Right now

Temp13°C

Wind38 km/h

Gusts57 km/h

Humidity84%

Rain 48h0.2mm

Last rain1h ago

Assessment

7.8mm rain forecast

Do not climb wet sandstone

Wind 40 km/h, gusts 0 km/h — too windy

Tidal access: Base is accessed by a 30m swim at low tide only — the channel is impassable at high water. Plan around low tide and be prepared for cold Atlantic swimming

Strong onshore wind — sea spray may wet the rock

Windy — 38 km/h, gusts 57 km/h. Take care on exposed routes

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Wednesday 16 September

Poor

Temp13°C

Rain8mm

Wind40 km/h

Gusts57 km/h

Humidity84%

7.8mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneWind 40 km/h, gusts 0 km/h — too windy

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

15:00 13° 0.2mm 38 — 84%

16:00 13° 0.7mm 42 — 84%

17:00 12° 0.1mm 45 — 88.9%

18:00 12° 0.6mm 45 — 87.2%

19:00 12° 0.3mm 44 — 85.9%

20:00 12° 0.8mm 48 — 85.8%

21:00 13° 3mm 48 — 89.1%

Thu Thursday 17 September

Poor

Temp12°C

Rain22mm

Wind52 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity86%

22.3mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneWind 52 km/h, gusts 0 km/h — too windyHumidity 86% — potential fog

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 11° 0.7mm 46 — 85%

07:00 12° 0.2mm 45 — 83%

08:00 11° 0.5mm 49 — 85%

09:00 12° 0.5mm 51 — 82%

10:00 12° 2mm 54 — 85.3%

11:00 12° 2mm 53 — 88.9%

12:00 12° 2mm 48 — 87.6%

13:00 12° 1mm 50 — 88.4%

14:00 12° 2mm 46 — 87%

15:00 12° 1mm 51 — 83.1%

16:00 12° 2mm 59 — 80.4%

17:00 11° 1mm 54 — 88.2%

18:00 12° 1mm 57 — 84%

19:00 12° 1mm 59 — 86.6%

20:00 12° 0.9mm 61 — 81.7%

21:00 11° 0.5mm 58 — 85.7%

Fri Friday 18 September

Poor

Temp13°C

Rain8mm

Wind39 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity83%

7.6mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneWindy — 39 km/h, gusts 0 km/h

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 12° 0.9mm 39 — 77.9%

07:00 11° 0.4mm 43 — 88.2%

08:00 12° 0.3mm 42 — 87.8%

09:00 12° dry 45 — 86%

10:00 13° dry 42 — 82%

11:00 13° 0.3mm 39 — 81.5%

12:00 13° 0.7mm 42 — 82.5%

13:00 12° 0.5mm 36 — 83.9%

14:00 12° 0.2mm 37 — 88.7%

15:00 12° dry 37 — 84.9%

16:00 13° 0.3mm 43 — 80.4%

17:00 14° 0.3mm 55 — 89.6%

18:00 14° 0.1mm 48 — 93.4%

19:00 13° dry 51 — 87.4%

20:00 13° 0.2mm 48 — 88.1%

21:00 13° 0.1mm 49 — 85.8%

Sat Saturday 19 September

Poor

Temp12°C

Rain7mm

Wind43 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity75%

6.9mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneWind 43 km/h, gusts 0 km/h — too windy

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 11° 0.6mm 51 — 88.2%

12:00 12° 1mm 43 — 75.2%

18:00 11° 1mm 43 — 78.8%

Sun Sunday 20 September

Poor

Temp12°C

Rain3mm

Wind44 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity77%

3mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneWind 44 km/h, gusts 0 km/h — too windy

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Very windy — consider sheltered alternatives

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 11° 2mm 44 — 85%

12:00 12° 0.2mm 44 — 77.1%

18:00 12° 0.2mm 40 — 78.8%

Mon Monday 21 September

Poor

Temp13°C

Rain0.4mm

Wind21 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity79%

0.4mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstone

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Breezy — helps drying

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 12° dry 22 — 69.5%

12:00 13° 0.3mm 21 — 78.8%

18:00 14° dry 31 — 94.3%

Tue Tuesday 22 September

Poor

Temp16°C

Rain0.7mm

Wind34 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity92%

0.7mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneWindy — 34 km/h, gusts 0 km/hHumidity 92% — potential fog

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading
Breezy — helps drying

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 15° dry 32 — 95.7%

12:00 16° 0.5mm 34 — 92.2%

18:00 13° 0.2mm 6 — 92.4%

Wed Wednesday 23 September

Poor

Temp13°C

Rain3mm

Wind13 km/h

Gusts—

Humidity93%

2.7mm rain forecastDo not climb wet sandstoneHumidity 93% — potential fog

Wet sandstone is slippery — let the rock dry before leading

Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum

06:00 12° 0.5mm 15 — 92.9%

12:00 13° 0.5mm 13 — 93.2%

18:00 14° 0.5mm 17 — 96.4%

Tidal access
Base is accessed by a 30m swim at low tide only — the channel is impassable at high water. Plan around low tide and be prepared for cold Atlantic swimming

About Am Buachaille

Am Buachaille — 'The Herdsman' — is a sixty-five-metre Torridonian sandstone sea stack standing a mile southwest of Sandwood Bay in the far northwest of Sutherland, first climbed in 1968 by Tom Patey, Ian Clough and John Cleare. Widely considered the most serious of the three big Scottish stacks, the rock is fragile and crumbly on many of the exposed pitches, and gear above the base tier is universally described as poor — the atmosphere and commitment level are what put this route at the top of many climbers' UK adventure lists rather than the technical grade. Facing west into the full Atlantic weather, the stack gets afternoon and evening sun and dries slowly, and swell conditions govern whether the base is even reachable. Access requires a thirty-metre swim across a tidal channel at low water, then a scramble to the start; the Landward Face at HVS 5a is a three-star route often described as one of the best adventure climbs in the UK. Approach from Blairmore involves an eight-kilometre walk in each way.

Region: Scotland - Highlands — North West Highlands
Rock type: Sandstone
Aspect: west-facing
Altitude: 15m
Exposure: high
Seepage: medium

Other crags in this region

Am Fasgadh (Gairloch)Creag nan Luch Firemore Boulders First Coast Crags Gairloch Crags Gruinard Bay Crags Mellon Udrigle Boulders Old Man of Stoer Reiff (Main Cliff & Pinnacle)Second Coast Crags Stac Pollaidh