UKH

Hi guys,

Together with a friend of mine, I plan to hike on the Isle of Skye between the 1st and 9th of May. Even though we know that Scotland has a reputation of ´you should bring a rain jacket just in case´ (we're from The Netherlands), I start to be a bit anxious about the the weather forecast as - in my opinion - a lot of rain and wind is anticipated for when we'll be there.

Since we'll be flying into Glasgow, we started to look at alternatives in the Glasgow region. When looking at the map, the Galloway Forest Park, Cairngorms National Park and the Lake District all seem to be within reach of Glasgow. Would you guys recommend to go to either of these instead, or is the weather in those parks generally the same as in Skye? Or do you have any other hidden pearls which are worth checking out?

Thanks in advance!

In reply to ijsbeer:

the weather is always nice in the north west; but it's a big secret, so don't tell anyone.
Spring is a good time to visit, before the midges wake up.....

In reply to ijsbeer:

Thats the beauty of Scotland. Within 2-3 hours you can get such changes in weather.

I'd look at classic walks in the SE Highlands (very easy to get to), Cairngorms and even up and down the west coast you can get very different weather. Even Glencoe is far enough south to have different weather. Check http://www.mwis.org.uk/scottish-forecast

The weather between the east and west can be totally different. Generally the east is sunnier and dryer. But also look at areas like Glen Affrich.

When I lived in Glasgow we'd make plans on the Thursday or Friday for the weekend.

In reply to ijsbeer:

as a general rule, its usually drier in the east (e.g. the Cairngorms) than the west (Skye) . Will you have a car ? only a few hours to get from one side of the country to the other to hopefully find better weather.

In reply to ijsbeer:

In the 4 hours it will take you to drive to Skye from Glasgow, you could get almost anywhere else in the land, apart from the far north. Regularly the best combination of weather and scenery can be found in the NW area from Torridon northwards. Depressions tend to sweep across Skye and Lochaber (Fort William and Glencoe) leaving the land to the north relatively clear. The east in general has drier weather but the landscape, while lovely, is not of the same transcendant beauty.

Don't write off Skye just because it might rain a bit, however. The whole point of the Hebridean weather is the revelation of 4 seasons in one hour!! It has been known to rain all day for weeks at a time but I don't see that prospect in the current forecast. Looks like typical, changeable spring conditions with the wind and showers bringing magical light effects and virtual "time lapse" vistas. Trotternish is often dry when the nearby Cuillin are stormy.

In reply to ijsbeer:
My only advice is that the better you prepare for heavy rain, high winds and crap conditions, the more likely it is that you'll get a sunny day. (sod's law can work in mysterious ways)

In reply to ijsbeer:
I would think about heading to the far north west of Scotland, Torridon, Gairloch, Lochinver. Bad weather seems to hit Skye and the Fort William area, but it is often surprisingly nice north of that. Also, the scenery is stunning and there is some great hillwalking.

The weather is changeable in the UK as a whole, so as others have said, you could actually put off the decision until you get here - you could go almost anywhere in Scotland or northern England quite easily so you can wait until you have more up to date forecasts.

Having said that, the weather is changeable all over the UK - if you take the risk and go out anyway, and have flexible plans, it is often surprising how much you can do, and Scotland can be at it's most dramatic in mixed weather.

Have fun, whatever you end up doing.

In reply to ijsbeer:

The Lake District might be a good option. Theres more to do around Keswick Borrowdale is beautiful and there are lots of good cafes and restaurants in and around Keswick.
Skye is worth a punt. Nice pub in Carbost, good camping at Sligachan and Glen Brittle. The Trotternish peninsular on Skye is interesting and a trip to Elgol for a view of the Cuillin and boat trips in to Loch Coruisk is worthwhile.

In reply to Root1:


BUT......it can rain there too!

The clue is in the name.......

In reply to ijsbeer:

Don't try to chase the 'good' weather otherwise you could end up wasting lots of time and petrol money. Skye (as most other islands and areas in Scotland) is very diverse. It very much isn't just the Cuillin. There are fantastic coastal walks for when cloud covers the peaks, the amazing rock formations of Quiraing and The Storr. There are plenty of walking guidebooks to cover these and more. When the weather is good you'll be in position to take advantage not driving around miles away (and possibly being rained on somewhere else!). As others have said, the weather can change very quickly either way. On the 'dry' side of Skye is Raasay, which would be worth a day at least. As a last resort, do you like whisky?

In reply to ijsbeer:

I was over the water from Skye today, it was snowing at sea level and full on winter in the hills with deep snow in places. I'm now back home reasonably close to the Galloway Forest, it was snowing in town today apparently, although it has melted now. There's a good chance it may all have melted by the 1st but there will be some remaining - I haven't checked the forecast.
If you don't want to go high then perhaps consider joining a few bothies together in a longish walk?