Argyll Estates receives Met Office award

We were delighted to recently be presented with an award from the Met Office in recognition of providing 55 years of high-quality weather observations.  With our head office located in mid-Argyll, we have no shortage of rainfall, enjoying an average of 88.3 inches annually.

We have been measuring the rainfall continuously since 1942, and have partial records dating back to 1915. The rainfall is collected using a circular collector provided by the Met Office, with a diameter of 5 inches and sited 30cm above ground level.  We then measure the volume each day at 9am, using a graduated cylinder.  Our rain gauge has been located by the Estate Offices at Cherry Park since 1967, and prior to this it was located in the Castle Gardens.

Providing daily rainfall data to the Met Office assists Meteorologists in understanding weather patterns and to predict future trends.  The data is also useful for the estate to understand rainfall patterns in our immediate area, and to better prepare for future rainfall events.

In 2021 we moved to recording the measurements electronically and these records continue to be sent to the Met Office at the end of each month. We hope to be able to continue to provide these records for years to come, and thank our team for taking the readings daily, regardless of the weather conditions!