What to Pack for Scotland in the Fall: A Practical Guide for Men and Women
Planning a trip to Scotland was stressful! Making sure I booked the right accommodation, finding the best flight deal, planning activities! There’s so much to think about. But nothing stresses me out more than trying to decide what to pack. I googled and googled for weeks before I started my packing. I tried on every outfit, debated, repacked, etc. Now that I’ve been to Scotland and done my trip, I know what is worth bringing and what isn’t!
I kept seeing over and over again that weather in Scotland is unpredictable and to bring layers. I found this to be true! The weather can be very unpredictable and you might experience sunshine, rain, or gusty winds all in one day! That’s why layers are so important!
*This guide is based on my 10 day trip. You’ll want to adjust based on the length of your trip*
General Packing Tips
Layers! Like I was just saying, layers are so important! They’ll help you be prepared for any kind of weather you might experience.
Waterproof everything! It can be quite rainy in Scotland, so you will want to be prepared with a quality waterproof rain coat. A water resistant raincoat might not hold up to the rain and gusty winds. I took a water resistant London Fog raincoat that I found on Poshmark, and it did not hold up to the Scotland rain. The rain soaked right through, and I was damp under my coat! It worked well for short times in the rain, but spending time in the Scottish Highlands with strong winds and heavy rain, it could not keep up! So, get a waterproof rain coat so you aren’t soggy half the time like I was.
Adaptors! Don’t forget to bring an adapter for the outlets. Scotland uses three prongs, not two like we mostly do here in America.
Packing List for Men
2-3 Pants: You will want to plan according to your itinerary/what you will be doing. For our itinerary which included a mix between outdoor/hiking activities and city activities, we took 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of khaki hiking pants, and 1 pair of grey hiking pants.
4-5 Shirts: You will want to pack a mix between short sleeve and long sleeve as this will help you layer better. We packed 3 t-shirts, 1 long sleeve shirt, and 1 flannel.
1-2 Sweaters: Pack sweaters that will keep you warm! We packed one sweater, knowing that we would likely buy a sweater while we were in Scotland.
1-2 Jackets: Make sure you have a waterproof jacket included on your list. The other jacket can be lighter weight or a warmer coat, depending on the temperatures while you are there. We packed 1 waterproof jacket and 1 puffer coat.
1-2 Shoes: Make sure one of these pairs is comfortable walking shoes! Shoes might depend on your itinerary. We did a mix of city walking and hiking so we brought 1 pair of hiking boots and 1 pair of tennis shoes for walking in the city. If you are planning on needing to dress up for an event or dinner, you could replace one of these shoes, or take an extra pair if you have the space. You will also want to make sure at least one of these shoes are waterproof so you can be prepared for the rain!
Underwear and socks: Bring enough underwear and socks to last the length of your trip. Pay attention to whether your accommodation has laundry facilities and whether you are willing to take time to do your laundry. If there are laundry facilities, you can bring less! We brought 4 pairs of underwear and 4 pairs of socks since we had access to laundry facilities.
Backpack/crossbody bag: To hold all of your items while you explore!
Travel adapter
Charging cables for all devices you are bringing
Headphones for use on the plane/during travel!
Reusable water bottle
Toiletries/bathroom items
Hat and Gloves. When it gets windy and rainy, it can get chilly! A hat and gloves make sure you stay warm. We packed only a hat, but wished we had waterproof gloves while hiking in the rain.
Packing List for Women
2-3 Pants: Again, you’ll want to plan according to your itinerary! If you’re hiking, include pants for that! Our itinerary had a mix of outdoor activities and city activities, so we packed 1 pair of leggings, 1 pair of hiking pants, and 1 pair of jeans.
1-2 skirts: If you wear skirts and like them, plan to pack one or two! I packed a tennis skirt that was cute but comfortable for walking in and a cute plaid skirt that I wore to nicer dinners/activities.
Tights: It can be a little chilly, so if you pack a skirt to wear, pack tights to wear with them! I packed fleece lined tights for chillier nights and a pair of regular tights since they are so little.
4-6 Shirts: You will want to pack a mix between short sleeve and long sleeve as this will help you layer better. I packed 2 long sleeve shirts, 3 short sleeve shirts, and a flannel.
1-3 Sweaters: Pack sweaters that will keep you warm! I packed a cute sweater to wear in the city, my Patagonia sweater for hiking, and a pullover sweater.
1 Jacket: Make sure your jacket is waterproof!
2-3 Shoes: Make sure one of these pairs is comfortable walking shoes! We did a mix of city walking and hiking, so I brought shoes for both! I packed 1 pair of hiking boots, 1 pair of cute waterproof boots, and 1 pair of comfortable walking tennis shoes. What shoes you pack will depend on your exact itinerary, so plan according to your itinerary! But you will want to make sure at least one of these shoes are waterproof so you can be prepared for the rain!
Underwear and socks: Bring enough underwear and socks to last the length of your trip. Pay attention to whether your accommodation has laundry facilities and whether you are willing to take time to do your laundry. If there are laundry facilities, you can bring less! You will also want to make sure your underwear is appropriate for your pants (I don’t know about you but, for me, leggings require different underwear than my jeans!) and that you’ve brought enough of each. Same for your shoes! I brought 6 pairs of underwear and 6 pairs of socks to accommodate the kinds of pants/shoes I packed. I also brought 3 bras with me.
Backpack/crossbody bag/purse: To hold all of your items while you explore!
Travel adapter
Hair tools (blow dryer, straightener, etc): American hair tools are often not compatible with plugs in Scotland as they require different voltage, so bring an adapter as well if you plan on using any hair tools.
Charging cables for all devices you are bringing
Headphones for use on the plane/during travel!
Reusable water bottle
Toiletries/bathroom items
Hat and gloves: Hiking in the wind and rain can get chilly! Like I said above, we brought a hat and were glad we did! But, we didn’t bring gloves and wished we had.
Essentials to remember!
In addition to the packing list above, remember to bring these important things:
Passport (and photocopies)
Travel Insurance Documents. Travel insurance is always a good idea just in case something happens while you’re traveling.
Guidebook. We used Rick Steve’s guidebook for planning and while we were in country traveling.
Snacks! We made sure to have plenty of snacks for our plane ride to Scotland, and picked up some more while we were there so that our fun was never ruined by being hungry!
Portable Charger. Sometimes travel days can be long and you might be using your phone a lot for photos/directions so it’s a good idea to have a portable charger to make sure your phone battery doesn’t run out!
Final Thoughts
Packing and planning can be stressful! Making sure that you check the weather before you leave and pack layers can help alleviate that stress and make sure you have everything you need! You can use this post to help you plan what you want to pack and to make sure you have everything you need! Looking for help planning an itinerary? Checkout my 10 Days in Scotland: The Perfect Itinerary post!