Skye
Tuesday 1 September 2026 · The Cuillin and Skye's higher hills
Why: Cloud height is close to summit level at times, so small local changes could put the top in or out of cloud.
Strong westerly wind is the main concern. Expect showers or rain at times, with cloud coming and going on the tops.
Sunshine and sky
Cloud breaking up. Brighter spells should become more frequent as cloud breaks.
These are direct modelled sunshine hours during daylight, not the probability of sunshine. Cloud cover and summit cloud are assessed separately in the forecast above. The regional median prevents one unusually bright or dull summit cell defining the whole area.
High-ground wind (900 m)
Westerly around 40 mph at 900 m. Gusts reaching around 55 mph at 900 m, with locally higher values possible on the most exposed tops. Strongest early (around 35 mph), easing toward 20 mph later.
Walking impact
Arduous in exposure, with buffeting and difficult progress into the wind.
Ground conditions
The ground is likely to be wet after recent rain.
Rain and showers
Showers or spells of rain at times. The heaviest rain is expected early in the day.
Cloud-free summits
Around 35%. Around 25% early, improving to around 45% later.
Cloud and visibility
Cloud bases mostly around 800-1100 m. Summit breaks should become more frequent later. Cloud is likely to come and go on the higher summits; breaks may be useful but not dependable.
Temperature and wind chill
Around 7°C at 900 m, feeling like 2°C in the wind.
Freezing level
Above the summits.
Daylight
Sunrise 06:25 — Sunset 20:23 — about 13.9 hours daylight.
Overnight · 6 p.m.–9 a.m.Wild campingBetaLower pitches look more comfortable than higher exposed ground. 84/100Good · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full regional overnight outlook
Across representative hills, open-hillside camping looks promising around 600 m (84/100). Higher pitches look less comfortable, with colder, cloudier or more exposed conditions. Little rain is expected, but cloud or condensation could still mean a wet pack-up.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 8 / 21 mph
- Coldest
- 7.0°C
- In cloud
- Unlikely
- Condensation
- Low
- Wind / gust
- 9 / 25 mph
- Coldest
- 6.6°C
- In cloud
- 12% of night
- Condensation
- Moderate
- Wind / gust
- 11 / 29 mph
- Coldest
- 4.3°C
- In cloud
- 25% of night
- Condensation
- Moderate
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 & scramblingBetaGusts near 55 mph increase the seriousness of exposed ground. 0/100Poor · Very poor View detailsHide details
Full regional climbing & scrambling outlook
Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look very poor (0/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet; polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 55 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro; moisture response can therefore vary substantially between crags and routes.
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 1 September 2026 at 15:33 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Skye.