possible trip to Scotland.

me and my trad partner are looking into taking a two week vacation and climb in the UK preferably Scotland,just wondering if theirs any good trad spots too look into. and which part of the country is the best,We are from Brooklyn NYC, and never been on a climbing trip out the country. so if anyone got any info, bars local hang outs for climbers, best crag. whats the weather like in January, anything would help. thanks
Antonio

If you're going in January, trad's a bit sparse - it's cold/snowy/rainy that time of year in Scotland...or more wet than normal. Sea cliffs would be the best areas to go that time of year for trad - Galloway and northeast corner - neither of which have a particularly robust climbing scene even in the peak season. Those areas shouldn't have snow but in Jan days are short. The climbs are good, but you'll probably be the only ones there as we generally are in the summers. Most of the climbing there is single pitch. You might be able to go out to some of the islands (Pabbay, Mingulay), but to forewarn you (if the boatman will take you), there could be some pretty radical storms that time of year out there...quite bleak. If you're into ice climbing, Glencoe, Skye, and Cairngorms are the spots, and if it's not winter (~May to October/Nov) - they're also the spots for trad climbing. Personally, I would recommend coming to Scotland in Sept as it's generally the best time, and May is often good as well. July is generally a wash as is much of August. Good luck!