Skye mountain weather forecast.

The Cuillin and Skye's higher hills. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Skye

Sunday 30 August 2026 · The Cuillin and Skye's higher hills

Confidence: Medium

Why: Thunderstorm timing is inherently uncertain and may shift by several hours.

What matters most

Thunderstorms are the main concern, especially on exposed summits and ridges. Light southerly wind and Mostly dry conditions.

High-ground wind · 900 m10 mph southerly Gusts · 900 m15 mph Cloud base500-800 m Feels like · 900 m6°C
Morning · 07:00–13:00MixedSome early summit cloud is possible.
68/100
Afternoon & evening · 13:00–22:00Poor
45/100

Conservative regional grades across representative summits, so one sheltered hill does not overstate the wider area.

01

High-ground wind (900 m)

Southerly around 10 mph at 900 m. Gusts reaching around 15 mph at 900 m, with locally higher values possible on the most exposed tops. Strongest early (around 10 mph), easing toward 5 mph later.

02

Walking impact

Little effect on walking, although exposed tops may still feel chilly.

03

Thunderstorms

A moderate thunderstorm risk is indicated from late afternoon into the evening. Avoid committing to exposed summits or ridges while storms are building or nearby.

04

Rain and showers

The odd passing shower, otherwise dry. The heaviest rain is expected early in the day.

05

Cloud-free summits

Around 40%. Best around midday at about 55%; around 35% early and 35% later.

06

Cloud and visibility

Cloud bases mostly around 500-800 m. Bases are likely to lower later in the day. Cloud is likely to come and go on the higher summits; breaks may be useful but not dependable.

07

Temperature and wind chill

Around 8°C at 900 m, rising from about 8°C early to 10°C by afternoon, feeling like 6°C in the wind.

08

Freezing level

Above the summits.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 06:21 — Sunset 20:28 — about 14.1 hours daylight.

Overnight · 6 p.m.–9 a.m.Wild campingBetaThunder risk is around 40% in parts of the area; avoid exposed pitches if storms develop. 55/100Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Sunday 30 August 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across representative hills, open-hillside camping looks mixed around 600 m (55/100). Little rain is expected, but cloud or condensation could still mean a wet pack-up.

Overnight rain0.8 mmOpen ground · 600 m6 mph · gusts 17 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible
300 m55/100 · mixed
Wind / gust
5 / 14 mph
Coldest
10.6°C
In cloud
Unlikely
Condensation
High
600 m55/100 · mixed
Wind / gust
6 / 17 mph
Coldest
9.7°C
In cloud
38% of night
Condensation
High
900 m55/100 · mixed
Wind / gust
7 / 19 mph
Coldest
7.8°C
In cloud
38% of night
Condensation
High

Open-hillside guidance across representative hills. Local shelter, ridges, tent design and the exact pitch can change conditions substantially. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.

Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaThunder risk is around 40% in parts of the area; exposed scrambling may be a poor choice. 9/100Poor · Very poor View detailsHide details
Across representative exposed-rock terrain

Full regional climbing & scrambling outlook

Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look very poor (9/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet; polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro; moisture response can therefore vary substantially between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust14 mphRain0.8 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits1 broad familyRepresentative summit samples
granite, gneiss or gabbro 100% 8 representative summitsGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain slippery.

Representative summit-point samples across the region; individual crags and routes may differ.

Generic exposed hands-on-rock terrain across representative summits; mapped summit-point geology is a broad regional sample, not a named-route survey. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.

Updated 30 August 2026 at 04:40 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Skye.

Stay near Skye.

Use Sgùrr Alasdair as a practical starting point for whole-home stays with a useful drive to established walking routes.

Accommodation links are affiliate links. Availability and prices may come from Snaptrip, Cottages.com or Stay22 partners for the dates you choose.