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At the beginning of the summer I spent a month and a half enjoying the sights and sounds of Ireland and Scotland. Find out what I did right and wrong when packing for Ireland in the summer. Since the weather is very similar these tips can hold true for Scotland as well. Find out how!
Packing for Ireland in the Summer
Written by: Niki Landry
I had other stops on this same trip so I tried to be smart about not over packing location specific clothing. I brought some rain gear, a few long pants, two light sweaters, and a light jacket in case there was unseasonably cold weather and for at nighttime use. Well, as it turns out the whole summer has been cold, wet, and foggy. Keep that in mind when packing for Ireland in the summer.
Of course there were reprieves of warmish weather, and I quickly busted out my dresses and sandals but they were short lived. I found myself living in a rotating uniform of the same two outfits, which isn’t terrible. I had access to washing facilities, but I was quickly growing tired of the same clothes. Also, I normally didn’t want to wear the clothes I had been walking around in all day to go out at night.
Creating an interchangeable capsule wardrobe is the key to simplified packing!
My solution was to buy another long sleeve top and black tights at an inexpensive store in the city. The tights allowed me to wear my skirts, dresses, and shorts that had been lying in wait in my bag. The top was just another layer to throw into the rotation.
Luckily, I had someone meeting me from home that could bring and take home a few extra clothing items. If this wouldn’t have been the case I probably would have bought another warm top. I ended up having a warm coat, one bottom, and a hat brought to me from home.
When packing for Ireland in the summer, always bring your raincoat and a small umbrella. Many times I looked out the window and thought, it’s not raining I won’t need my rain-gear, but I always stuffed it in my bag anyway. I knew that as soon as I walked out it would begin to rain. It never lasted very long, but it was sporadic so I was always prepared.
I also tucked my small umbrella at the bottom of my bag and left it there the whole trip. Depending on my activity or clothing choice, sometimes an umbrella just worked better than my coat or occasionally I would use both.
You can easily roll up your rain coat into a packing cube without any issues and add it to your bag until it is needed.
My hair hates this weather. The normal routine of letting it air dry didn’t quite work, because it would take forever to dry. Even when I used my blow dryer, as soon as I walked outside it was wet again. Then the wind would have it’s way, and I was stuck with a mess of tangled semi-dry hair.
Instead of wrestling with this everyday, I should have brought a hat. My flatcap is pretty easy to pack, and I should have just thrown it in my bag. I brought a baseball cap around Southeast Asia, and never wore it, so I decided against it this time around. I remedied this when my care package arrived from home, but I could have easily purchased a tweed cap more fitting for the locale.
These are just a few realizations and lessons learned in my short time in Ireland. Even though I was missing necessary items, it still didn’t ruin my trip. Everything could be bought while I was traveling, so be smart when packing for Ireland in the summer but don’t stress. The unexpected will happen, but you will always find a way around it.
What are your tips for packing for Ireland in the summer? Please share your thoughts below!
For more Europe packing tips, please read:
- What to Wear in Europe: Packing Lists for Every Destination!
- What to Wear in Ireland: Packing List ideas for Dublin
- What to Wear in London: Summer Style Guide
- What to Wear in Budapest: Summer Style Guide
Hope you liked this post on packing for Ireland in the summer. Please share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Author Bio: Niki is an interior designer and artist from Louisiana. In addition to her design work, she writes for local and online publications sharing her experiences and passion for travel. Niki is currently adding stamps to her passport while building her design practice, Niki Landry Designs. nikilandry.com nikilandrydesigns niki-landry-designs-llc
I am going to Ireland and Scotland beginning if August this year. What ti wear ,what to take with me?
Hi Svetla, thank you for reaching out! You may find our 10 step guide to Ireland a good place to start planning your packing: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/10-step-packing-guide-for-ireland/ If you need any more wardrobe tips, then check out our Ireland ebook which includes ideas for what to pack for the weather: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/ireland-ebook/ I would also highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post any questions you have there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that have the best advice and recommendations to share. Hope this helps. Have an awesome trip! ?
My husband & I are going to Ireland in Sept. for our 40th anniversary. I am having a hard time on what to pack for clothes. I am a grandma but don’t dress like one. I want to know do I pack long sleeve shirts as well as short sleeves. Do I pack dress pants as well as jeans. HELP, Please.
You definitely don’t them unless you’re going to a formal function! Happy travels!
Aw Niki, Thank you for this blog. I will be traveling to Dublin mid-August this year. Wondering if it will be cold. Rain of course is expected, but it is the layers and warm clothes that I am wondering about. I will be there till Aug 24th, 2016! Also, is it difficult to walk on the streets (are they all cobble?)? I was thinking of just sneakers and one pair of dress shoes, but am wondering if I should take my hiking boots instead of sneakers! Besides local site-seeing, I plan to visit Killarney for 2 days.
Hey Jeanie 🙂 Glad you like the blog. Ireland is always colder than expected so consider layers you can strip off 🙂 Have a look at these other posts for more ideas on what to wear too – http://bit.ly/2aNsdb0 + http://bit.ly/2aIivFv
Hey Jeanie,
I’m traveling to Ireland this week through the 21st of August and will be road tripping around the country. Are you traveling alone– not to sound strange but my travel companion dropped out so if you feel like visiting the Guinness store or something, let me know! I’d love to meet up with fellow travelers.
Aww thanks for the invite Nicole! Hope you enjoyed your trip!
I am heading to Ireland and Scotland mid June for two weeks. I’m so happy to have found your blog!
Wondering what you would suggest for footwear for day tripping/sight seeing and evenings in the pubs?
Hi Tanya 🙂 Glad you like the blog! Check out this article about versatile footwear for travel http://goo.gl/b0zMxZ
Have a fantastic time in Ireland and Scotland!
Yes!!!!! We’re going in June. Thank you so much 🙂
Awesome, have a great trip 🙂
I’m learning a lot from your posts.
When I click on the links, such as “What to Wear in Ireland: Packing List ideas for Dublin” , I get a page that requests a login and password. Where do I do this?
Hi Mary thanks for letting me know. It’s all fixed now. Here you go 🙂
https://travelfashiongirl.com/what-to-wear-in-ireland-packing-list-ideas-for-dublin/
I just came from Ireland last week and ran into the same issues. I was soooo cold in comparison to the climate I came from.
Unfortunately summer around the world doesn’t always mean summer weather 🙁
I found a waterproof raincoat to be the best clothing item I packed for Ireland and Scotland. Not only kept me dry, but helped with wind. Layering kept me comfy.