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.
5. Taps Aff
A favourite phrase for Scotland's summers, if you're lucky enough to have a sunny day then it's "taps aff" (or tops/ t-shirts off) so you can enjoy the Vitamin D in full. Photo: bbtomas on Canva Pro
6. Goat's Hair
The Scottish phrase a "Goat's hair" refers to a cirrus cloud - a type of short, detached and hair-like cloud found at high altitudes. Photo: ineb1599 via Canva Pro
7. Baltic
You may hear a Scot refer to the weather as "pure baltic" in the Winter months, this just means it's freezing cold - like the Baltic sea. Photo: mediaphotos from Getty Images Signature
8. Pish-oot
Unlike a greetie, a pish-oot is when the rain is coming down in an intense downpour e.g., "it's pishing it doon!" Photo: Jaromir Chalabala via Canva Pro