Weather
The weather in Scotland is variable, you may well experience four seasons in one day! Weather here varies over the course of a year, with warmest days between June and August, and the coldest days between December and March.
Although Scotland is probably more well known for the rainfall than sunshine, it does benefit from long, light summer days, with daylight from 4.30am to 10 pm in June. The curse of the Scottish summer is a little insect called a midge. Midges are tiny flies that gather in clouds and like to bite humans. Their bit isn’t painful but it can leave you feeling a bit itchy.
Scottish winters tend to be cold, damp and quite dark with daylight typically only lasting from 9am – 4pm in December. A hat, scarf, gloves and an umbrella will definitely be needed!
The best way to keep on top of our unpredictable weather is to download a weather app and check it regularly. Be prepared to have discussions with your colleagues and patients about the weather – it’s one of our favourite things to talk about!
For regular updates, you can visit: www.bbc.com/weather
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Remember – In the UK the clocks go forward 1 hour on the last Sunday in March and go back 1 hour on the last Sunday in October to mark the start and end of British summertime.
Be Aware
The UK is a very safe place and liberal place to live and we have a reliable and approachable police service. There a few things to be aware of that will help you stay safe and avoid unknowingly breaking any local laws.
The legal drinking age in the UK is 18 and it is against the law to buy alcohol for anyone under that age. Unfortunately, excessive consumption of alcohol is a social problem in the UK.
Drinking alcohol in public spaces, for example in parks, and on trains is prohibited.
Verbal or physical attacks against a person or because of their gender, race, religion, colour, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation are classed as ‘hate crimes’ and those who carry out these attacks can be fined or sent to prison.
Smoking is not allowed in any public places in the UK including hospitals, restaurants and public transport.
Unfortunately, scam phone calls and emails are increasing. This is when you are contacted by someone pretending to be from a recognised organisation, like a bank, asking you to share personal details or, in some cases, make payments. A reputable organisation will never ask you to share details
in this way. You should never share your PIN and always keep it separate from your bank card. If you are unsure about a call, email or text contact the organisation in question and find out if they are trying to contact you. Do not share any details if you have concerns.
