Winter: Dec, Jan & Feb
With darkness setting in at around 4pm, and temperatures averaging 6ºC (43ºF) throughout the country, Scotland's winter has its challenges.
On the upside, rainfall is usually a good bit less than in the Autumn and those crisp sunny days that do occur feel exceptional – particularly in the countryside when there's an icy crunch underfoot and a dusting of snow covers Scotland's mountains.
Another upside are the vast New Year celebrations, called Hogmanay, in Edinburgh they are at their biggest and have come to include a month of attractions and Christmas markets.