offered to come and drive for me, on my dime of course. I did find an automatic at the airport and it was twice as much money! Then I found arnoldclarkrental.co.uk. They are reasonable. Has anybody used them? If they are not reputable, then I am stuck with places I can get to by train, which will severely limit my wardrobe and I am not good at packing light. Another question I have is about artists. I got a beautiful painting in Rome, while I was there. Of course, when I got home it had to be framed. Will I find local artists or artisans at that time of year. I love decorating my house or me with items from my travels. And I hate to admit my stupidity but except for whiskey (I am sorry, but I can't stand scotch whiskey) and golf, I do not have any idea what Scotland is famous for. Well, except Sean Connery and if I could buy him and take him home with me, I would. Thanks

I'm not sure if galleries in the countryside are open in the winter, but I suspect that you can find some great galleries in Edinburgh and Glasgow. I sit here in my NYC apartment looking at the painting I picked up at a gallery in Aberdeenshire. Pam

I've seen lovely art work in Scotland- got a great small water color painting in Orkney that I put in an acrylic fridge magnet frame. You might THINK you don't like Scotch whisky (they don't use the e). But do give it a try over there. There are MANY MANY types. And they taste very different from each other. I enjoy the Speyside whiskies- they are light, heathery, and only have a hint of smoke and peat. The Islay (pronounced A-La) whiskies are stronger, with a much more peaty taste. The Orkney whiskies are different yet. Let a good barman/pubman set you up for a whisky tasteing. You will at least learn more about Scotland as well as it's national drink. There are some good microw brews in Scotland, too, if you like beer. Try any from the Caringorm brewery (in Aviemore). Hubby liked their Blessed Thistle and their Caringorm Gold beers/laggers/ales (not sure which was which).

hello Mary, Firstly, Arnold Clark is (in Scottish terms!) a major car retail/hire company. I can't answer for their quality of service or value for money, but they have been around for a long time. As with all car hire I suppose it is important to make sure they understand you NEED an automatic shift, as the majority of vehicles here are manual. Next, there are lots of independent galleries all over the country, many with coffee shops attached - a very handy way to spend an hour or so. If you decide to take the Kintyre option, the fishing village of Tarbert, Loch Fyne (google it) has a gallery or two displaying local artists, both original work and prints. Other shopping ideas might be to take a look at www.smashingglass.com a small business making jewellery out of sea glass, it might give you an idea of what is around.. You might also consider browsing antique shops - you can sometimes pick up nice hand-tinted prints from the 1800's for a reasonable price, there are a couple of antique markets selling lots of things for all budgets. (www.scottishantiques.com) There is a growing cottage industry for making nice things (handbags, cushion covers etc) out of tweed, no longer restricted to dull brown or grey to make trousers for hunters, but lovely colourful fabric hand woven on the outer isles and retailed all over the place. You might even find you develop a taste for whisky! It fairly warms you up on these frosty days!
Hope this helps. (Funnily enough I am off to Rome in a week or so...)