Every day I post a story to Instagram and this is today’s offering, a look at the haar of Edinburgh. In this article we will be looking at what haar is, how it happens, and what it tends to predict. In this way, if you ever find yourself wondering what the fog or the mist in Edinburgh is or what causes it, you can easily find it right here.
So let’s explore together.
Edinburgh: “a meteorological purgatory”
Robert Louis Stevenson described Edinburgh in Spring as a “meteorological purgatory”, which I’ve written about before. Though it is risible to say we have the worst weather on the planet because Glasgow exists, it is the case that it is changeable. One of these changes is haar.
So what is haar?
Haar is a Scots word. Scots is its own language, which is in the same family as English and is functionally mutually intelligible. There are not that many people who speak in fully broad Scots these days, though it is more common in certain working class communities. Scots is preserved however in the particular brand of English spoken in Scotland – Scots Standard English. Haar is probably one of the most descriptive words in Scots which English does not have and so it will likely continue for a while.
The cause of haar
Haar is the name for a fog, very dense and thick, caused by hot air going over cold water. In our case in Edinburgh, the hot air of Spring and Summer going over the chilly North Sea. In English it is known as “cold sea fret”, but this is frankly a long and annoying phrase to say for something which happens here quite frequently.
Sometimes we can get entire weeks of days that begin like this, Dense fog in the mornings which makes driving risky. Days which seem like they will be completely sunless and dreary. It can put a damper on moods.
Compare and Contrast
This above picture was taken in January for an article about what to wear. It was a beautifully clear and sunny day. It was a cold one. In the distance you can see Arthur’s Seat on the right, Salisbury Crags to its left. Closer you can see some buildings that belonged to the university and one of the last remaining smoke stacks in the city centre. It’s a great day to look outside.
This on the other hand is today. It is so thick outside you can barely see the smoke stack. There is neither Arthur’s Seat nor Salisbury Crags. This is Winter vs. Spring.
But the lighter side of haar
It’s not all bad. It tends to give the day a damp feeling start, true, but by Afternoon it clears. Days that begin with haar are often the brightest and sunniest. Days that begin with this lack of visibility and clarity are great days for insight and travelling. And also days that begin like this have a tremendous impact on the mood of people later on when it brightens up. Everyone’s going to feel so much sunnier. Perfect for the Sunshine Tour of Edinburgh, the affectionate subtitle for my tour.
I look forward to seeing some people day. Those lucky people are going to get the best photos of Edinburgh Castle.
The writer of this piece feels like dancing.
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