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November 4, 2018 by Alexander Meldrum

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Scottish Facts The main 'tourist season' in Scotland runs from late April through late September, with the peak tending to be between the end of July and early September when UK schools are out for summer. It's useful to know that many popular tourist attractions, guest houses and B&B's often close during the 'off season'. In the far north of Scotland and the Hebrides, Shetland Isles and Orkneys, late Autumn to late Spring can be difficult in terms of travel due to weather conditions and rough seas. Although many people like to travel to Scotland over Christmas and New Year (to take part in the famous Hogmanay celebrations), the Scottish weather puts a limit on sight-seeing and other opportunities at this time of year. Perhaps the main highlight of the year in terms of tourism in Scotland is the Edinburgh Festival which takes place in August each year. This is a huge event and the city of Edinburgh is packed to the limits during this time. If you're interested in visiting the festival or staying in Edinburgh during August, you'll need to book your accommodation and make travel arrangements WELL IN ADVANCE - even a year in advance isn't too far ahead! The 'moderate' temperature can be a bit of a shock to visitors from warmer climates, so remember just because you may be visiting in July or August, the Scotland weather dictates that you come prepared. A couple of warm sweaters and a light raincoat are essentials, and waterproof shoes/boots and an umbrella won't go wrong. One other warning concerns the 'Scottish midges' which appear 'en masse' from May through September. What's a 'midge' you ask? It's a tiny, flying insect very similar to the gnats we have in the US - and it's even more annoying! Midge bites won't do you any harm (they're not poisonous or anything like that), but they are irritating and itchy in the way mosquito bites are. You're most likely to find hordes of these little pests on the west coast and in the more northern areas and islands. There were lots of them at Glencoe the last time we were there. You can buy 'midge spray' which often works ( US bought bug-spray seemed to work just about as well). If these are ineffective, or the midges are really bad there are certain pieces of 'net' clothing that you can buy. Hats and a type of net-poncho being popular.

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