Does the Isle of Lewis get snow?
It's January 2026 and as Uig on the Isle of Lewis had a beautiful blanket of powdery snow for several days this seems like an appropriate time to answer a frequently asked question. Does it snow on the Isle of Lewis? The answer is yes, but not very often.
A walk across the snow covered machair around Mangersta Beach - Sunday 4th January 2026.
Having lived in Uig, Isle of Lewis for over 28 years, I know that every winter there will be dustings of snow on the Uig Hills and there may be two or three days when our croft and even Mangersta Beach will turn white, but snow doesn’t tend to accumulate on lower ground for very long.
17th January 2024 - An artic looking Eye Peninsula, Isle of Lewis, viewed from the Loganair Stornoway Airport to Glasgow flight.
The infrequency of significant snowfall is due to the surrounding North Atlantic Ocean and the warming influence of the gulf stream. This microclimate shelters the Isle of Lewis from the harsher snowy conditions that often cover the Highlands of Scotland. However, when it does snow the island is transformed into a frozen land of exquisite beauty.
January 2010 the island froze and the snow on the Uig Hills and Mangersta Sea Cliffs glowed purple in the setting sunlight.
I can recall the times when we have had longer periods of snow thick enough for sledging or building snow sculptures by scrolling through family photos and the many land and seascape images I have taken over the years.
February 2001 - A successfully completed snow pyramid in Aird Uig.
February 2001 - La La the snow goat (Teletubbies were popular with preschoolers in Aird Uig at the time).
December 2009 - Mr Snowman driving a classic David Brown tractor on our croft in Mangersta.
January 2021 - a thin layer of snow covers Mangersta Beach.
March 2023 - rabbit tracks in the snow covered sand dunes at Mangersta Beach.
January 2023 - Huge North Atlantic waves break over the sea stacks at Mangersta Beach, while the sand has a frosting of snow and ice.
March 2023 - the daily dog walk to Mangersta Beach with Rubh Seilibhig white with snow.
March 2023 - Stac nan Sgarbh, the prominent sea stack off Mangersta Beach, even had snow patches for the cormorants to roost on.
4th January 2021 3pm - a glistening snow crust marks the high tide line at Mangersta Beach.
March 2012 - The Feannagan or Lazy Beds (post-medieval field systems) above Mangersta Beach stand out clearly in a thin layer of ice. These ridges and drainage furrows were used to grow potatoes, bere (a type of barley) and black oats.
December 2009 - a thick layer of snow makes the dykes of the prehistoric promontory enclosure on top of the Mangersta Sea Cliffs stand out clearly. As do the post-medieval field systems where the villagers grew their crops. I wonder what the island climate was like for these prehistoric villagers?
11th April 2021 The cliffs at the Mangersta Bothy had patches of ice covering the rocks and the snow covered the land from the summit of Mealaisbhal down to sea level.
January 2021 - “On the rocks”, the splashes from John Norgrove’s “Springwell” Sculpture, by the roadside, in Mangersta, form perfect ice cubes for an al fresco aperitif.
April 2021 brought the 'Sneachd beag nan uan" the "Small snow of the lambs" to the Shepherd's Huts at Mangersta Croft Holidays. The heavy snow covering melted quickly in strong sunlight and only lasted for a day. There is often a light dusting of snow on the hills in early April at the start of lambing season which is reflected in this Gaelic phrase. The Learn Gaelic website is a fantastic resource for learning the Scots Gaelic words, phrases and idioms about “sneachd” (Scots Gaelic for snow). There are useful sound clips to help with pronunciation - great fun if you are a Gaelic beginner like me!
28 April 2016 saw a dusting of snow on the Uig hills at lambing time.
The Red Shepherd’s Hut at Mangersta Croft Holidays looking unseasonably Christmassy in March 2023.
January 2024 - a light covering of snow and a beautiful Mangersta sunset.
It’s not an exact scientific record but my family photo albums tell me that the heaviest snowfalls tend to be in January or February with the occasional cold snap in March and early April. Personally I absolutely love the transformation in the landscape, the ethereal quality of the light in winter and long for at least a few days of icy cold weather every year.
If you would like to book a holiday on the Isle of Lewis in a potentially winter wonderland then the best odds are on the month of January. If you would prefer to visit in the warmer summer months then Mangersta Croft Holidays is open all year.
A walk across the snow covered machair around Mangersta Beach - Sunday 4th January 2026.
Having lived in Uig, Isle of Lewis for over 28 years, I know that every winter there will be dustings of snow on the Uig Hills and there may be two or three days when our croft and even Mangersta Beach will turn white, but snow doesn’t tend to accumulate on lower ground for very long.
17th January 2024 - An artic looking Eye Peninsula, Isle of Lewis, viewed from the Loganair Stornoway Airport to Glasgow flight.
The infrequency of significant snowfall is due to the surrounding North Atlantic Ocean and the warming influence of the gulf stream. This microclimate shelters the Isle of Lewis from the harsher snowy conditions that often cover the Highlands of Scotland. However, when it does snow the island is transformed into a frozen land of exquisite beauty.
January 2010 the island froze and the snow on the Uig Hills and Mangersta Sea Cliffs glowed purple in the setting sunlight.
I can recall the times when we have had longer periods of snow thick enough for sledging or building snow sculptures by scrolling through family photos and the many land and seascape images I have taken over the years.
February 2001 - A successfully completed snow pyramid in Aird Uig.
February 2001 - La La the snow goat (Teletubbies were popular with preschoolers in Aird Uig at the time).
December 2009 - Mr Snowman driving a classic David Brown tractor on our croft in Mangersta.
January 2021 - a thin layer of snow covers Mangersta Beach.
March 2023 - rabbit tracks in the snow covered sand dunes at Mangersta Beach.
January 2023 - Huge North Atlantic waves break over the sea stacks at Mangersta Beach, while the sand has a frosting of snow and ice.
March 2023 - the daily dog walk to Mangersta Beach with Rubh Seilibhig white with snow.
March 2023 - Stac nan Sgarbh, the prominent sea stack off Mangersta Beach, even had snow patches for the cormorants to roost on.
4th January 2021 3pm - a glistening snow crust marks the high tide line at Mangersta Beach.
March 2012 - The Feannagan or Lazy Beds (post-medieval field systems) above Mangersta Beach stand out clearly in a thin layer of ice. These ridges and drainage furrows were used to grow potatoes, bere (a type of barley) and black oats.
December 2009 - a thick layer of snow makes the dykes of the prehistoric promontory enclosure on top of the Mangersta Sea Cliffs stand out clearly. As do the post-medieval field systems where the villagers grew their crops. I wonder what the island climate was like for these prehistoric villagers?
11th April 2021 The cliffs at the Mangersta Bothy had patches of ice covering the rocks and the snow covered the land from the summit of Mealaisbhal down to sea level.
January 2021 - “On the rocks”, the splashes from John Norgrove’s “Springwell” Sculpture, by the roadside, in Mangersta, form perfect ice cubes for an al fresco aperitif.
April 2021 brought the 'Sneachd beag nan uan" the "Small snow of the lambs" to the Shepherd's Huts at Mangersta Croft Holidays. The heavy snow covering melted quickly in strong sunlight and only lasted for a day. There is often a light dusting of snow on the hills in early April at the start of lambing season which is reflected in this Gaelic phrase. The Learn Gaelic website is a fantastic resource for learning the Scots Gaelic words, phrases and idioms about “sneachd” (Scots Gaelic for snow). There are useful sound clips to help with pronunciation - great fun if you are a Gaelic beginner like me!
28 April 2016 saw a dusting of snow on the Uig hills at lambing time.
The Red Shepherd’s Hut at Mangersta Croft Holidays looking unseasonably Christmassy in March 2023.
January 2024 - a light covering of snow and a beautiful Mangersta sunset.
It’s not an exact scientific record but my family photo albums tell me that the heaviest snowfalls tend to be in January or February with the occasional cold snap in March and early April. Personally I absolutely love the transformation in the landscape, the ethereal quality of the light in winter and long for at least a few days of icy cold weather every year.
If you would like to book a holiday on the Isle of Lewis in a potentially winter wonderland then the best odds are on the month of January. If you would prefer to visit in the warmer summer months then Mangersta Croft Holidays is open all year.