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.
Monday'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.
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
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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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.
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
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
Monday 26th October 2026
Last updated
Sun 25th Oct 26 at
4:02PM
Summary for all mountain areas
A warm front pushes into Wales around dawn, spreading north and east bringing at least several hours of rain to all mountains, heavy for a time. Becoming unseasonably mild and humid in rain, though feeling cool in widespread gales. North and east Scotland drier and chilly for a few early hours.
Headline for West Highlands
Rain soon arrives, sets in persistently; gales
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 20-25mph or less just around dawn, rapidly strengthening, to 50-60mph much of afternoon, slightly southeasterly shift. Powerful gusts over tops and downslope to the north.
Effect of the wind on you?
May be fairly small just around dawn, but conditions increasingly challenging, becoming difficult with powerful gusts constantly challenging balance at many heights; feeling chilly despite mild temperature.
How Wet?
Spotty rain/snow, then rain sets in
Some spotty rain around in the morning, snow above 800-900m. Patchy rain arrives from the south, quickly setting in widespread for midday/afternoon, persistent for the rest of daylight, risk a swathe of heavier rain.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied banks on high terrain, becoming extensive
Varied banks of cloud, mostly above 700m in the morning, may locally break up a little northern areas. Cloud soon lowers from the south, increasingly extensive to middle slopes, or lower slopes to the south. Coastal hills north of Mull see higher bases for longer.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% lowering to less than 10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A few patches of weak sun to start, good visibility where out of cloud, becoming overcast, increasingly dull afternoon.
How Cold? (at 900m)
1C just at dawn, beginning to rise, soon sharply from the south, widely reaching 10C afternoon, locally up to 12C; little change with height and turning humid as temperatures warm. Feeling below 0C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
1100-1200m at dawn, lifting well above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Tuesday 27th October 2026
Last updated
Sun 25th Oct 26 at
4:02PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 60-80mph, may reach 90mph+ for a few hours. Shifting westerly, tending to lessen somewhat.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult conditions all day, mobility challenging and more severe conditions for a few hours; significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Frequent rain, turning to snow on tops
Frequent showers stream in from the west from dawn, clustering for sustained heavy falls for a few hours. Rain breaks into showers again and turns to snow on tops, later falling towards 700m.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive high terrain, regularly lowering
Slopes above 900m often shrouded from dawn, lowering around showers, and more extensively lowering to middle slopes for a few hours. Some breaks above 1000m well-inland afternoon, but high summits likely stay shrouded.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunny glimpses breaking out. Hazy at best towards coast, visibility often poor, or very poor in snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3 or 4C, generally lowering, to finish at 1C. Feeling like -15 to -20C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
1300m in the morning, lowering to 900-1000m later before rising again overnight.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Wednesday 28th October 2026
Last updated
Sun 25th Oct 26 at
4:02PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 35-45mph, will vary in this range, but later trending towards lower end of the range, towards 30mph west.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking, strongest gusts beginning to challenge balance in exposure with significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain on and off, lessening tendency
Several areas of rain will sweep in from the west, longest falls with heavy bursts along the coast, and damp/drizzly on high terrain too. A few breaks in the rain, and increasingly breaking up later in the day.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, some later breaks
Most hills in fog above 700-800m from dawn, varying and often lowering towards 500m along the coast during rain. A rising chance of higher breaks, best inland, locally 900-1000m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Often cloudy, a few bright glimpses, but chance of sun later in the day. Hazy at best, and visibility often poor in cloud and rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3C rising to 5C. Feeling like -5 to -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Low pressure north of Scotland on Tuesday brings showers with widespread gales, severe over Scottish Highlands with steady, heavy rain, turning to snow on high tops. Pressure builds from the south Wednesday but staying blustery with rain on and off for many, hill cloud clinging to high terrain, and haze towards the west coast. Wind will lessen and shift southerly on Thursday, more bright breaks, milder temperature, and little or no rain remaining. A frontal system brings rain and wind into western areas on Friday, pushing east into evening and perhaps a very unsettled start to Saturday, but then a trend towards high pressure is indicated as the weekend goes. Northwest areas stay cloudier and blustery into Sunday, then more widely settled early next week and possibly longer, cool to mild temperatures.