Scotland’s weather often lives up to all the joke stereotypes. Four seasons in one day, as usual. Don’t like the weather – wait half an hour and it’s changed. This can make planning (enjoyable) walks in Scotland a little awkward sometimes!
Why does it always rain on me?
Rudy doesn’t like the rain much and usually likes his raincoat even less! A forecast of rain in Scotland is often vague about time & place and how heavy it will be (unless it’s a big storm and then it’s easy, just everyone stay home!). Leaving for a walk during a dry spell between showers can lead to a wonderful walk or lead to a miserable dash to get back quickly! Rain is our least favourite because it’s so unpredictable here, there’s been days we’ve sat at home waiting for the rain to arrive as forecast, realising too late that it’s actually been a really nice day.
Walking in a Winter wonderland!
Snow is great fun to run around in and the winter wonderland look always means lots of extra photographs but Rudy is only a little pup and can’t stay out too long when the temperature drops to freezing. He’s happy to wear a jumper when it’s very cold but we’re still careful to stick to short walks and not let his little paws freeze! Winter is for long train rides with short walks at the end.
In the summertime
And then we get heatwaves! The summer sun is the only thing that’s ever made us abandon a walk after we’ve already arrived at a new place to explore. It doesn’t happen often in Scotland but a forecast for a nice sunny day can end up being just far too hot for even a Spanish rescue dog to be walking around. If there’s not much shade to rest in then there really isn’t much to do except get back on a train and enjoy the air-conditioning for the journey home again!
Everything but the kitchen sink.
With the weather being so changeable Rudy tries to always be prepared for whatever his adventure becomes! He has a “day-trip” backpack that his humans carry for him, there’s always lots of water and our picnic lunches with us and of course extra treats “just in case”. For the less predictable days Rudy also takes a towel to dry off after any surprise rain (and some wipes for muddy paws!) as well as a spare jumper – sometimes it feels like packing for a weeks holiday to cover the weather forecast for one afternoon!
1. Rudy being towel dried after a surprise downpour at Larbert.
2. Jumper on for a chilly day in November on the Maryhill Line.
3. Hi-vis winter jacket on for the train trip to Crianlarich!
4. Having an extra drink of water from a stream at Kintore