Notes by topic

A few short notes on Scottish regions and seasons, gathered from the questions readers ask most often.

More detail is in this short note.

The Borders

The Borders: the line most people need is abbeys and mills, an hour from Edinburgh. In practice, it is under-visited and the houses are better value than the Highlands.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. Knowing this about The Borders prevents most mistakes.

Sea temperature

A short note on Sea temperature. The figure to hold onto is 10 to 14 C in summer; what matters is that wild swimming is a wetsuit affair for most people.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. In short, Sea temperature is worth a minute before you commit.

Airports

If you are looking into Airports, start here: Inverness for the north, Edinburgh and Glasgow for the south. The point is that car hire sells out at Inverness in summer.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. That is the whole of Airports for most readers.

Rain

Rain in one line: the west gets twice what the east gets. Beyond the number, a house in Fife or Angus is the safer bet for a dry week.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. Knowing this about Rain prevents most mistakes.

Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond: the line most people need is an hour from Glasgow, by road. In practice, the east shore is quieter than the west and has the better walks.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. In short, Loch Lomond is worth a minute before you commit.

Sunrise and sunset

A short note on Sunrise and sunset. The figure to hold onto is 4.30am to 10pm around midsummer in the north; what matters is that blackout blinds are worth asking about.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. That is the whole of Sunrise and sunset for most readers.

Golf

If you are looking into Golf, start here: the links courses, on the east coast. The point is that St Andrews' Old Course needs a ballot or a booking a year ahead.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. Knowing this about Golf prevents most mistakes.

Whisky regions

Whisky regions in one line: Speyside, Highland, Islay as the big three. Beyond the number, Islay's peated malts divide a group; Speyside rarely does.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. In short, Whisky regions is worth a minute before you commit.

Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.

This note is part of the Luxury Holiday House Scotland notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.