ClimateForecastJanuaryFebruary >>

Weather in January in Highlands

Thinking about venturing to Highlands this January and curious about the weather conditions to expect? This page holds all the key information you seek, responding to your question:

What is the weather like in Highlands in January?

Highlands is a region in the United Kingdom. January in Highlands generally has cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. In January, it is winter.

Temperatures

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 5°C in Newtonmore to 9°C in Dunvegan. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 5°C in Dunvegan and -1°C in Newtonmore. 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.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Balintore with an average of 75 mm to heavy rainfall in Arisaig with 269 mm. Going by our weather data, it is the wettest month of the year in Inverness.

Average sunshine

Most areas see fewer sunny days, with a projection of about 40 hours of sunshine in Inverness. This reduced sunlight makes it ideal for those who prefer dimmer, overcast conditions over bright sunny days.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Highlands in January, check out the map below. For more details on the yearly weather, visit our Highlands climate page.

Where to go in Highlands in January

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

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

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

Inverness

In January Inverness generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 7°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Inverness
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
7°C 
1°C 
27 hours 
92 mm 
20 days 
poor 
7°C 
1°C 
40 hours 
99 mm 
19 days 
poor 
8°C 
1°C 
75 hours 
91 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Climate in Inverness

Fort William

In January Fort William generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Fort William
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
6°C 
1°C 
31 hours 
213 mm 
24 days 
poor 
6°C 
1°C 
33 hours 
232 mm 
24 days 
poor 
6°C 
0°C 
59 hours 
211 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Fort William

Aviemore

In January Aviemore generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -0°C and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Aviemore
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
5°C 
-1°C 
27 hours 
100 mm 
22 days 
poor 
5°C 
-0°C 
40 hours 
109 mm 
21 days 
poor 
6°C 
-1°C 
75 hours 
99 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Climate in Aviemore

Fort Augustus

In January Fort Augustus generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 0°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Fort Augustus
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
6°C 
0°C 
27 hours 
150 mm 
24 days 
poor 
6°C 
0°C 
40 hours 
167 mm 
23 days 
poor 
6°C 
-0°C 
75 hours 
151 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Fort Augustus

Nairn

In January Nairn 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.

Nairn
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
8°C 
2°C 
27 hours 
76 mm 
19 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
40 hours 
80 mm 
18 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
75 hours 
74 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Climate in Nairn

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Highlands, in the United Kingdom.

Is January the best time to visit Highlands?

In our opinion, January may not be the ideal time to visit Highlands due to the typically poor weather in Inverness.

Generally speaking, July and August provide pleasant weather in Inverness. On the other hand, the months of 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 Highlands. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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

    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.