Golden evening light over a lighthouse on a rocky headland, with links fairways running along the coast

Good

Golf in Scotland in July

Peak season: warm by Scottish standards, busy, and often the month of The Open.

Turnberry lighthouse and the Ayrshire coast

July is the warmest month on average and the busiest. The Open Championship is held in mid-July, at a different venue each year; when it comes to Scotland, the host course and its neighbours are affected for weeks around it.

It is a wonderful time to be in Scotland, but plan well ahead and expect higher prices. Long days give flexibility; quieter, lesser-known links can be a joy at this time of year.

Daylight in July

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

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on 15 July
Place	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight	Latest 18-hole start
St Andrews	04:43	21:49	17 hr 07 min	17:49
Troon	04:56	21:52	16 hr 56 min	17:52
Dornoch	04:37	22:05	17 hr 29 min	18:05

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 July 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 July, 1991–2020
Coast	Average high	Average low	Rainfall	Sunshine
St Andrews, Fife and the east coastLeuchars weather station	19.3°C	10.9°C	64 mm	173 hrs
Glasgow and the Ayrshire coastPaisley weather station	19.7°C	12.1°C	76 mm	149 hrs
The Highlands and the Moray FirthNairn weather station	18.8°C	10.8°C	58 mm	149 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 July?

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