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.
Friday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 24th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 23rd Jul 26 at
4:15PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Strong westerly winds, reaching gale-force on Scottish tops, increasing later. Low cloud and some drizzle in western Scotland, drier and some cloud breaks further east. More persistent rain develops from the northwest later. Largely dry England & Wales, some cloud capping high western tops.
Headline for West Highlands
Windy, strengthening to gales tops. Drizzle, low cloud.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 25 to 40mph, strongest sustained speeds and gusts over higher Ben Nevis group. Tending to strengthen toward evening, reaching 50mph in Lochaber then more widely, gusts 60-70mph higher tops from dusk into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Very blustery over high terrain, affecting comfortable walking and balance on some ridges. Generally deteriorating further later in the day to become widely challenging on hills. Considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Drizzly rain, then heavier rain into night
Drizzle over many mountains much of the day, some steadier light rain particularly western Lochaber in the morning. Some drier moments inland, particularly Loch Lomond NP afternoon. Later evening, rain develops from northwest, some heavier extended falls further into night Lochaber to Mull.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive, lowest coasts
Shrouding most mountains all day, near coasts much of day above 500-600m, bases typically 700-900m inland, some rise into afternoon, breaks may form toward central highlands. Highest summits above 1200m may be near top of the cloud banks at times.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloudy and dull, misty much of day west coast hills. Some better visibility inland at times below cloud and where dry.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C rising to 9 or 10C; little change with added height on Munros. Feeling like 0 to -5C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Saturday 25th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 23rd Jul 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 35 to 50mph from dawn into early morning, lessening to 25-35mph middle of day, 15-30mph later, strongest in south.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging walking and marked chill at first, gradually improving during day, but likely to remain blustery in south.
How Wet?
Early rain, drizzly showers
Persistent rain from overnight into morning, heavy at times, tending to ease and break up into drizzly showers by middle of day, fading out afternoon. Slowest to clear Arran. A risk of some steadier rain returning from west later.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive, rising, local breaks inland
Shrouding hills fairly widely from low elevations upward early morning. Base tending to rise, but likely to persist near coast above 600-700m, mostly 800-900m inland, some higher breaks well inland.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely cloudy, poor visibility in morning rain, staying misty over many hills, better visibility develops where dry below cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8 to 10C. Feeling as cold as -5C directly in the wind early, nearer 0C middle of day.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Sunday 26th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 23rd Jul 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 15-20mph, sometimes 25mph over high tops and western Munros.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small.
How Wet?
Patchy rain and showers
Patchy rain drifting from the west much of the day, some clusters push inland, then showery outbreaks more widespread afternoon. An easing tendency later inland.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive over high terrain
Fairly extensive along the coast much of the day, more widely early with bases to 500-800m. A rising trend in bases, a few breaks here and there to high terrain possible, but returning below 900m during showers.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun. Varied visibility, very good when out of showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6C rising up to 11C well-inland. Only slight rise with proximity to the coast.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Westerly winds prevail this weekend and early next week, then southwesterly into midweek, bringing spells of rain, drizzle and some showery falls; low cloud persistent across hills, particularly in the west. Upland gales early on Saturday tend to lessen, but staying breezy; lower wind speeds for Scotland on Sunday. Rather cool this weekend and Monday, single-figures Celsius on high terrain. Then more humid, and warmer, especially England & Wales. More prolonged heavier rain possible for western Scotland Monday-Tuesday, risk of gales again on high tops. More uncertainty later in the week as a slow-moving area of low pressure is nearby, but risk areas of heavy rain and showers.