West Highlands
Western Highlands accessible from, and south of, Glenfinnan (Road to the Isles) and Glen Spean (includes Creag Meagaidh). This area includes Ben Nevis and the mountains around Glencoe. In the east, from Ben Alder south to Loch Lomond and Trossachs NP. Also Arran and Mull.
Wednesday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Thunderstorm
Heavy or torrential downpours with hail, risk of thunder and lightning. Seek shelter where possible.
Poor visibility
Very murky conditions, the mountains shrouded in fog, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Mild
Air temperature above freezing to highest summits. May feel pleasantly warm on lower ground, but take appropriate layers. Feeling chilly if exposed to wind.
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Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Thunderstorm
Heavy or torrential downpours with hail, risk of thunder and lightning. Seek shelter where possible.
Poor visibility
Very murky conditions, the mountains shrouded in fog, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Mild
Air temperature above freezing to highest summits. May feel pleasantly warm on lower ground, but take appropriate layers. Feeling chilly if exposed to wind.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Wednesday 22nd May 2024
Last updated
Tue 21st May 24 at
4:05PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Low pressure drifting in from the east will bring scattered thundery bursts of rain, developing into increasingly widespread rain, sustained heavy rain setting in for eastern Scotland and Pennines. Cloud filling in across most hills and winds generally strengthening.
Headline for West Highlands
Rain developing, locally thundery; low cloud, wind increasing.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Morning: direction varied, widely less than 10mph. Afternoon onwards: Northerly, gradually strengthening to 25mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Negligible morning, by evening, impeding ease of walking on some higher areas.
How Wet?
Increasingly wet: Risk thunderstorms.
Morning: Bursts of heavy rain and thunderstorms developing, mainly western mountains. Afternoon onwards: Generally deteriorating as thundery rain becomes increasingly widespread.
Cloud on the hills?
Increasingly extensive on higher areas
Considerable variation both through the day and sometimes between adjacent summits. Generally deteriorating as cloud fills in following onset of rain, quite widely cloud forming on lower slopes. However, even in morning, patches of fog from some lower slopes up.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A little sun, mainly morning; overall increasingly dull. Excellent visibility but deteriorating markedly as rain develops.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8C, but feeling closer to freezing on tops as wind strengthens.
Freezing Level
Above the summits
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Thursday 23rd May 2024
Last updated
Tue 21st May 24 at
4:05PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 30 to 45mph, gusts over 60mph on higher mountains, especially further toward west coast.
Effect of the wind on you?
Significant wind chill and difficult walking where exposed on higher areas.
How Wet?
Rain tending to ease
A broad swathe of rain (locally wet snow highest tops in Ben Nevis range) will tend to ease especially near west coast - but likely persist at least on and off most of the day well inland.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive low cloud
Cloud likely to blanket the mountains very widely from dawn. As rain eases, so cloud base will tend to rise, some breaks forming toward the coast through the afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly cloudy or dull. Poor visibility in rain, tending to slowly improve.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2 to 5C. Wind chill feeling near -10C at times on highest summits.
Freezing Level
Generally above the summits, but may drop to 1050m occasionally.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 24th May 2024
Last updated
Tue 21st May 24 at
4:05PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Variable 10-15mph or less.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small
How Wet?
Local rain or showers
Patchy rain drifting around slowly from dawn into the morning. Local showery bursts forming, mostly inland areas by afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Often covering tops
Varied banks of cloud covering the hills in the morning, bases tending to rise during the day, some breaks to upper slopes, but returning as ragged patches around showers.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun, best sun near to coast later afternoon. Visibility good away from rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
4 to 6C
Freezing Level
Above the summits
Planning Outlook
A slow-moving area of low pressure will leave areas of rain and showers later this week, plus varied banks of low cloud across the mountains, feeling cool. Improving at least temporarily into the weekend as pressure rises for a time, becoming warmer, but southerly winds will strengthen ahead of lowering pressure over the Atlantic, likely to move in by early next week to bring changeable conditions, rain at times, most frequent western Scotland.