The Northwest Highlands
Areas north from Knoydart in the west, and the Great Glen towards the east (NB. Does not include Mull and areas west of Loch Linnhe, these are found in the West Highlands forecast.)
Wednesday'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.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
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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.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
Wednesday 11th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 10th Mar 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold strong westerly winds, gales over Scottish mountains and more widely early in day, significant chill factor over mountains. Showery snow and hail most frequent W & NW Highlands, more scattered elsewhere. Cloud base varying, occasional sun.
Headline for The Northwest Highlands
Upland gales, severe early and late. Snow & hail showers.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 60-70mph post dawn; dropping to 40-50mph middle of day, strongest far north, squally gusts around showers. Increasing again evening into night, reaching 80mph, stronger gusts.
Effect of the wind on you?
Expect significant or severe wind chill and walking - sometimes any mobility - to be very difficult across the hills, particularly near precipitation. Deteriorating to stormy conditions again into night.
How Wet?
Frequent hail and snow
Particularly morning, succession of sudden hail and above 600m snow showers. Sometimes whiteout will occur. Onward into evening, more prolonged rain, snow becoming confined higher up.
Cloud on the hills?
Persistently covering higher areas; rapid variation in cloud base.
In precipitation, cloud forming below 300 to 500m (generally lowest morning near the west coast). Otherwise, by midday (as average cloud base tends to rise) between 600 and 1000m, highest on easternmost areas.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of sunshine, mainly afternoon lower slopes well inland. Very varied visibility: general haze, but abruptly appalling in precipitation.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C during day, then up to +1 or 2C after dark. Will feel like -15C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
750m, then rising toward evening, briefly to 1000m or above into night.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
Thursday 12th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 10th Mar 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 55 to 70mph, tending to decrease a little during afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult conditions, mobility challenging over exposed terrain from mid-elevations upward. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Frequent snow and hail
Heavy rain from overnight, finishing as snow as low as 600m. Then a succession of showers, of snow above 500m, at times constant on western mountains, often heavy, hail, risk thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive higher slopes, breaks east
Extensive from dawn to middle slopes at least, starting to vary as rain turns to showers; some spells of bases to 900m or higher, eastern summits may briefly clear, but also lowering towards 600m or lower during showers.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun mostly eastern areas. Visibility briefly very good when dry, but at times very poor in snow and cloud; general haze nearer west coast.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1 or -2C, beginning to lower late in the day and overnight by several degrees. Wind chill feeling like -15 to -18C.
Freezing Level
Around 1000m prior to dawn, but soon 600 to 800m, some variation, tending to lower especially later in day.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
Friday 13th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 10th Mar 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 35 to 50mph, squally gusts around showers. Risk 50-60mph up to dawn.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging walking conditions over the mountains, considerable buffeting and severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Frequent hail and snow; risk thunder
Showers with hail merging into periods of constant precipitation over western mountains; snow falling toward lower elevations in morning, then mostly rain below 400m. Risk isolated lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Varying over tops, breaks east
Cloud base frequently changing: at times shafts of cloud to 600m or lower near west coast, often capping western mountains above 800m, but some breaks to 1000m, more often eastwards.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Brief bursts of sun, most often in east. Visibility varying between intermittently very good, and at least briefly appalling when in snow/hail and cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C, lifting slightly, to -1C west coast tops. Feeling like -15 to -18C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Near freezing from lower slopes up at first inland, becoming typically 600-700m by early afternoon.
Planning Outlook
Generally unsettled onward into the upcoming weekend and start of next week as low pressure systems pass near and north of Britain - strong west or southwesterly winds prevail, often gale-force to at times storm-force over the mountains. Some fluctuation of temperature and freezing level, but mostly below freezing over Scottish mountains, at times snow falling to lower elevations. Colder for all by the end of this week with widely lowering freezing level by Friday. Frequent precipitation most western mountains, accumulations of snow across the mountains, most substantial in western Scotland from Glencoe northwards. Quieter weather patterns indicated beyond mid-month as higher pressure builds.