Scotland in January: How To Make A Winter Visit Worth It
A Guide to Scotland Weather, Sights, and Celebrations in January
I always think of Scotland in January. Maybe it’s everyone singing “Auld Lang Syne” for New Year. Or the fact that there’s been a turkey liver chilling in my freezer since Thanksgiving for a batch of Burns Night haggis on January 25. (More on that later!) Mostly, I think these dark winter days remind me of a trip I took to Edinburgh and Inverness in early January 2008.
It’s true, January isn’t exactly high season in Scotland. However, as a recent college grad in between temp jobs in London, I’d grown accustomed to traveling over “winter break.” I thought nothing of hopping on a Megabus at London Victoria Station early one evening and arriving blurry-eyed in Edinburgh the next morning. In the dusky morning light, the famous clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel glowed above us and I regretted nothing about my decision to visit Scotland in deep winter . . . except maybe those 12 hours I’d just spent folded in half on the bus.
If you’re wondering if a visit to Scotland in January is worth it, I say, “yes, absolutely!” To me, the best time to visit Scotland is whenever you have time to make the trip. A drab landscape and nip in the air can’t damped the inherent coziness of a Scottish winter. Read on for my best tips for visiting Scotland in January!
A Guide to Scotland in January
Know Before You Go
Weather in Scotland in January
What To Wear During a Scottish Winter
The Best Things To See in Scotland in January
What To Do in Winter in Scotland
Bonus: How to Celebrate Burns Night at Home
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Visiting Scotland in January Know Before You Go
January days in Scotland are very short
Don’t get too crazy with your January Scotland itinerary . . . you literally might not have enough daylight to see it all. In Inverness, there’s fewer than eight hours of daylight for all but the last five days of January. Because of its relatively temperate climate, we often forget that the entire island of Great Britain sits at a higher latitude than the most northern point of the continental United States.
If you’re visiting Scotland in January, plan a relaxed itinerary. Linger over breakfast at your B&B. When the sun starts setting at 3:30 (seriously!), head to a pub with a roaring fire.
Northern lights in Scotland?
You’re not quite in the Arctic in Scotland, but the northerly Shetland Islands only lie 400 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Although we associate northern lights with locations like Alaska or Lapland, Aurora Borealis displays aren’t uncommon in Scotland. Take advantage of those long January nights in Scotland to stargaze.
