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.
33. Yer Grandpa’s like the weather - nae pattern!
This Scottish phrase is used to express that our beloved weather is unpredictable. Photo: perfectwave via Canva Pro
34. Gloaming
This describes the alluring twilight dusk of the evening as the nights are drawing in. The word has been dated back to a 15th century old Scots text: "the glomyng of the nycht". Photo: Andrew Jensen via Canva Pro
35. Gowk's Storm
This refers to a storm that occurs in springtime, arriving at the same time as a "gowk" otherwise known as a Cuckoo. Photo: MikeLane45 via Canva Pro
36. Lunkieness
You may experience this on a stormy or tempestuous day, it describes an "oppressiveness of atmosphere". Photo: Frank Wagner via Canva Pro