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One of the questions I get most often from visitors to Scotland is what on earth they should pack for their trip.

I’m very flattered by this question, because it implies that I’m an organised, resourceful kind of person, who didn’t once (and by ‘once’ I mean ‘a few times, actually’) take a separate carry-on bag onto the plane just for her shoes, whereas the actual truth is that we’re going to the Highlands next month for my cousin’s wedding, and I’ve already had to ask my parents if I can put one of my bags in their car, because I’m pretty sure I’m not going to have room for everything in ours. Yes.

For the purposes of this post, however, I’m going to pretend I AM that organised, resourceful person you’ve turned to for advice, and tell you what I think you should pack for Scotland in Spring – and no, it doesn’t necessarily have to include an entire bag of shoes…

What to pack for Scotland in Spring

01.
However cold you think it’s going to be, it’s probably going to be colder

It’s the dampness, apparently. Damp cold is not like dry cold, and that’s why my relatives from Canada, who will happily go about their business in temperatures of -30° C, can’t understand how we’re even able to survive here, even in spring and summer, when the temperatures sometimes hit double digits. So, my first piece of advice is to adjust your expectations on the weather. Yes, you might get lucky and land in a heatwave — an actual heatwave, I mean, not the kind where it’s 10° and the locals are suddenly all out in their shorts — but … I mean, you probably won’t.

So if you’re wondering whether you should bring that warm jumper/jacket/whatever it is, the answer is always going to be YES. (Just, you know, don’t blame me if you don’t actually end up wearing it…)

02.
I genuinely can’t remember the last time I left the house without a coat

No, not even in summer, or during a so-called ‘heatwave’. This is partly, of course, due to the fact that I’m one of those people who ‘runs cold’, and is permanently freezing, even when everyone else is perfectly comfortable, but it’s also because the weather in Scotland can change rapidly, and without warning, so it’s a good idea to be prepared for that. 

On the day these photos were taken it was around 13°C in Glasgow, which was just right for this classic beige trench coat < which is one of those ‘go with anything’ items which can be relied on to smarten up any outfit, and which is also lightweight enough to fold up inside a suitcase without too much trouble. With that said, I’ve also known it to snow here in March and April (and, on at least one occasion, in May…), so if you’re visiting Scotland at this time of year, I’d also advise bringing something warmer – Very.co.uk have a wide selection of coats and jackets which you can browse on their website.

03.
Bring your comfiest shoes

I think this advice probably goes for anywhere you’re traveling to, not just Scotland, but if you’re planning to see anything more than the inside of your hotel room, you’re going to need shoes you can walk in. I will acknowledge that I’m quite possibly the worst person in the world to be giving this advice, having spent a large portion of my life hobbling over cobbles and across fields in skyscraper heels of every description, but I finally saw the light a few years ago, and these days you’ll rarely see me out of my trusty trainers or beloved chunky boots.

These pink Adidas Gazelles allowed me to walk for miles around the city (not all of those miles were planned, unfortunately – some were just because we forgot where we’d parked the car…) in comfort, and the colourway is appropriately spring-like, too. If the baby-pink look isn’t for you, though, you’ll find lots of other trainers here…

04.
Layers, layers, layers

We have a saying here in Scotland that if you don’t like the weather, just wait 15 minutes and it’ll probably change. This saying is the truth, people. Well, most of the time, anyway. In autumn and winter we tend to get a lot of days which are just grey and ‘dreich’ aaaallll day long, but in springtime, the weather can be incredibly changeable, and that’s why my final piece of advice to those of you traveling here is to pack lots of light layers which are easy to put on and take back off again at will. 

Remember: Cardigans are not just for ‘grannies’. Hoodies are not just for teenagers. Thermals are not just for people visiting outer Siberia in the very depths of winter. All of these things are useful items to pack for your trip to Scotland in spring: trust the woman who once had to buy an emergency hoodie in June, because she was absolutely freezing and she hadn’t packed one for her long weekend in Perthshire…

A short note on Scottish style…

A lot of the people who ask me for packing advice for Scotland also ask me what they should wear in order ‘not to look too much like a tourist’, and all I can tell you in that respect is that, along with my trench coat and trainers, I’m also wearing these River Island slim jeans, plus a classic Breton top … and, honestly, basic and predictable though this outfit is, I’d honestly have felt a bit over-dressed in it in my tiny Scottish village. Yes, really.

This is not a country where people typically ‘dress up’ if they don’t have to, is what I’m trying to say: and while there are obviously exceptions to that, if you want to blend in with the locals, the best thing you can do is keep it simple, make sure your clothes are appropriate for your planned activity (i.e. don’t try to climb a mountain in a prom dress or go hiking in heels..), and whatever you do, don’t think you have to wear tartan: because there’s no surer sign of a ‘tourist’ than that.

Ultimately, though, I also firmly believe there’s absolutely nothing wrong with looking like a tourist when you are one, so please, wear the clothes that make you happy: just make sure they’re warm enough for the Scottish weather, too!