Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Friday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Patchy rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 18th September 2026
Last updated
Thu 17th Sep 26 at
4:22PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Already windy with light showery rain over western hills early in the day, but conditions will worsen from the west as gales strengthen and rain / drizzle becomes persistent, some heavier rain; cloud bases lower to widely blanket hills, lowest in west.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Windy, strengthening gales; odd showers, steadier rain later.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly shifting south-southwesterly 35-45mph or stronger at dawn, briefly less in morning, then increasing rapidly from west during afternoon to 50-60mph; stronger gusts developing, likely 70mph+ high Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous conditions in exposure, deteriorating to become more widely difficult with considerable wind chill; powerful gusts giving buffeting toward some lower slopes.
How Wet?
Rain develops afternoon, heaviest southwest Cairngorms NP
Light showers drift into Monadhliath & Drumochter hills early in the day, otherwise largely dry until afternoon, then patchy rain approaches from the southwest, some extended falls forming later, heavier south. Patchy rain and drizzle into evening-night.
Cloud on the hills?
Breaks for a time, filling in through afternoon
Varied patches of cloud in the morning, mostly near and west of the A9, lifting to largely above 1000m, breaks off Cairngorm summits too. A layer of cloud will lower onto the Cairngorms through afternoon, increasingly filling in, fairly extensively above 900m, lower Drumochter.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%, lowering to 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sunshine, high cloud thickening, trending overcast and later dull. Windows of good visibility, a little haze, deteriorating later, poor in rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
5C rising to 7C afternoon, reaching 9C into evening, then starting to drop into night. Feeling often near to -5C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 19th September 2026
Last updated
Thu 17th Sep 26 at
4:22PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 40 to 60mph, strongest sustained speeds on higher Cairngorms; risk rising further mainly later in day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous walking conditions, balance frequently challenged on high exposed terrain. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Showers mostly west
Showery rain most frequent on hills near and west of the A9 corridor, a mix of drizzle and briefly heavier bursts. More scattered showers toward Lecht and Deeside.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly higher tops with breaks
Banks of cloud confined to higher slopes, lowest toward Ben Alder, 800m for periods. More often above 1000m many areas, lifting further with time, good breaks east.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% west, to 60% east.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun west, longer periods of sun east. Visibility good where dry, slight haze especially west, reduced in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6 or 7C, trending slightly cooler later in the daytime. Feeling like -5 to -8C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 20th September 2026
Last updated
Thu 17th Sep 26 at
4:22PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 50mph, to 60mph higher Cairngorms early morning, tending to lessen gradually to 30-40mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging conditions, difficult on higher exposed slopes in morning, significant wind chill; moderating gradually.
How Wet?
A few showers for a time
Brief light showery rain mostly north and western Cairngorms in the morning. Often dry into the afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting and clearing many tops
Patchy cloud above 800-1000m in the morning, lowest toward west. Tending to lift and break above many summits, especially in east, but some patches may drift onto western high tops at times.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Broken cloud and sunshine. Visibility very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
5 or 6C, little change all day, then tending to rise onward into night. Feeling like -5 to -8C directly in wind.
Freezing Level
Close to freezing on Ben Macdui summit in the morning, later rising well above tops.
Planning Outlook
Gale-force southwesterly winds continue extensively on the mountains into Saturday and early Sunday. Frequent rain over western hills, showers passing eastwards, tending to fade during Sunday as higher pressure begins to build from the south, allowing wind speeds to lessen too over England & Wales. Warmer into early next week, though higher humidity brings more cloud some drizzly rain to the west. A generally more promising forecast for late September as high pressure nearby offers drier and warmer weather for more places. Weather systems grazing past Scotland to the north still bring locally stronger winds and occasional rain mainly to the northwest.