As the UK heads into the final days of summer, 2025 is already being named as one of the warmest on record, but for many in the Highlands, the season has been a more mixed picture.
Provisional Met Office figures show that from 1 June to 17 August, the UK’s mean temperature stands at 16.2°C, around 1.6°C above the long-term seasonal average.
Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle says this summer is on course to be one of the warmest, if not the warmest, since UK records began in 1884.
But while southern and central parts of the UK have basked in sunshine and heat, northern Scotland has experienced a very different kind of summer.
Many areas in the Highlands and Islands have already recorded nearly a full season’s worth of rainfall, with northern Scotland sitting at 98 percent of its average rainfall by mid-August.
By contrast, some parts of England and Wales have seen just over half.
Although the UK-wide figures point to a hotter-than-usual season, the story here in the north has been far more varied, with bursts of warm weather broken up by cooler, wetter conditions.
June brought some bright spells to the Highlands, with long evenings and welcome sunshine in many areas.
But by July and early August, low pressure systems had returned, bringing showers and overcast skies to much of the region.
What stands out in the national picture is the consistency of the warmth rather than extreme heat.
Across the UK, four short heatwaves have been recorded, although none have come close to record temperatures.
The highest reading so far this year is 35.8°C in Kent, which is well below the all-time UK record of 40.3°C set in 2022.
Meanwhile, in the Highlands, most people would agree this summer has felt anything but extreme.
While we have seen spells of sunshine and milder evenings, we have also faced wind, rain and thick cloud, a familiar and often frustrating mix for local farmers, crofters and holidaymakers.
Sunshine levels are slightly above average in some parts of Scotland, though not enough to transform the season.
What remains true is that the climate is changing.
The UK is warming steadily at a rate of around 0.25°C per decade.
That warming trend is clear in the records, with four of the ten hottest UK summers occurring since 2018.
But regional differences still matter.
Here in the Highlands, we continue to live through the climate shift in our own way.
And while the rest of the UK may be counting this as one of its warmest summers yet, many of us are still reaching for the waterproofs between the rays of sun.
