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.
9. Greetie
A somewhat poetic word, Greetie means "showery" and it connects to the Scottish word "greeting" which means "to cry". Photo: yakushige via Canva Pro
10. Smirr
Smirr refers to a "drizzle" i.e., a light or gentle rain. You know the kind, the amount of rain that doesn't justify a lazy day indoors but is inconvenient enough to ruin your walk outside. Photo: Don Blakes Prairie Wind Photography via Canva Pro
11. Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky
Did you know in Scottish Gaelic the word for whisky translates to 'the water of life'? Point being, you can always feel better about the rainy days when they lead on to something better. Photo: magnaretonsor via Canva Pro
12. Blout
Expressed like "a blout of bad weather" this word refers to a sudden fall of rain, hailstones or snow. Photo: StockPlanets via Canva Pro