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ScotlandCountries Scotland
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Weather in January
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Weather in January in Scotland

Considering a trip to Scotland this January and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in Scotland in January?

January in Scotland generally has cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. January falls during the winter season.

Temperatures

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 6°C in Inverinate to 10°C in Bowmore. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 5°C in Bowmore and 1°C in Inverinate. Typically, it's the chilliest month of the year. Making it a great time for staying indoors and enjoying the warmth. Make sure you're prepared by packing the right winter outfits.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Scotland, check out the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Aberdeen with an average of 72 mm to heavy rainfall in Mallaig with 289 mm.

Average sunshine

The city Edinburgh usually sees around 54 hours of sunlight, indicating fewer sunny days.

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our Scotland climate page.

Where to go in Scotland in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Scotland on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Weather conditions Weather
Temperatures
Precipitation
Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit Scotland, check out our Scotland's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in Scotland?

Edinburgh

In January Edinburgh generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Edinburgh
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
13°C 
6°C 
1,428 hours 
950 mm 
197 days 
poor 
January January
8°C 
2°C 
54 hours 
87 mm 
19 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
8°C 
2°C 
81 hours 
81 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Climate in Edinburgh

Aberdeen

In January Aberdeen generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Aberdeen
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
12°C 
7°C 
1,455 hours 
866 mm 
207 days 
poor 
January January
8°C 
3°C 
62 hours 
72 mm 
20 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
8°C 
3°C 
86 hours 
65 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Aberdeen

Oban

In January Oban generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Oban
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
12°C 
7°C 
1,208 hours 
2292 mm 
246 days 
unpleasant 
January January
8°C 
3°C 
33 hours 
254 mm 
23 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
8°C 
3°C 
59 hours 
220 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Oban

Dundee

In January Dundee generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Dundee
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
13°C 
6°C 
1,431 hours 
915 mm 
185 days 
poor 
January January
8°C 
2°C 
55 hours 
83 mm 
18 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
9°C 
2°C 
79 hours 
71 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Dundee

Shetland

In January Shetland generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 5°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Shetland
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
11°C 
8°C 
1,111 hours 
1165 mm 
256 days 
unpleasant 
January January
9°C 
5°C 
29 hours 
136 mm 
26 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
8°C 
5°C 
55 hours 
119 mm 
20 days 
poor 
Climate in Shetland

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Scotland.

Is January the best time to visit Scotland?

In our view, January might not be the best time to travel to Scotland with often poor weather in Edinburgh.

Generally speaking, June, July and August provide pleasant weather in Edinburgh. In contrast, January, February, March, November and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Scotland.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Scotland? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Scotland.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.