Islandhopping
Scotland

The weather in Scotland is temperate but tends vary greatly. The Gulf Stream warms the Atlantic regions resulting in the west of Scotland being warmer than the east. With Scotland being the northern most country in Great Britain, temperatures there are lower than on the rest of the island. In January 1982, the coldest temperature ever to be documented in Great Britain was recorded in the Scottish Highlands. Here, in Braemar in the Gampian Mountains, the temperature dropped to -27.1 °C. Summer temperatures tend to be around 18 °C. However, the highest temperature ever recorded was 32.9 °C on August 9th, 2003 in Greycrook in the Scottish Borders region. The Western Highlands have the heaviest rainfall with an annual precipitation of about 3000mm. In winter, snow can only be expected with any regularity at higher altitudes.

The best time to visit Scotland for a cycling is between July and September when pleasant temperatures between 18 and 23 °C make even the most demanding cycling tours enjoyable. The summer months of July and August are best suited for a beach side holiday. However, you should be prepared for fresh water temperatures averaging at around 16 °C.

Don’t forget the motto of Scottish climate: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes”. Even if it’s raining cats and dogs it is not uncommon for beautiful sunshine to fill the skies 10 minutes later!

For entry into Scotland, a valid passport is mandatory for all entrants regardless of nationality. Please also note the stricter customs regulations caused by the Brexit.

Plenty of information is provided by both the British government and the European Commission on FAQs which we suggest you refer to should you have any questions.

Please note that no guarantee can be given for the accuracy and completeness of the information presented here and no liability can be accepted for any damage that may occur.

Valid identification documents/passports are essential for entry into Scotland, therefore, please make sure that you have the required documents when entering the country.

We advise you to contact the responsible authority in your home country to inquire about current entry regulations (and possible visa requirements) as we cannot take responsibility for any incorrect information.

Please note that provisional passports and replacement documents are generally not recognized. Children (regardless of the age) must either present a child identification card or passport.

When already taxed goods (excise goods) are purchased in an EU member state, they can easily be transported by individuals to Scotland, if it is exclusively for the individuals own use i.e. not acquired for industrial / commercial purposes.

For the following goods we have included a guideline amount for personal use (if you arrive from an EU country):

TABACCO: 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos (cigars with a maximum weight of 3 g each), 200 cigars, 1,000 g pipe tobacco

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: 10 liters of spirits, 20 liters of so-called intermediate products (e. g. Camapri, Port, Madeira, Sherry), 90 litres of wine (of that, a maximum of 60 liters of sparkling wine), 110 liters of beer.

When entering Scotland from other countries, the following limits apply:

200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (cigars with a maximum weight of 3 g each) or 50 cigars or 250 g pipe tobacco

16 liters of beer

4 liters of wine (not including sparkling wine)

1 liter spirits or ethyl alcohol, or 2 liters of spirits, aperitifs with wine or alcohol, tafia, sake or similar beverages with an alcohol content of max. 22 percent or sparkling wines or liqueur wines

An appropriate amount of medicinal products for personal need.

Please see www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods for further information.

The currency in Scotland is the British Pound.

The pound is generally a stable currency. Following the recent referendum vote to leave the European Union, the UK continues to use the pound, and you can exchange currency as usual.

On the day of your embarkation, you will usually have enough time to go to an ATM or an exchange office to get the local currency. Your tour guide will be able to inform you on the best place to withdraw or exchange money. If you can avoid it, do not exchange money at the airport as the exchange rates here are usually bad. Should you receive different bank notes of the same value, do not be surprised as Scotland has, like the Bank of England, the right to reissue their own bank notes. Both bank notes are valid throughout the UK but in practice it is quite common that the Scottish pound notes are not accepted in England.

Good to know: In March 2018 “old” paper £10 notes will cease to be legal tender and will no longer be accepted by shops.