Skye mountain weather forecast.

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

Mountain Weather brief

Skye

Thursday 15 October 2026 · The Cuillin and Skye's higher hills

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over rain amounts and timing. Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A poor day on the tops in Skye, with a blustery wind and rain arriving mid-morning.

High-ground wind · 900 m25-35 mph southwesterly Gusts · 900 m30-40 mph Cloud base900-1200 m Feels like · 900 m-4 to 0°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

More sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated more often later in the day.

Modelled sunshine1 h9% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday0 h sunshine
Later1 h sunshine

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.

Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.

Morning · 08:00–12:00PoorSummit winds around 20-30 mph. Gusts around 30-40 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges. Summit cloud is more persistent early in this period, with better prospects later. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Rain is possible during the morning, but forecast models disagree on whether it will fall. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours.
49
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00PoorMore rain is expected. Summit winds around 20-30 mph. Gusts around 30-40 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours.
24

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

01

High-ground wind (900 m)

At around 900 m, expect a south-westerly wind of 25–35 mph, gusting 30–40 mph. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 30–40 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

03

Thunderstorms

There is a small chance of a thunderstorm from around midday into the evening. If you hear thunder, head down off the tops and away from ridges. If a thunderstorm develops, sudden gusts and heavy rain can change conditions quickly.

04

Ground conditions

The ground is likely to be saturated after recent rain. Expect boggy paths and rapid runoff if more rain arrives.

05

Rain and showers

Rain arrives mid-morning. Expect 2–5 mm in total. Rain is possible during the morning, but forecast models disagree on whether it will fall. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours. The timing may shift by a few hours. Drizzle is possible on some hills. Visibility may drop briefly in showers in parts of the area.

06

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 60% early, about 55% around midday and about 70% later.

07

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of clear tops mid-morning. The cloud base could be as low as 500–800 m in the early afternoon.

08

Temperature and wind chill

At around 900 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -4 to 0°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.

09

Freezing level

The freezing level is close to summit height.

10

Daylight

Sunrise 07:57, Sunset 18:22, about 10.4 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp: about 4 mm of rain. 41Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 15 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp. Gusts reach about 35 mph around 900 m and nearer 25 mph around 300 m, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the west. A thunderstorm is possible in parts of the area. The timing of any storms is uncertain, so don't pitch on a ridge or summit, and have a lower fallback. About 4 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Up around 900 m you'd likely be in cloud for part of the night: damp, and hard to find your way if you need to move. A cold night, down to about 2°C around 900 m. The ground will be sodden after recent rain, so pick a firm, well-drained pitch.

Overnight rain4.1 mmOpen ground · 600 m17 mph · gusts 29 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
26%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
19:25 BST

Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.

Overnight window: 15 Oct, 17:00 BST to 16 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 57.207, -6.224. Times vary across the area.

300 m46 · mixed
Wind / gust
14 mph / 24 mph
Coldest
3.9°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m41 · poor
Wind / gust
17 mph / 29 mph
Coldest
3.7°C
In cloud
13% of modelled night
Condensation
Moderate
900 m23 · very poor
Wind / gust
20 mph / 34 mph
Coldest
1.8°C
In cloud
33% of modelled night
Condensation
High

The ground is likely to be very wet after recent rain. Expect boggy approaches and choose a durable pitch carefully.

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 & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. Gusts near 35 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. A small chance of a thunderstorm in parts of the area. Avoid exposed scrambling if storms develop. 0Poor · Very poor View detailsHide details
Regional rock conditions · sampled mountain terrain

Regional climbing & scrambling outlook

A broad guide to dampness and exposed rock across the area, not a forecast for every crag. Lower, sheltered crags and individual rock types may behave differently.

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 35 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes. A small chance of a thunderstorm in parts of the area. Storm timing is uncertain, so avoid committing to exposed rock if storms may develop.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust37 mphRain3.3 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits1 broad familySummit samples, not a survey of every crag
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.

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.

Does the weather shape your plans?Optional hill-user research. One answer helps; further questions are up to you.Take part

Help the Mountain Decisions Project understand how forecasts influence hill days, including when plans stay the same. Findings will be shared publicly as summaries, not individual responses.

This is about Skye on Thursday 15 October 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

Open the questions to take part.

About the research and your privacy · Already been out? Share that experience instead

Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.

Updated 14 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Skye.

More context for your hill day

Check the approach as well as the tops

Compare midge conditions by day and height, or look for a possible cloud inversion. For Snowdon and Tryfan, camera-derived cloud-base observations add a view of conditions already seen on the slopes.