The hope for “taps aff” weather vs the expectation of the cold “dreich” cloudy weather. Scottish weather is always a big topic of conversation.
Cold, wet and windy is the the norm with Scotland but you can expect the ‘taps’ to be ‘aff’ when even a slight bit of sunshine shows it face. Who doesn’t love a Scottish summer when it comes around? However, predictably, the word “dreich” (Scots for grey, wet and damp weather) was voted the ‘most iconic Scots word’ a few years ago. No shock there then.
As per the University of Glasgow, there are 400 Scottish words for ‘snow’ and just over a hundred for ‘rain’, however, we have picked out the 37 best Scottish terms to describe Scotland’s beloved yet chaotic weather.
13. Dubs
An adorable word that refers to puddles - specifically the kind that kids with their wellingtons love to splash about in. Photo: Jonathan Austin Dan via Canva Pro
14. Watergaw
Have you ever seen a "patch" of a rainbow in the sky but not in full shape? Then what you saw is actually a watergaw - a word that refers to the rainbow colours appearing but only partly. Photo: Mutlu Kurtbas via Canva Pro
15. Blirtie
It is often said that in Scotland you can experience all four seasons in one day because of how "inconstant" the weather is and that's what a "blirtie day" refers to, severe blasts of rain and wind but occasionally. Photo: RobertHoetink via Canva Pro
16. Coorse
You could say Scotland has the Coorse curse as it seems we are cursed by this kind of weather i.e., dark and stormy. Photo: Myriams-Fotos via Canva Pro