How Cold Are Scottish Waters?

On average, August has the warmest water temperature with 13° Celsius (55° Fahrenheit). On average, March has the coldest water temperature with 5° Celsius (41° Fahrenheit).

How cold are waters in Scotland?

The warmest water temperature is in August with an average around 58.6°F / 14.8°C. The coldest month is February with an average water temperature of 44.8°F / 7.1°C.

What temperature is Scottish water?

Today the warmest water in the region is recorded in Wigtown. Its value in this location is 55°F. And the coldest one is in Invergordon, its value 49°F.

Is it ever warm enough to swim in Scotland?

Granted, Scotland is no tropical playground – its frigid North Atlantic waters are rarely warm enough for a swim.

How cold are Scotlands lochs?

The minimum temperature of these lakes may be anything down to freezing point, but it is rarely that anything less than 35°·0 is recorded in the water beneath the ice.

Can you swim in the water in Scotland?

Scotland should be top of any wild swimmer’s bucket list. Not only does it have a wide range of lochs, burns, waterfalls and seas to swim in, but Scotland’s open access laws mean you have a right to responsibly enjoy inland water for recreational purposes.

Can you swim in Scottish Water?

For these reasons and in the interests of our customers’ health and safety, Scottish Water does not encourage swimming or diving in any of our reservoirs.

Is the sea in Scotland cold?

(Scotland – East Coast, UK)
The water temperature (54 °F) at Aberdeen is quite cold. If the sun shines as forecast, it should feel warm enough to get away with a good sealed spring wetsuit but you won’t overheat in a winter wetsuit, gloves boots and a hood. Effective windchill factor of (52 °F).

Is 17 degrees cold for water?

17-20 DEGREES: Summer swimming
Still fresh on entry, but comfortable picnic lazy-hazy summer swimming.

How long can you survive in 17 degree water?

Expected Survival Time in Cold Water

Water Temperature Exhaustion or Unconsciousness in Expected Survival Time
60–70° F (16–21° C) 2–7 hours 2–40 hours
50–60° F (10–16° C) 1–2 hours 1–6 hours
40–50° F (4–10° C) 30–60 minutes 1–3 hours
32.5–40° F (0–4° C) 15–30 minutes 30–90 minutes

Is Scotland the coldest country in the UK?

Scotland’s Weather
Scotland is the coldest part of the UK throughout the year, and has average minimum temperatures of just -0.2oC during the winter.

Do you need a wetsuit to swim in Scotland?

As such, there’s a few things you should do to stay safe: Wetsuit: Even in summer, Scotland’s waters are very cold. A wetsuit will help keep your body warm, and provide buoyancy. If you plan on swimming more than a few minutes, consider wearing a wetsuit.

How cold is Scotland compared to other countries?

Scotland is not very cold compared to many other winter sport destinations; it rarely gets much below -10 °C and is often above freezing. Fort William’s average January minimum temperature is 1 °C. By comparison, Iceland (the country) has an average low of -5 °C.

Do Scottish lochs freeze over?

In very cold weather the lochs at Strathclyde Park and Drumpellier Park in Coatbridge and parts of the River Clyde can ice over. The ice may look pretty and strong enough to walk on but it is not. Any person or animal walking on frozen waterways risks their life.

Can you swim in Loch Ness with a wetsuit?

The water temperature in Loch Ness can average as little as 11 degrees so this swimming event isn’t for the faint-hearted! Wetsuit and non-wetsuit boats are available.

Can you swim in Scotland’s lochs?

With 22 lochs, the National Park is the perfect place to enjoy an invigorating and inspiring swim. Open water swimming in particular is a popular activity, and each year thousands of people take the plunge during mass participation events in Loch Lomond.

Are Scottish waters clean?

More bathing waters (34%) have been rated as ‘excellent’ since tighter standards first came into force in 2015. Half as many bathing waters rated as ‘poor’ than in 2019.
Scotland’s bathing waters start 2021 season with 94% achieving strict environmental standards.

2020/2021
Troon (South Beach) Sufficient

What lives in Scottish waters?

More than 20 cetacean species can be seen in Scottish waters, but seven species are relatively common close to our coasts:

  • bottlenose dolphin.
  • harbour porpoise.
  • minke whale.
  • white-beaked dolphin.
  • Risso’s dolphin.
  • common dolphin.
  • orca (killer whale)

Is water in Scotland drinkable?

Scottish Water supplies most of the drinking water in Scotland. It regularly carries out tests to make sure the water is clean and safe to drink.

Why is Scottish water so clean?

Water Treatment
To make sure water is safe to drink it must be treated at a treatment works. Water is transferred through pipes to the treatment works where it is cleaned by first removing large objects such as leaves and grit. Smaller particles and colour are then removed by filtration, usually through sand.

Is Scottish water the cleanest in the world?

Our drinking water is quality tested every two minutes on average, making it “the most tested water in the world”, according to Scottish Water’s chief scientist Elise Cartmell. And it is the highest quality it has ever been, with 99.91% of tests taken at customers’ taps complying with strict regulatory standards.