What's May Really Like in the Scottish Highlands

May is a beautiful month in the Scottish Highlands.

I realise I have a tendency to say that about almost every month here (don't worry-there are a few months that I do find slightly less beautiful here), but truly I love May here. It's a time when a lot of the wild flowers start to bloom. My mother-in-law's birthday is at the start of May, and normally around her birthday, her garden comes alive with the most incredible spread of bluebells. Her favourite colour is blue, so it feels like a birthday treat just for her.

For me, May in the Scottish Highlands is when you're seeing this place at its best. Almost all of the seasonal businesses in the Highlands have reopened for the season. We generally get pretty good sunny spring weather during the month of May (as well as some of our more typical rainy days of course) and the sun doesn't set up 9pm, meaning you get out and really see so much of the Highlands during the day. If you're planning a Highland adventure at some point, May might be a great pick for you.

Unfortunately with sunnier and warmer days comes the return of the Highland's most infamous beatie: The Highland Midge. Even after all these years, I'm still so surprised when it gets towards the end of May and I feel the itchy bites of midges on my body. I remember being at a wedding in May 2025 and waking up the next morning, not with a hangover, but with my legs and arms covered in red, itchy midge bites. I shared an extensive blogpost on the topic of midges (and what to do if you get bitten by them) a couple of years ago, so be sure to check it out if you want to know more about how to avoid these creatures.

In all honestly, I have very few adventures from the month of May because we normally go away on a big holiday during May. As someone who works in both a hospitality business and with children and young people, the summer holidays don't really give us much oppurtunity to get away. I love having a chance to rest and reset before the busyness of summer in the Scottish Highlands.

Some events happening this May in the Scottish Highlands

• 7th-9th May: Skye Live