Edinburgh Castle on its volcanic rock above the trees of Princes Street Gardens

Winter

Golf in Scotland in January

Short days and bracing links golf for the hardy, with Edinburgh at its most atmospheric.

Edinburgh Castle above Princes Street Gardens

January is the heart of the Scottish winter. The sandy links drain quickly, so many coastal courses stay open, but daylight is limited and frost can delay tee times. Some clubs use temporary greens or mats to protect the course.

For most visitors this is not the month for a dedicated golf trip. It can suit a short city break in Edinburgh, a few holes on a crisp, still day, and a warm fire afterwards.

Daylight in January

On 15 January, in UK local time. The latest start allows about four hours to finish 18 holes before sunset.

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on 15 January
Place	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight	Latest 18-hole start
St Andrews	08:34	16:06	7 hr 32 min	12:06
Troon	08:37	16:18	7 hr 41 min	12:18
Dornoch	08:49	16:02	7 hr 13 min	12:02

How late can you tee off?

Choose a course and a date to see sunrise, sunset and the latest start that should let you finish 18 holes in daylight, allowing about 4 hours for a round on foot.

CourseDate

Sunrise: –
Sunset: –
Daylight: –
Latest 18-hole start: –

Typical weather

Long-term averages for January on Scotland’s three main golf coasts. Averages smooth out a great deal: expect the odd glorious day and the odd wild one, sometimes within the same round.

Average climate in January, 1991–2020
Coast	Average high	Average low	Rainfall	Sunshine
St Andrews, Fife and the east coastLeuchars weather station	6.8°C	0.7°C	64 mm	60 hrs
Glasgow and the Ayrshire coastPaisley weather station	7.1°C	1.9°C	147 mm	39 hrs
The Highlands and the Moray FirthNairn weather station	6.9°C	0.9°C	48 mm	49 hrs

Monthly averages for 1991–2020 from Met Office station records. The Paisley and Nairn stations closed during this period, so their averages cover roughly twenty years. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Average sunshine by month, east coast

Hours of bright sunshine per month at Leuchars, beside St Andrews (1991–2020)

100

150

200

Plan your routePick your courses and see the best order, drive times and where to stay.Playing the Old CourseHow the ballot, advance times and Sunday closures work.

Thinking of January?

Tell us your dates and the courses you have in mind. We will advise honestly on what is realistic and design the journey around it.

Begin Planning Your Journey