The Scottish Highlands have a reputation problem. Ask most people when to go and they will tell you summer, imagining long days and warm weather. What summer actually delivers is midges — the tiny biting insects that emerge in June and remain, in infuriating clouds, until August — and tourist traffic on the single-track roads of Wester Ross and Sutherland that turns a thirty-minute drive into a two-hour exercise in patience.
May: The Answer
In May, the midges have not yet hatched. The roads are quiet. The light, in northern Scotland's long spring evenings, lasts until 10pm and sometimes later. The hills are showing the first green of the season, the lochs reflect skies that change every twenty minutes, and you can stop your car on the A835 north of Inverness and see nothing in any direction that suggests the twenty-first century.
What to Expect Weather-Wise
Scottish Highlands weather is famously unpredictable. In May, you might get three consecutive days of sunshine that would embarrass the Mediterranean. You might get a week of grey drizzle. More likely, you'll get both within the same day. Pack for everything: waterproofs, warm layers, and something light enough for the occasional afternoon when you'll want to sit outside.
The golden rule: never cancel an outdoor plan because of Scottish weather. The light after Highland rain — particularly in the western Highlands — is extraordinary. Wait twenty minutes and conditions often transform entirely.
The Route
The North Coast 500 has become well-known in recent years and is genuinely excellent. For those who prefer fewer fellow travellers, the roads of Wester Ross — Applecross, Torridon, the Bealach na Bà pass — are equally spectacular and, in May, almost entirely free of traffic.
Sandwood Bay, accessible only on foot via a four-mile track from Blairmore near Kinlochbervie, is one of the finest beaches in Europe. In May, you may well have it entirely to yourself. The walk takes about two hours each way and is straightforward on a clear day.
Practical Notes
- Single-track roads require patience and courtesy — always use passing places correctly
- Fuel up whenever you see a petrol station; the next one may be 60 miles away
- Mobile signal is absent across large areas — download offline maps before you leave
- Book accommodation well ahead even in May; quality options in remote areas are limited
- The Highlands and Islands distilleries are largely open for tours — Glenmorangie, Dalmore and Balblair are all within reach of the east coast route