Why I love a dreich day in the Scottish Highlands

Cosy activities to romanticise a rainy day

Hello, I’m Molly and I write about my slow and simple life in the Scottish Highlands. Please subscribe to support my work and to read more of my stories. You can also find me on YouTube and shop my Etsy Store and sustainable Teemill Clothing.

I was impatient. Sat at my desk in our Tiny Home loft, I couldn’t help repeatedly glancing out the window. It was when I started to see the larch trees tilt in the wind that I knew I had to get out. The wild was calling.

Dreich was a word that I only heard after I moved to Scotland. Essentially, it is an adjective most commonly used to describe particularly dreary or bleak weather. Only Scotland would need a whole new word to describe rain.

It is my favourite kind of day.

I’m not much of a sun lover. I find bright days overwhelming. The glare of the sun gives me headaches. I droop in the heat. I have to slow everything down in the summer months and spend a lot of time at home, trying to stay cool.

Controversially, I don’t like the Scottish Highlands in the sun.

Besides the crowds and biting insects that this weather attracts, this weather doesn’t seem like the landscape’s natural state. The bright blue lochs and luminous green hills feel garish. Like an oversaturated Instagram photo.

It is when the weather starts to cool that I come into my own.

Living in Scotland means that, rain, and lots of it, is an inevitability. Rather than seeing this as a negative, over the years, I’ve learnt to embrace it.

As a child, I loved the rain. I would go out and play whatever the weather. Splashing and twirling with wellied feet. A wild glee that I’m determined to nourish again as an adult.

I love this from Raynor Winn, taken from The Wild Silence -

‘At what point in our lives does cynicism take over from instinct? When do we stop feeling the softness of rain on our face and start worrying about being wet?’

This autumn has been a particularly soggy one. The rain has been relentless. Torrential. Dramatic. As a result, the land has lost the sharp contrast of summer and has softened, blending like watercolours.

I adopt the Scottish mindset there is no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothing. So, I encase myself in waterproofs from head to toe and allow the rain to take me.

Rain has its own music. The patter of drops against my hood is like the whisper of mouse footsteps. Or the gentle caress of piano keys. A soft rhythm that reminds us to slow down.

In early October, only the skeletons of wildflowers remain. I take great lungful’s of the damp air. Run my fingers over the saturated springy moss that clings to gateposts. I rejoice escaping into the mist.

The hills have disappeared. I have never seen the river with such power. It flows with a furious energy. Deafening in the otherwise silent white world of shifting cloud.

This is my Scotland.

How to romanticise the rain

I think we can all learn a lot from Anne Shirley. The biggest lesson being that you can romanticise anything. Even the rain.

Below I’ve listed some activities that I love to do on rainy days -

Go on an adventure

The first and best tip is to make sure you get outside! Although its lovely to stay cosy indoors, the rain has so much to offer. I personally have had some of my best wildlife encounters in the rain, including a very special moment with an otter on a deserted rain-soaked beach. With less people outside, creatures are more likely to cross your path. Have a go and see what you can spot.

Curate a fun rain wardrobe

Have fun with your waterproofs. Think brightly coloured wellies or beanie hats that would appeal to your 6-year old self. Or avoid them altogether and wear a less practical but often more fun long dress when outside, so you can imagine yourself as a Jane Austen heroine getting caught in the rain.

Choose your soundtrack

I have so much fun finding music to suit the weather. On rainy days, I alternate between folk inspired autumn playlists (with plenty of Taylor Swift) to dark academia inspired soundtracks like this one on particularly gloomy days.

Read something atmospheric

Rain is the perfect reading weather, especially if you pick an atmospheric book. You could try a gloomy Classic novel, like something from the Bronte’s or a Dickens. Or get lost in the intrigue of a murder mystery.

Bonus points if you read in a cosy café and/or by a wood fire!

A cosy drink pantry

My tea draw expands dramatically as soon as autumn comes around. Restocking this with new flavours for the season is one of my favourite things to do. My current favourite is the apple and cinnamon tea by Heath and Heather. A perfect warming drink for cooler days.

Write a short story

I am at my most creative in the rain. I have some writing prompts ready especially for these days. You could use these to journal or even write a short story.

These can be along the theme of fairy tales, like getting lost in a haunted forest, or something set in the ‘real world’, like a chance meeting of two stranger’s in a café.

You could even write this outside, sheltering under a tree if possible!

Make yummy treats

On gloomy days, I love to spend time in my kitchen. Cooking up comforting soups or trying out some new baking recipes. The gentle scent of root vegetables mixing with the rich spices of cinnamon and ginger make our home feel extra snug. And it always means I have something yummy to eat.

Do share your favourite rainy day activities below! I’d love to read them.

Until next week,

Molly xx