Western highlands of the county are wettest places in the Europe with rainfall up to 4577 mm yearly. Due to mountainous topography of western Highlands, that type of precipitation in nature is orographic having with warm and wet air that forced to rise on the contact with mountainous coast, where consequently condenses and cools, forming the clouds. In this comparison large part of the Eastern Scotland receives annually less than 870 mm, and lying in rain shadow of western uplands.
Effect is the mot pronounced along with coasts of the Lothian, Angus as well as Eastern Aberdeeshire.
Scotland has reputation for the cloudiness and is most notable during the relatively short days of winter; amount of the sunshine maximum was 329 hours in the calendar month in Tiree May 1946.
In 1975 again in May while minimum 36 minutes was recorded at the Cape Wrath in Highlands in 1983. Average sunshine annually varies from little as 711 to 1140 hours in highland and in northwest it is up to 1471-1540. Country lies in path of eastward-moving the Atlantic depression, these bring clouds and wind regularly throughout year, it in common with rest of United Kingdom.
Windiest areas of country are in west and north, many parts of Western Isles, Shetland and Orkneys have over the 30 days with some gales per year.
Atlantic Vigorous depressions are known as the European windstorms, which are common feature in winter and autumn at Scotland. City of Edinburgh has unpredictable climate, sometimes changing rapidly, sunny summer days sometime. It is vice versa and showery conditions while summers are fine generally with the mild temperature as well as bright sunshine. There are long winter and damp with the frosty days. January, December and February are rainiest months of the year, rainfalls at almost all parts of the country especially in the western highlands.