Most people have long had a stereotype about England (by the way, quite justified) as a country with a difficult climate, constant winds and rains. And the London fogs have long been the hallmark of Misty Albion. And what about the climate of Scotland? We will deal with this issue in more detail.
Geographic location
The climate of the country is influenced by many factors: in which climatic zone it is located, whether it is washed by the seas or located in the depths of the continent, located in the mountains or on the plains. Therefore, first of all, it is worth figuring out where Scotland is located.
This amazing country is located on the northern tip of the island of Great Britain, bordering England on the south. From all other sides, it is washed by the waters of various seas belonging to the Atlantic Ocean: the Irish Sea in the southwest, the North Strait in the west and the North Sea in the east. For the most part, Scotland is located on the island of Great Britain, but it also owns almost 800 small islands, mostly uninhabited.
The highest point in the country (and the whole island) is Mount Ben Nevis. Its height is 1344 meters, but it is not too striking, as it is located in the highlands, like most of Scotland.
Now that we have figured out the location, we can talk about the climate of Scotland.
Continuous cloud cover
Since the country is located mainly in the highlands, the number of cloudy days here is much larger than in the rest of the island. In the south, where the climate is mild by local standards, the number of hours of sunshine is about 1,400 a year. In the mountains, the situation is even worse - here this figure does not exceed 1100 hours.
Highlanders pamper most of all on sunny days in May and July, but in December the sun practically does not show because of the clouds.
But in the last decade of June, during the summer solstice, in the northern part of Scotland, the sun does not set at all - it only slightly approaches the horizon, then to rise again to its zenith.
Anyway, from May to August, the twilight is very long, it darkens slowly and late. But in winter, the sun barely has time to rise and, before reaching the zenith, hides behind the horizon again.
average temperature
Of course, with such an uneven activity of the sun, the average annual air temperature gives a rather vague idea of the climate.
But still, it is also worth mentioning. In the north, where highlands prevail, this figure is +7 degrees Celsius. In the south, a little warmer - 9 degrees above zero. The coldest point is Ben Nevis Peak, where the average temperature for the year is minus 0.3 degrees.
However, real frosts do not happen here anyway - this provides a warm wind from the Atlantic Ocean. Even in the coldest months, in January and February, the temperature often reaches + 5 ... + 7 degrees. If the hair dryer blows - dry and warm wind from the mountains - the temperature can rise even to +15 degrees! And this is in the middle of winter. Over the past half century, the lowest recorded temperature was -8 degrees.
However, the air masses from the North Sea do not allow locals to enjoy the warm summers - after all, the climate of Scotland is quite severe. Even in July and August - in the warmest months - the average temperature is around +19 degrees. Although sometimes there are unexpected peaks of real heat. For example, in 2003, the Scots in the town of Greykrooke went crazy with a heat of 33 degrees.
Rainfall
But Scotland never stinted on rains and fogs. However, here, due to air masses and elevations, the situation in the north is very different from the south, although the length of the country from north to south is only 450 kilometers.
In the south, the average annual rainfall is only 800 mm, while in the north it reaches 3000 mm. In the northern regions, days without rains or snow are extremely rarely given out - on average, precipitation falls here 250 times per year.
But thunderstorms are surprisingly rare here. Even in the harsh north no more than 9 times a year, and in the "sunny" south there are only 3-4 thunderstorms in 365 days.
It is not easy with snow. In general, the country of Scotland rarely languishes under white cover. In most of the territory the snow lies no more than 15-25 days. In areas located on highlands, much longer - up to 2 months. And already high in the mountains it does not melt for six months or more.
By the way, speaking about the average annual rainfall, it is worth noting one interesting, although very dangerous fact. In January 1974, surprisingly heavy rain fell near Lake Loch Lomond. In total, the amount of rainfall amounted to 238 millimeters. For Scotland, this is an absolute record. Judge for yourself - in the European part of Russia about 600-700 mm of precipitation falls annually.
Wind
A very important variable that has a huge impact on climate formation is the wind. It can bring warmth and cold, drought and floods.
Southwest wind prevails here. However, this is quite predictable, if you do not forget where Scotland is located. The air masses from the Gulf Stream determine the climate almost throughout Europe, and Scotland is practically at the forefront. However, sometimes the north-east wind blows from the North Sea.
This applies primarily to the plains. In the mountains, the wind is directed mainly in the direction of the valleys, so it can vary significantly even in a small area.
Most often, winds blow on the coast - in the central regions of the country they are much weaker. The northern shores experience an average of two hurricanes per month.
However, in some cases, it is precisely because of the collision of warm and cold air masses over the territory of the island that real hurricanes are born, destroying houses, felling trees, eversing pillars. Moreover, the higher one or another region is located, the stronger the wind. The strongest was recorded in March 1986 in the areas of Moray and Highland - then the speed of gusts reached 173 kilometers per hour! A real cataclysm that poses a serious threat to people.
Conclusion
Our article is drawing to a close. Now you know enough about the climate of Scotland, rainfall, wind and temperature. We also learned about the factors that influence its formation, and several interesting facts from the history of this country.