The day on the hill
A fine day on Chno Dearg: dry, with light winds and clear tops for most of the day.
Wind
On the summit expect light winds of up to 10 mph, mainly north-easterly, with gusts of 5–15 mph at the windiest.
Cloud and visibility
The tops are likely to stay mostly clear of cloud, though brief patches cannot be ruled out. The air should be clear, so expect far-reaching views as long as the tops stay clear.
Rain and ground
It should stay dry.
Warmth and kit
On the tops it will be around -4 to 0°C, feeling like -6 to -2°C in the wind. The freezing level is close to summit height. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.
Daylight
A short day, with only about 8 hours of daylight. Sunset is around 4:15pm, so allow time to get off the hill before dark, and carry a head torch.
Sunshine context Model-grid estimate, not summit sunshine
The surrounding model grid indicates 6.6 h of sunshine. This is not a forecast of time in sunshine on the summit. Use the cloud and views outlook above for the conditions on this mountain.
- Early
- 1.7 h
- Midday
- 4 h
- Later
- 0 h
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaA mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold: a frost, down to -1°C. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full overnight outlook
A mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 15 mph. It should stay dry. A frost up around 900 m, down to about -1°C. A warm 3-season or 3–4 season bag rated to about -2°C comfort, and a warm mat, should do. Allow more if you sleep cold.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 7 mph / 12 mph
- Typical / low
- 3.5°C / 1.4°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Moderate
- Wind / gust
- 8 mph / 15 mph
- Typical / low
- 2.9°C / 0.8°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Moderate
- Wind / gust
- 9 mph / 17 mph
- Typical / low
- 0.9°C / -1.3°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 7% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Moderate
Warmth planning: As a broad starting point, consider a warm 3-season or 3–4 season bag with an ISO/EN comfort rating at or below about -2°C. Allow more margin if you sleep cold or expect fatigue, and use an adequate insulated mat. Dampness is possible, so keep the sleep system dry and ensure its insulation remains effective if damp.
Open-hillside reference. A sheltered pitch may be calmer; cols and ridges may be much windier. Tent design and the exact pitch still matter. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.
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Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaGood conditions for exposed scrambling. Excellent90 View detailsHide details
Full climbing & scrambling outlook
Good conditions for exposed scrambling. The rock should be mostly dry, though drainage lines and shaded holds may still be damp. The rock around the summit is mostly schist, a flaky, mica-rich rock that splits into layers. It has only fair grip when dry and is slippery when wet, as the mica gives it a greasy sheen. It splits easily along its layers, so flakes and ledges can be loose, and it is often grassy and vegetated. On the usual routes up you may also cross quartzite, which grips well when dry and is notoriously slippery when wet. These are general notes for each rock type, taken from geological maps around the summit, so the rock on your line may differ.
Schist is a flaky, mica-rich rock that splits into layers. It has only fair grip when dry and is slippery when wet, as the mica gives it a greasy sheen. It splits easily along its layers, so flakes and ledges can be loose, and it is often grassy and vegetated. These are general notes for each rock type, from geological map samples at and around the summit. The rock on your line can differ, and lichen, vegetation and seepage all change how it feels underfoot.
Rock groups along the sampled routes
These are mapped rock groups, not separate weather forecasts or a ranking of route safety.
Stob Coire Sgriodain and Chno Dearg
psammite, pelite or semipelite, quartzite
Geological detail and BGS records
6 rock types appear in the mapped samples
Samples around the summit inform the main rock-response profile, with the summit pin shown separately where it differs. Route samples add further context, but this is not a continuous geological survey.
Schist is a flaky, mica-rich rock that splits into layers. It has only fair grip when dry and is slippery when wet, as the mica gives it a greasy sheen. It splits easily along its layers, so flakes and ledges can be loose, and it is often grassy and vegetated.
BGS recordQuartzite is a very hard rock made almost entirely of quartz. It grips well when dry and is notoriously slippery when wet. It splits into sharp, angular blocks, so expect loose scree and boulder fields, and edges that can cut gloves and hands.
BGS recordSchist is a flaky, mica-rich rock that splits into layers. It has only fair grip when dry and is slippery when wet, as the mica gives it a greasy sheen. It splits easily along its layers, so flakes and ledges can be loose, and it is often grassy and vegetated.
BGS recordPsammite banded with schist is a hard, sandy rock with flakier, mica-rich layers. It grips well on the harder bands when dry and is slippery on the mica-rich layers when wet. The flaky layers split easily, so some flakes and ledges are loose.
Micaceous psammite is a hard, sandy rock flecked with mica. It grips well when dry and can be slippery when wet where the mica shows. It is generally solid and blocky.
Diorite is a hard, crystalline rock. It grips well when dry and is fair when wet. It is generally solid, though cracked into blocks along its joints.
Generic exposed scrambling terrain; BGS summit-area bedrock samples are included where available, but route grade, exact rock, polish, drainage and escape options remain unresolved. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
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Overnight · Aurora, stars & meteorsAfter darkBetaNight-sky guidance is unavailable for this night. View forecastClose forecast
After dark: aurora and stargazing
Night-sky guidance is unavailable for this night. This does not mean clear skies or no aurora.
Explore the dedicated aurora forecast, meteor shower forecast or dark-sky and astrophotography forecast.
Recommended kit for this dayWeather-aware packing prompts, plus your core hillwalking kitView kit
For a day hillwalk, not a complete route-specific checklist. Carry navigation and backup you can use, warm and waterproof layers, suitable footwear, food and water, a headtorch, emergency shelter, first aid and a way to call for help. Snow, ice, technical terrain and overnight trips need additional equipment and skills.
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