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Weather Overview for Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye is definitely the most alpine related range of the United Kingdom.

The Isle of Skye has a repute character for being a rather rainy and foggy island, hence the “The Misty Isle”, as the region is also known as. With regards to the temperature on the island it is quite reasonable, yet visitors could at some points class it as freezing! However, locals on the island generally tend not to label the Isle of Skye with a climate as it changes daily and occasionally numerous times during the day.

The mountains climb sharply from the sea on the south-western side of the island presenting an outsized barrier to the prevailing winds coming in from the Atlantic. This means that the moist air is forced upwards right on the coast, creating a ridge that is often shrouded in thick cloud or sea-fog when the rest of the island may be clear blue skies.

The extremely low temperatures experienced in the Highlands are normally not experienced in The Isle of Skye.

The Isle of Skye efficiently possesses its own climate. Like many regions throughout Scotland, the weather can change in a matter of minutes; from sunshine to snow, even in July! Or just as quickly the air can turn to thick clouds and zero-visibility. The island sits in the Scottish Gulf Stream and bound with the influence of the Atlantic Ocean create a milder oceanic climate than the mainland. This means that there is often no snow in winter; however high-quality winter conditions on the island can be relatively uncommon.

The warmest months to visit the Isle of Skye are from June through to August with temperatures ranging between 15°C to 21°C. February is the coldest month to visit with lows of -6°C and highs of 2°C. The climate in Isle of Skye is usually variable with wind, rain, and clear sky's all occurring in one day.

Winds are a preventive issue for vegetation with speeds of up to 128 kph being recorded and south-westerlies being the most common. High winds are particularly likely on the uncovered coasts of Trotternish and Waternish.

In common with the majority of the islands on the west coast of Scotland, rainfall is relatively high ranging between 1500mm to 2000mm per year and the elevated Cuillin is still wetter. Variations can however be considerable, with the north of the island tending to be drier than the south.