When to Go Outdoors in Scotland

January in Scotland is honest. The days are short, the hills are serious, and the weather is hostile. But the mountains ...

• Winter hillwalking (with full equipment)
• Low-level forest walks
• Indoor climbing

February is the mountaineer's month. The snow is deep, the ridges are white, and the days are long enough to complete se...

• Winter mountaineering — peak season
• Ski touring in the Cairngorms
• Low-level walks as days lengthen

March is when Scotland wakes up. The snow on the summits makes every Munro look like an Alpine peak. The valleys are gre...

• Hillwalking — snow above, green below
• Mountain biking — trails drying out
• Wild camping — longer evenings return

April is the month the experienced walkers guard jealously. Long days, no midges, receding snow, empty trails, and the b...

• Long-distance walking — WHW and Great Trails open
• Munro-bagging — long days, receding snow
• Sea kayaking season opens

May is the sweet spot. The days are absurdly long — you can leave Glasgow at 5am and still have 16 hours of walking ligh...

• Multi-day Munro trips — 16+ hours of daylight
• Long-distance walking — peak conditions
• Sea kayaking — calm seas, long days

June is magnificent and infuriating in equal measure. The light is extraordinary — it barely gets dark in the northwest....

• Hillwalking — maximum daylight
• Sea kayaking — warm water, long days
• Mountain biking festivals (TweedLove)

July divides opinion. It is warm, light, and the hills are green. It is also busy, midgy, and the WHW resembles a motorw...

• Munro-bagging — warm, long days
• Wild swimming — water at its warmest
• Sea kayaking — peak season

August is the gentle farewell to summer. The hills are warm, the water is at its warmest, and the midges are waning. But...

• Hillwalking — warm but shortening days
• Sea kayaking — water at its warmest
• Edinburgh Festival

September is the month that experienced Scottish hillwalkers hoard. The midges are dead. The tourists have gone home. Th...

• Hillwalking — best month overall
• Wild camping — no midges, autumn colours
• Long-distance walking

October is the last hurrah before winter. The autumn colours peak in the first two weeks — birch gold, rowan red, larch ...

• Hillwalking — autumn colours, no midges
• Forest walks — peak colour
• Mountain biking — last dry trails before winter

November is not pretty. The days are short, the rain is persistent, and the hills are hostile. But there is a stark beau...

• Low-level walks — coastal and forest
• Bothy nights with a fireplace
• Winter skills courses (Glenmore Lodge)

December is when Scotland's mountains demand respect. The days are impossibly short. The summit conditions are alpine. T...

• Winter mountaineering (for the equipped and skilled)
• Low-level forest walks
• Bothy nights