Since Christmas and New Year's are popular travel times in Scotland, deal-seeking visitors may want to avoid scheduling a trip during the final weeks of December or the first week of January. To have the most sunlight and best weather, many people head to the Scottish Highlands in the summer, between May and September.

If you are flying into Scotland, January–March is also the cheapest time to do so. Once the holiday rush is over, flight prices decrease and stay low until early April, when the tourist season slowly begins to wake up. If you still want to catch some of the good weather, the best time to visit is during the fall.

Alas, the midges are at their worst on the west coast just in time for high season. Many Scots rate May as the best month: long days, rising temperatures, dry weather...and no midges. Wildflowers are in bloom on the Hebridean machair, hawthorn hedges flower and cherry blossoms grace city parks.

March in Scotland can be a good time for warm weather, as Scotland has (rarely) seen a high of 20°C in March. However, you might also get a lot of sunshine and low tourism. March is a great time to visit Scotland for its bars and distilleries and enjoy a nice Scotch whisky. It's finally safe to venture out in lighter layers, but spring will not start showing itself until April.