ScotlandCountries Scotland January
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Weather in January
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Scotland weather in January

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.

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 6°C in Inverinate to 9°C in Duntulm. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 5°C in Duntulm 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.

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. Most areas see fewer sunny days, with a projection of about 54 hours of sunshine in Edinburgh. This reduced sunlight makes it ideal for those who prefer dimmer, overcast conditions over bright sunny days.

For a closer look at January's conditions in Scotland, see the map below. For a more detailed look at Scotland's yearly weather, check out our Scotland climate page.

Where to go in Scotland in January

Find the average weather conditions in January for the most popular destinations in Scotland on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

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).

Popular destinations in Scotland

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

Average weather in 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
<<   December December
<<  
8°C 
2°C 
48 hours 
87 mm 
18 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

Average weather in 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
<<   December December
<<  
8°C 
3°C 
48 hours 
75 mm 
19 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

Average weather in 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
<<   December December
<<  
8°C 
3°C 
31 hours 
247 mm 
23 days 
poor 
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

Average weather in 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
<<   December December
<<  
8°C 
2°C 
45 hours 
80 mm 
17 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

Average weather in 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
<<   December December
<<  
9°C 
6°C 
18 hours 
131 mm 
27 days 
poor 
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. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

  • January      
  • February      
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  • April      
  • May      
  • June      
  • July      
  • August      
  • September      
  • October      
  • November      
  • December      

    • 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 climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.