Aaahhh, the midges, I hate them and my son has a migde trauma, I better don’t tell him. Hm, I am a bit concerned. The weather I can cope with but being eaten alive is something I don’t fancy.
@placido, you asked
What type of weather shall we expect in July in Scotland? Could it be like really cold, single degree Celsius during the day?
and perhaps only Jacko is brave/foolish enough to answer?
Predictions about Scottish weather are famously unreliable, especially when they relate to future weather. 
We live in the south west (the Scottish “riviera”), but we have lit a wood stove in every month of the year.
Maximum daytime temperature should be between 10 and 30 C.
It is possible that you will experience some precipitation. Our local highest daily rainfall was 81 mm on 10 July 1999.
If the west is wet, the east is often dry, and vice-versa.
Out of the cities, you may encounter a Scottish midge. Or quite a lot of them on a dull, still evening. We have a couple of traps which catch a quart or so of female midges every day or two at the beginning of the season. For skin protection, Avon “skin-so-soft” works as well as any proprietary repellent and probably contains fewer harmful chemicals, but being somewhere else is the only sure way to avoid being bitten.
Don’t let the above put you off, the weather may be glorious, but if you come prepared for the worst you won’t be disappointed.
ATB, Peter
@Misc, we will fly to London from Glasgow. I have never been to Scotland so have no idea about how many tourists I will encounter in the countryside in July. No, I don’t want to go to Scotland just to say I was there, I’d like to see as much as we can with the constraints we have in terms of available days and my wife’s condition (Morbus Bechterew).
Regarding your wife’s back, on any drive in Scotland, there will be plenty of opportunites along the way for stopping to take photographs or look at something. While they might not be long stops, I’m sure they’ll give her a bit of a relief.
Another +1 for Plockton and for Eilean Donan Castle, if they fit into your itinerary.
Both this hotel and this B&B in Plockton come highly recommended.
Hi Placido,
I’m a bit confused by you stating you don’t want to travel too far and don’t like being where there are many tourists, yet you choose July and are prepared to travel the distance to London and mix with the tourists there. I’d suggest London and Scotland are for different trips.
I’m not questioning you visiting London, but wonder why you would include London in a trip to Scotland?
If you are just keen to say you have been to Scotland and not too worried about seeing it then I’d suggest Edinburgh and surrounding area will meet your needs. A trip to Stirling will provided a little history too.
I wouldn’t stay in Newtonmore.
The boys want to go to London and my wife also, can’t blame them, it’s a cool city.
We thought about Inverness and Loch Ness but we were told it was too touristy and it is quite further up north. According to google map the distances between the places I have selected are between 1 and 2.5 hrs by car. This is what my wife can bear due to her back issues.
In fact, we plan to do some hiking, biking and why not kayaking, if it isn’t too dangerous. No white water stuff as my wife is extremely fearful. A bit of advanture would be much appreciated always considering my wife’s limits.
Instead of Perth, if this isn’t anything one should stop for we could do Stirling as it is also on the way to the nature reserve where we will stay for two days. With the time limit I have and driving limit I fear the north of Scotland remains out of reach on this trip.
What type of weather shall we expect in July in Scotland? Could it be like really cold, single degree Celsius during the day? The hotels we were looking at are all 4 stars, comfortable places, not the basic cottage type places.
Placido
I spent several holidays in Scotland (plus some visits due to work, mostly in Glasgow…). Most memorable are places which can really only be reached by road:
- The Isle of Skye. This must be one of the most beautiful spots this planet has to offer. Don’t miss a visit of the Talisker Distillery while you are there.
- John O’Groats (and the Orkney Islands). I stayed there both at the Hotel (simple but very unique) and in a tent. Absolutely unforgettable night, the storm was pushing our little tent flat to the ground most of the time and every few minutes the gigantic foghorns on the mainland and the Orkney Islands would sound, thereby making the ground vibrate like Boeing 727 running up it’s engines 100m away. I have forgotten every night I ever spent in 4 and 5 star hotels, but not this one.
The North coast of Scotland as a whole must be seen to believe, white sand beaches like the Caribbean, but with seals sunbathing on the rocks. I went swimming there in cold(ish) water – a wonderful memory.
- The Firth of Forth bridge. For me personally the most beautiful man-made structure. It is for bridges what the Concorde is for aircraft (or the Matterhorn is for mountains). Close by is Tantallon Castle, or rather it’s ruins. I must have visited two dozen Scottish castles, but this is the one which stands out. And Eilean Donan Castle which is featured in the “Highlander” movie.
The highlands and the Great Glen (including Loch Ness) did not impress me much. I spent my youth in the Italian Alpine region and there we have higher mountains and more beautiful lakes. And trees.
London is something a visitor to the UK “has” to do, but … let’s just say Justine and I do it once a year and that is plenty enough and we are glad to be heading back. But then people like to see Buckingham Palace and the other stuff.
Indeed, why London?
