Scotland in notorious for rainy, chilly weather even in the best of seasons, and the activities on your Scotland bucket list can vary widely, from exploring ruined castles to Scotch tours to dining in Michelin starred restaurants. It caused some pretty significant challenges when packing!
C and I live in Texas, which means our winter wardrobes are pretty sparse. We each opted for a few investment pieces to supplement what we already owned, and grabbed some trendier pieces on major sale as seasons changed. A full list of what I packed is at the bottom of this post.
FOR EXPLORING
The trick to packing for Scotland is layers, keeping you insulated from the cold, wind, and rain while enabling you to transition between locations and as temps warm during daylight hours.
Most people recommend rain wellies in Scotland – especially on the islands – but I was worried about all that bulk in my bags. Instead, I picked up a new pair of L.L. Bean Boots for my everyday shoe – they kept my feet protected from the wet and cold and were significantly easier to pack. I opted for a version with Thinsulate lining for added warmth and goodness, did that come in handy!
During the day, I layered button down shirts with warm (but not bulky) sweaters, jeans with a little stretch so they look good when worn for multiple days, and camp socks. I topped everything with this Barbour wax jacket I’ve traveled with for years – it’s warm and waterproof, which made it ideal for the damp Scotland days (are you catching the trend here? warm. waterproof.).
FOR DINING
Evenings out were one of the hardest to plan for. We wanted something nice enough for the best Edinburgh restaurants, but didn’t want to give up too much bag space for outfits we would only be wearing a few hours.
For this reason, heels were out. They were impractical most of the places we were going and there was no way I was fitting another pair of shoes in my already-packed carry-on.
I purchased a pair of Blondo booties, a brand that’s known for not only being comfortable but also waterproof! I walked 5+ miles in these multiple days in a row and can attest to them being the comfiest thing EVER. It’s been hard not hopping online and ordering them in black. I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of these in the years to come!
I was planning to bring dresses but after the quick realization that they didn’t look right with the booties and that I was already too tight on space, I had to set them aside. I opted instead for black jeans that I also wore during the day, with easy-to-pack chiffon tops. I topped them off with other items that I could also wear during the day – my leather jacket or top coat.
FOR TRAVEL DAYS
We have a few long drive days and a day of flights on either that I want to dress comfy for. I always fly in compression leggings which double as activewear for hikes, a tee-shirt I can sleep in later in the trip, my blanket scarf I’ll use to keep warm, and a great pair of sneakers. This pair is my current favorite and has the added benefit of packing flat.
I also brought a pair of stretch hiking pants that I wore during the drive from the highlands to the Islay ferry.
FULL PACKING LIST
11 days in a carry-on required us to think creatively about what we bring, how it could be worn, and how efficiently it would pack. Here’s a list of everything I brought:
SHOES
JACKETS
- Barbour wax jacket
- Leather jacket
- Wool top coat (old)*
TOPS
- 6 sweaters (this / this / this / this / this / this)
- 3 layering camis (these)
- 2 chiffon camisoles (this / this)
- Chiffon blouse
- Chambray button up
- Long-sleeve tee
- Sweatshirt*
BOTTOMS
- 4 pairs of jeans (dark blue / black / distressed black / olive green)
- Hiking pants
- Compression leggings*
OTHER
- Underwear, socks, bras for total number of days + 1-2 extras
- Pajamas (two tanks and a pair of gym shorts)
- Toiletries
- Hair brush
- Chargers and power adapters
- A book for the plane
- Protein bars and single serve collagen protein packets
- Camera and camera accessories
*wore on the plane
And before you ask, yes, it all fit in a carry-on bag.
Read more: How to pack for 11 days in a carry-on
Follow along on our trip on Instagram, and read the full Scotland travel series HERE.
