Best time for LeJog

[charliepolecat]

I've copied the school holiday schedule and it seems that in order to escape the expected late summer holiday crowds in England it would be best to start after 6 September - but one could go earlier in Scotland:

UK school holiday dates 2018–19
School holidays in England

Autumn break: one week between 22 October – 2 November 2018
Christmas break: two weeks between 20 December 2018 – 4 January 2019
February break: one week between 18 February – 1 March 2019
Easter break: two weeks between 1–26 April 2019
May break: 27–31 May 2019
Summer break: six weeks between 15 July – 6 September 2019

Dates vary slightly by region, though. Check with your school or local council for details.
School holidays in Wales

Autumn break: 29 October – 2 November 2018
Christmas break: 24 December 2018 – 4 January 2019
February break: one week between 18 February – 1 March 2019
Easter break: 15–26 April 2019
May break: 27–31 May 2019
Summer break: 22 July – 30 August 2019

Dates for the February break vary by region, though. Check with your school or local council for details.

School holidays in Scotland

Autumn break: 1–2 weeks between 8–22 October 2018
Christmas break: 24 December 2018 – 4 January 2019
February break: one day to one week between 11–19 February 2019
Spring break: two weeks between 26 March – 26 April 2019
May break: 24–27 May 2019 (not all councils have this break, though)
Summer break: 1 July – 20 August 2019

[irc]

I would suggest the first 3 weeks of June as the ideal time for LEJOG. Post Easter hols.

Past much chance of cold weather. I've had cold days including a bit of snow in early May. Scottish schools officially finish the end of June but classrooms start emptying the week before.

Max daylight. Not peak midge season. In fact for a camping LEJOG last 2 weeks in May and start of June might reduce midgies more.

[Paulatic]

The best time I suppose is when you can do it.
The preferred time for me, I’d agree with irc, would be mid May to end of June.

[charliepolecat]

I do agree with both of you that May/June would be best, but I'm not sure I can arrange the trip by then. So my fall back is at the end of the season rather than the early part of it.

But, this is also true:

The best time I suppose is when you can do it.

[Jamesh]

In my experience of school summer holidays the first two weeks are generally the busiest but then they tend to tail off in weeks 3 - 6.
I would avoid Cornwall in those two weeks but outside of them you will find it less busy.
Also keep away from Friday / Saturday going in and out of Cornwall too.
Most holiday traffic won't be on the road early in morning or later in evening so get a load of miles in early have a break whilst the holiday makers get to the beach perhaps a couple of hours whilst they are' then take a break whilst they go back to the campsite etc. I'm being simplistic but you get the idea.
This only really applies to Devon and Cornwall anyway.

Cheers James

[Jamesh]

Schools generally break up last week of July in England and go back first week of September.
Cheers James

[Mick F]

Late May/Early June is best for the weather in Scotland. These tend to be out of the rainy season.

[rareposter]

A friend started his LEJOG last weekend. So far so good. There's normally a decent weather window in mid-May and then again in early - mid September. Personally I don't rate July/August much in Scotland. Middle of the midge season and you can also get hit with some really unreliable weather.

I've had some amazing weather in Scotland in early September. Did a touring holiday up there a couple of years ago and it was shorts and short sleeves the entire week. This was north-west area, up as far as Unapool (not a typo, it's north of Ullapool!) and it was absolutely stunning. I've done all my LEJOGs in September and its been almost universally good weather at that time in Scotland. One day of rain in the afternoon going into Bonar Bridge once but other than that, mostly nice weather throughout Scotland.

I reckon it's a mix of factors. Good weather window. Not in the school holidays (less traffic on the roads, cheaper accommodation and easier to book places) and ease of travelling to/from your start and end points (so again, not in high season). That said, if you do it too far into the off-season you end up with the opposite problem - lack of places to stay or eat or camp, especially in the more remote areas.

i'm generally less bothered about a day or so of rubbish weather elsewhere, there are more places to shelter in most of England - you're normally close-ish to some sort of town or village. Scotland can be miles of weather-exposed nothingness for hours!

[charliepolecat]

Thanks RP. My current plan - always open to changes - will be to probably start during the last week of August and be finished the end of the first week in September. I have a weekend of bike races to organise for the beginning of October, so I have to be done early enough to finalise that. I should be on the road for 9 days and hopefully less than that.

[Jamesh]

Thanks RP. My current plan - always open to changes - will be to probably start during the last week of August and be finished the end of the first week in September. I have a weekend of bike races to organise for the beginning of October, so I have to be done early enough to finalise that. I should be on the road for 9 days and hopefully less than that.

I'll tell you how hard it is to do in 8 days!!!

[charliepolecat]

James,

Good fortune, good weather, good roads and careful drivers on your LeJog.

Ken.

[landsurfer]

We did last week of June / first week of July last year and had no school based issues at all, and the hottest, best weather of the year ... and Mick F even joined us for the day ....

[Mick F]

[Jamesh]

HMick do you fancy a ride out early Sunday morning 30th June.

Oakhampton north 7am onwards!!

No problem if busy.

cheers James

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I used to go walking and camping on the pennine way, it was always to coincide with longest daylight.
Agreed may possible snow and I am talking snow still on dartmoor albeit off road, june is clear weather if maybe a bit chilly overnight.
Jul - aug humid and hazy.

Unless you want to study the weather forecast closely, but will not be accurate beyond five days.