Much like Ireland, golfers visiting Scotland must be prepared for
all sorts of weather. And being a large island, the weather throughout
Great Britain is influenced by a number of different things and
can vary considerably from one part of the country to another.
Temperatures in Scotland
Over Scotland the mean annual air temperature at low altitude ranges
from about 7 °C on Shetland, in the far north, to 9 °C
on the coasts of Ayrshire in the south-west. Temperature decreases
by about 0.6 °C for each 100 m rise in height so that over
the high ground temperatures are generally colder. In general,
January and February are the coldest months, with the daytime temperatures
ranging generally from 5 to 7 °C. July and August are normally
the warmest months, with the effect of latitude on heat levels
playing a role in determining the temperature. For example, the
average daily maximum temperature at Glasgow in July is 19 °C
compared with 22 °C in London.
*Average
Temperatures for Edinburgh (Rest of Country varies)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Day
°C
6
7
9
11
14
17
18
18
16
13
9
7
Day
°F
44
44
48
52
57
63
65
65
61
56
48
45
Night°C
1
1
2
4
6
9
11
11
9
7
3
2
Night°F
34
34
36
38
43
49
52
52
48
44
37
35
Sunshine & Rainfall
in Scotland
Generally, Scotland is cloudier than England due to the hilly nature
of the terrain yet parts Scotland average over 1,400 hours of sunshine
per year. The dullest parts of Scotland are the more mountainous
areas, with an annual average of less than 1,100 hours of sunshine.
Sunshine figures reach a maximum in May or June and are at their
lowest in December, with the key factor being length of the day through
the year. The high latitude of Scotland means that although winter
days are short, the summer days are long and on the longest day,
there is no complete darkness in the north of Scotland.
There is a general misconception that Scotland experiences high rainfall.
In fact, rainfall in Scotland varies widely, and ranges from 3,000
mm per year in the Western Highlands to under 800 mm per year near
the East Coast. Typically, some rainfall occurs on about 250 days
per year over much of the Highlands, and on around 175 days per year
on the Angus, Fife and East Lothian Coasts.
*Average
Rainfall for Edinburgh (Rest of Country varies)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
MM
54
40
47
39
49
50
59
63
66
63
56
52
Inches
2:2
1:6
1:9
1:6
2:0
2.0
2:4
2:5
2:6
2:5
2:2
2:1
Daylight Hours in Scotland
The hours of daylight in Scotland vary considerably between both
summer and winter and indeed north and south. For golfers, this can
be quite an important factor, especially for those who plan on playing
36 holes per day.
*Sunrise
and Sunset for Edinburgh (Start of each month)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sunrise
8:46
8:10
7:05
6:44
5:29
4:36
4:34
5:20
6:20
7:19
7:23
8:22
Sunset
15:51
16:47
17:50
19:54
20:55
21:49
22:03
21:21
20:07
18:48
16:33
15:45
Daylight
07:05
08:37
10:45
13:10
15:26
17:13
17:29
16:01
13:47
11:29
09:10
07:23
* British Summer Time begins end March and ends end October
