Southern Scotland
A mixed day in Southern Scotland, with drizzle arriving in the early afternoon.
Sunshine and sky
Sunshine through the day. The time blocks show where the model places the brighter spells.
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.
High-ground wind (600 m)
At around 600 m, expect a south-westerly wind of 20–30 mph, gusting 25–35 mph. Gusts like that will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.
Walking impact
Gusts of 25–35 mph will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.
Ground conditions
The ground is likely to be saturated after recent rain. Expect boggy paths and rapid runoff if more rain arrives.
Rain and showers
Drizzle sets in during the early afternoon. Expect 2–5 mm in total. Visibility may drop briefly in showers in parts of the area.
Cloud-free summits
Clear-summit estimate: about 45% early, about 80% around midday and about 55% later.
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 early in the morning. It will look largely cloudy overhead, but that cloud should mostly stay above the tops.
Temperature and wind chill
At around 600 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.
Freezing level
The freezing level is above the summits.
Daylight
Sunrise 07:59, Sunset 18:00, 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 50 mph and about 4 mm of rain. 9Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full regional overnight outlook
Not a night to camp on the open hill anywhere in this area. Gusts reach about 50 mph on open ground, enough to damage a tent on open ground. Check the forecast for the hill and height you have in mind, and don't assume lower ground will be sheltered. About 4 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Overnight lows of about 6°C at 300 m. The ground will be sodden after recent rain, so pick a firm, well-drained pitch.
Moon overnight
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 88%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 04:23 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: 22 Oct, 17:00 BST to 23 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Representative location: 55.139, -4.468. Times vary across the area.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 26 mph / 42 mph
- Coldest
- 5.7°C
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 31 mph / 51 mph
- Coldest
- 5.7°C
- In cloud
- 0% 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 40 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 30Poor · Poor View detailsHide details
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 poor (30/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 40 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes sandstone or gritstone and granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture 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.
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 Southern Scotland on Thursday 22 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 16 October 2026 at 05:29 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Southern Scotland.