Skye mountain weather forecast.

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

Mountain Weather brief

Skye

Tuesday 20 October 2026 · The Cuillin and Skye's higher hills

Confidence: Low Why?

Uncertainty over rain amounts and timing. Uncertainty over high-ground wind strength. Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A mixed day in Skye, with a blustery wind.

High-ground wind · 900 m25-35 mph southerly Gusts · 900 m35-45 mph Cloud base600-900 m Feels like · 900 m-2 to 2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Less sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated less often later in the day.

Modelled sunshine9 h90% of daylight
Early1 h sunshine
Midday4 h sunshine
Later2 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 · 08:00–12:00GoodSummit winds around 20-30 mph. Gusts around 30-40 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud becomes more persistent later.
70
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedSummit 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 likely to break later. Rain is possible during the afternoon, but forecast models disagree on whether it will fall.
55

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 southerly wind of 25–35 mph, gusting 35–45 mph, picking up through the day. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 35–45 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

03

Rain and showers

Mostly dry. Rain is possible during the afternoon, but forecast models disagree on whether it will fall.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 45% early, about 75% around midday and about 70% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay mostly clear of cloud. The cloud base could be as low as 700–1000 m mid-morning. Some forecast models are much cloudier overhead. That may limit sunshine without putting the summits in cloud. Good spells of sunshine are likely.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 900 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -2 to 2°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 08:08, Sunset 18:09, about 10.0 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaNot a night to camp on the open hill anywhere in this area: gusts of about 55 mph. 9Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Tuesday 20 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Not a night to camp on the open hill anywhere in this area. Gusts reach about 55 mph around 900 m and nearer 40 mph around 300 m, strong enough to flatten or tear a tent. Check the forecast for the hill and height you have in mind, and don't assume lower ground will be sheltered. A little rain is forecast overnight. Overnight lows of about 3°C at 900 m.

Overnight rain0.7 mmOpen ground · 600 m32 mph · gusts 48 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
72%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
01:40 next morning BST

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

Overnight window: 20 Oct, 17:00 BST to 21 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 m19 · very poor
Wind / gust
26 mph / 39 mph
Coldest
6.2°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
600 m9 · very poor
Wind / gust
32 mph / 48 mph
Coldest
5.1°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
900 m9 · very poor
Wind / gust
37 mph / 56 mph
Coldest
3.2°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low

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 & scramblingBetaPatchy rain could leave exposed holds damp or slippery. Gusts near 40 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 55Mixed · Mixed 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 mixed (55/100). Likely to stay mostly dry, but patchy rain remains possible. Exposed rock could become damp or slippery. Gusts may reach about 40 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.

Rock surfaceDry initially; rain possibleExposed gust39 mphRainPossible · 42%
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 Tuesday 20 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 15 October 2026 at 05:28 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.