Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Saturday's Forecast
Light wind, negligible impact
Little wind or walking hardly affected by the wind, but feeling chilly if exposed on tops. 10-15mph or less.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
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.
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Light wind, negligible impact
Little wind or walking hardly affected by the wind, but feeling chilly if exposed on tops. 10-15mph or less.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
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
Saturday 9th May 2026
Last updated
Fri 8th May 26 at
4:28PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Chilly but largely dry with light winds for Highlands, broken cloud lifting above most tops, isolated showers / flurries. Greater chance of heavier showers south-central Highlands later. Grey and damp for the Pennines, fresh NE'ly winds. Localised heavy downpours near Peak District & mid-Wales later afternoon.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Around freezing all day high tops. Odd showers, cloud rising.
How windy? (On the Munros)
North to northwesterly 15 to 20mph, often less toward Drumochter.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but rather chilly if exposed over high terrain.
How Wet?
Local light showers
Scattered brief light showers, mostly afternoon, later toward east. Falling as a brief flurry of snow on the Munros.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting, clearing most summits
Occasional patches of cloud on upper slopes in the morning, patches may come and go for a few hours northern areas, but tending to lift above most or all tops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of sun, tending to cloud over. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C rising to +2C, locally slightly higher southwest Cairngorms afternoon. Feeling like -4C directly in the breeze, or nearer -7C in morning.
Freezing Level
800m plus frost in glens at dawn. Lifting toward 1100-1200m afternoon, or slightly higher near Ben Alder.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 10th May 2026
Last updated
Fri 8th May 26 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly - likely to strengthen into middle of day to 30mph, risk 40mph higher Cairngorms for a time, later N-NW'ly.
Effect of the wind on you?
Prepare for considerable wind chill. Likely to become more blustery, risk becoming more strenuous later on tops.
How Wet?
Showery rain develops, later snow tops
Dry in the morning, perhaps well into afternoon, but increasing risk of showers developing from the northwest, becoming more persistent rain later afternoon onward, sleet then snow high tops. Smaller amounts southeastward.
Cloud on the hills?
Forming increasingly on tops
Many hills largely clear in the morning. Some patches forming around higher slopes, then cloud banks tending to form onto many high tops more often, soonest toward north and west.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80% dropping to 40%.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny start, but cloud building from northwest, clouding over with time. Visibility excellent, then reducing in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C rising to +3C, but from sunset falling quickly from north toward -2C. Feeling much colder as wind increases.
Freezing Level
800m plus frost in glens at dawn. Up to 1300m afternoon, but from dusk risk a rapid drop from north to 600-700m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 11th May 2026
Last updated
Fri 8th May 26 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
North-northwesterly 15-25mph, occasionally less; turning westerly and tending to increase to 25-35mph later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small for several hours, but distinctly chilly over the mountains. Likely becoming more blustery during daytime.
How Wet?
Snow flurries, later risk drizzly rain
Brief snow flurries falling to some lower elevations in morning, may fade, but some local showers into afternoon. Then later, drizzly rain moving in from west, may become more persistent.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting to tops, some breaks form
Cloud banks over higher slopes, particularly northern Cairngorms, where may linger above 900-1000m for a few hours, gradually lifting higher with breaks to many tops. May lower from west later.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional sun mostly toward south. High cloud thickening later from west. Visibility very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C early morning, rising to +3C afternoon, or slightly milder by evening into night. Feeling colder as wind increases.
Freezing Level
600m or possibly lower around dawn, gradually rising, toward 1200m afternoon, then late in day lifting above highest tops.
Planning Outlook
A chilly outlook into mid-May, with higher Scottish mountains staying near or often below freezing point as northwesterly air prevails. Higher tops in England and Wales also dropping intermittently to freezing point. Wind-speed varying day-to-day, but prepare for often considerable chill-factor on all mountains. Some frost overnight into valleys when skies are clear. Broadly showery weather over the next 10-day period, plus some fronts bringing persistent rain mostly to northwestern Scotland, often falling as snow on mountain tops, sometimes to below 600m. Drier intervals too, some days with fewer showers and broken cloud lifting above the summits, varying locally day-to-day.