Editing Scotland (section)

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of Scotland}}

[[File:Traigh Bail, Tiree - geograph.org.uk - 7983.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tiree]] in the [[Inner Hebrides]] is one of the sunniest locations in Scotland.]]
The climate of most of Scotland is [[temperate]] and [[oceanic climate|oceanic]], and tends to be very changeable. As it is warmed by the [[Gulf Stream]] from the Atlantic, it has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, such as [[Labrador]], southern [[Scandinavia]], the [[Moscow region]] in [[Russia]], and the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] on the opposite side of [[Eurasia]]. Temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the temperature of {{Convert|-27.2|°C|°F|1}} recorded at [[Braemar]] in the [[Grampian Mountains]], on 11 February 1895, the coldest ever recorded anywhere in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |title= UK Records |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/uk_records.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202071307/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/uk_records.shtml |archive-date=2 December 2010 |access-date=21 September 2007 |publisher=BBC Weather }} The same temperature was also recorded in Braemar on 10 January 1982 and at [[Altnaharra]], [[Highland (council area)|Highland]], on 30 December 1995.</ref> Winter maxima average {{Convert|6|°C|°F|0}} in the Lowlands, with summer maxima averaging {{Convert|18|°C|°F|0}}. The highest temperature recorded was {{Convert|34.8|°C|°F|1}} at [[RAF Charterhall|Charterhall]], [[Scottish Borders]] on 19 July 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-07-28 |title=Scotland's record temperature of 34.8C at Charterhall confirmed |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-62334687 |access-date=2025-05-07 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, owing to the influence of Atlantic [[ocean currents]] and the colder surface temperatures of the [[North Sea]]. [[Tiree]], in the Inner Hebrides, is one of the sunniest places in the country: it had more than 300 hours of sunshine in May 1975.<ref name="Metext">{{Cite web |title=Weather extremes |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate-extremes/#?tab=climateExtremes |access-date=23 March 2017 |publisher=Met Office |archive-date=21 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221004454/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate-extremes/#?tab=climateExtremes |url-status=live }}</ref> Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest, with annual rainfall in a few places exceeding {{Convert|3000|mm|in|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Western Scotland: climate |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ws |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008091252/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ws |archive-date=8 October 2014 |access-date=17 September 2014}}</ref> In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than {{Convert|800|mm|in|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} annually.<ref name="Meteast">{{Cite web |title=Eastern Scotland: climate |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008085154/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/es |archive-date=8 October 2014 |access-date=17 September 2014}}</ref> Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude. Braemar has an average of 59 snow days per year,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scottish Weather Part One |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/scotland_01.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126064338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/scotland_01.shtml |archive-date=26 January 2011 |access-date=21 September 2007 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> while many coastal areas average fewer than 10 days of lying snow per year.<ref name=Meteast/>