A coat for Scotland

[isw]

Help!
I am moving to Scotland after 5 sunny years abroad and 5 years downsouth. What on earth do I need? I have read the waterproof thred and am dying to try on some merrell coats - but are they warm enough. I will be school running, busing and dog walking.
I am more outsdoorsy than officey but am trying to smarten up my tom boy image. I´m tallish, apple-ish big boobed size 16 what one earth can I wear that wont puff me up?!?
Help me S&B :)

Its not all wind rain and freeze up here you know.

FGS I'm sure there are shops in Scotland and there may even be people wearing coats when the weather warrants it.

It isn't that cold here. For now all you need is a showerproof rain coat but that would be the same living in London.

Autumn you will need something warmer and closed over shoes. I have pumps, leather ankle boots and my converse.

Winter you will need warmer still and either snow boots or good wellies with warm socks. The winter hit here early last year in the last week of November so slightly earlier than the rest of the country but honestly, the clothing you have for down sout will be fine up here. No real need to buy anything new unless you have to. It is Scotland, not antartica.

Oh dear, have to laugh, sorry. Scotland is pretty much the same as England weather-wise you know - we are, after all, quite close .

Having said that, it does seem to rain a lot in the west coast . . .

Oh, yes, and I can confirm that we have shops.

The problem with Scotland is not that the winters are especially cold (unless you're moving to the Highlands), but that they have no bloody summers AT ALL.

So you don't need to go out and buy the whole of North Face, but you can save on moving costs by not packing any of your sandals/strappy tops/sundresses and just sending them straight to a Southern charity shop where somebody may be able to make use of them .

Rubbish Dilys. OK, granted I might not get lots of wear from my summer clothing but I've had summer clothes on this year a fair bit. Remember how warm April into May was. We've had a good few weekends since then and some nice week days too. Plus it is only July. August and September are still to come. You don't need a lot of summer stuff but a few bits for hot days won't do you any harm To say charity shop the lot of it makes Scotland sound like living in a cave.

not sure when you're moving but summer's basically over up here - we get our nice weather more in june, by august it's not that great.

and it depends where you're going to live - on the west coast it's warmer but wetter, on the east it's drier but windier and colder.
north different from south..
it's a small country but very varied.

i'm in edinburgh and i have one of those northface jackets with a zip-in/zip-out fleece for winter and i also have a smarter northface black softshell.

I may have been exaggerating a teeny bit I grant you, I'm scarred by too many holidays where my London summer wardrobe languished in the bottom of the suitcase and I had to run to M&S for new jumpers.

ok try these
ow.ly/5JIYw -TUCCI
ow.ly/5JJ0E -BANANA REPUBLIC
ow.ly/5JJ25-HOF

I have the HOf one. bought it at a really good bargain

Where in Scotland are you moving to?
If on the West - you defo need something with a hood.
I got a great waterproof coat with hood in TK Maxx.
I started out this morning with black jeggings and fleece and boots - but I'm just about to step outdoors - and Its sunny - so back to get changed into something cooler.
What was the HOF link archanat - I can't get it to work.

'The problem with Scotland is not that the winters are especially cold'

Erm, well, you obviously didn't spend the last couple of winters in Scotland then Dilys.

I have a waterproof with a zip-in fleece and also a long waxed mac with a fleecy lining and a hood to cover all bases in the winter.

You'll probably find though, that the school run isn't quite such a, how shall I put it, event up here as it is down south. Most people at our school gates are in jeans and trainers. Or wellies. Or snow boots. No big deal.

As someone said above, whereabout in Scotland are you going to be staying? because there may be a marked difference between town and country and what you need. I live in the North East in the middle of nowhere and the winters here are like Antarctica! We get a good 'between your knees and your waist' covering of snow so good waterproofs are a must. As people have said above I think North Face is probably your best bet for a good quality warm jacket. A wool coat would probably be nice too but it's always so wet here so almost doesn't seem worth it. Wellies are a good idea, plus all your other obligatory 'winter' accessories. Other than perhaps being 'slightly' colder and snowier here in winter it's not much different from down south i don't think. So just bring what you would wear there plus a few extra layers. :)

Wow thanks for all the replies (I think) .. didnt mean to start off a north side divide debate!!!! I am moving from Spain after 5 years and before that I was so far south I was practically in France which is why i cant imagine wearing a coat.
I am moving to just outside Edinburgh, I know there are loads of shops. I lived there for 10 years! I am looking for some hints where to start looking. I quite fancy a north face 3 in 1 - but would prefer a longer coat. By school run I only meant rushing pushing a buggy dragging a dog etc - rather than a style parade. OMG I am so out of touch with the Uk arent I?!?
Have got wellies, some yard boots and will get some new waterproof trousers.

Arch10 - I cant get your links to work :(

PS I will be leaving most of my spanish wardrobe here, I really cant see me getting much use out of short floaty beach dresses I have lived in for the last 2 months!!

Aye you'll not need much Summer gear, although this weekend is meant to be a heatwave allegedly.
Wellies and waterproofs for the winter.

TUCCI
BANANA REPUBLIC
HOF