Which best month for Scotland?

[helenheart]

Hi there - I'm completing my second leg of LeJog - Manchester to JOG this summer. I am flexible on my dates, so ask what you all would consider the best month for this.
Also, someone mentioned a hostel that is old train carriages in Bonnie Scotland - is that still in operation?
Thanks
Helen

[MLJ]

I have had midge problems April/May/September, all of which can be recommended months for touring! Expect the summer months to be worse. For carriage hostels, try
http://www.sleeperzzz.com/
http://www.hostel-scotland.co.uk/hostels/Glenfinnan-Sleeping-Car
http://www.stationlodge.co.uk/

[irc]

It's a bit of a lottery. I've had near freezing daytime temps in early May. Though dry and sunny. If you don't mind the risk of cold I'd suggest early May. If you are not camping and therefore needn't worry so much about midgies I'd say first half June. Best chance of good weather plus less traffic than July - Aug.

Mid Sept also good for same reasons.

[Spinners]

It is the luck of the draw but mid-September for me too. Our LEJOG ride in 2003 had sunburn and about two hours rain in total.

Before I took up cycling we used to love going to Scotland for our holidays in the late Spring (but not as late as 'Springwatch' ).

[bogmyrtle]

Is April is too early for you? Easter is mid April and the schools will be back by the 17th then there is a nice gap until May when the route is particularly popular. Accommodation should be open from Easter and available because the schools are back. As far as the weather is concerned you take your chance. If there are midges in April they certainly won't be at their worst.

[Tangled Metal]

My first proper backpacking trip in Scotland was last week in May/first week in June. It was to the isle of Skye and we had only one day of rain. Midges were not noticeable at all. After that i spoke to friends who have been going up to Skye every year for over 10 years and have never had even a week of sunny weather. We had just over a week with mostly blue skies.

Since then I've been up to Scotland the same time for a few times. I had the odd wet day but mostly it was nice weather and midge free. One trip was 7 days completely spent in the hills of Knoydart, a place with a midge reputation. I saw about 20 Midges the whole week and they were under a log leaning out over a stream i was following. I dipped under it and got a face of midges.

Then we went up to Oban last summer in the first week of July and had a lot of rain. It rained at least some part of the day for 2 weeks. Plus we had days and places with a real midge problem. When i next go to Scotland it will be May/June week.

[Paulatic]

Earlier posts are right about the weather but has anyone considered the wind?
If I was cycling to JOG I would choose September simply because in M/J more often than not the wind will be in your face. Last year I met a group who'd taken 6 hrs, due to wind, to get a little more than 40 mls.

[Norman H]

If I was cycling to JOG I would choose September simply because in M/J more often than not the wind will be in your face.

As far as wind in the face is concerned, it's my experience that the wind gods share the same sense of humour as the P@@@ture fairy.

Just cycle backwards, simples!

[TrevA]

We did our JOGLE in late May. The weather was a bit mixed, some days showers, some days sunny, some days mixed. It was still quite cold, especially on the rainy days, but nice and warm on the sunny days. Wind was variable.

[loch eck steve]

Bit of a lottery really but I would say late april /early may to be the best time .

[Jon Lucas]

Earlier posts are right about the weather but has anyone considered the wind?
If I was cycling to JOG I would choose September simply because in M/J more often than not the wind will be in your face. Last year I met a group who'd taken 6 hrs, due to wind, to get a little more than 40 mls.

This did seem an obvious point to me. In April and May especially, north-easterly winds are as common as south-westerlies and in some years are the dominant wind. In September and especially later in the autumn, it is much more likely that south-westerlies will be dominant.

But with the usual caveat that the weather can do anything it feels like at any time, especially in Scotland.

[BottomGear]

I cycled JOG-LE in early June last year and mostly camped and generally speaking didn't have too much bother from the midges other than around Oban and Arran. I was lucky with the weather in Scotland and had a week of clear blue skies with plenty of sun. The evenings were generally windless and that was when the midges come out to play, so my advice is to be prepared and consider some kind of repellent and a headnet, as those little blighters can really get on your nerves!