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 18 October 2026 · The Cuillin and Skye's higher hills

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A fine day in Skye: dry, with light winds and clear tops for most of the day.

High-ground wind · 900 m0-10 mph northwesterly Gusts · 900 m5-15 mph Cloud base1500-1800 m Feels like · 900 m-4 to 0°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Cloud becoming more extensive. Cloud cover is likely to increase as sunshine becomes less frequent.

Modelled sunshine6.5 h65% of daylight
Early1 h sunshine
Midday3.7 h sunshine
LaterLess than 1 hour 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 · 08:00–12:00ExcellentSummit winds around 0-10 mph. Gusts around 5-15 mph are possible on exposed ground.
98
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 0-10 mph. Gusts around 0-10 mph are possible on exposed ground.
97

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 north-westerly wind of 0–10 mph, gusting 5–15 mph.

02

Walking impact

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

03

Rain and showers

It should stay dry.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 90% around midday and about 90% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay clear of cloud all day. The air should be clear too, so expect far-reaching views from the tops.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 900 m it will be 0 to 4°C, feeling like -4 to 0°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 08:04, Sunset 18:14, about 10.2 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold: dry, with light winds. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Sunday 18 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 9 mph. It should stay dry. A cold night, down to about 0°C around 300 m.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m4 mph · gusts 8 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

First-quarter moon

Illuminated disc
53%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
22:52 BST

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

Overnight window: 18 Oct, 17:00 BST to 19 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 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
4 mph / 7 mph
Coldest
0.2°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Moderate
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
4 mph / 8 mph
Coldest
0.2°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Moderate
900 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
5 mph / 9 mph
Coldest
0.2°C
In cloud
0% of modelled 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 & scramblingBetaCold rock may reduce comfort and dexterity. 95Excellent · Excellent 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 excellent (95/100). Rock is likely to be mostly dry, though local seepage and shaded holds remain unresolved. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceProbably dryExposed gust8 mphRain0.0 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 Sunday 18 October 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

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

Updated 11 October 2026 at 16:11 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.