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.
Tuesday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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
Tuesday 22nd September 2026
Last updated
Mon 21st Sep 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Scotland starts windy with rain in the northwest highlands, this spreading fairly widely over the highlands into afternoon and evening. Wind eases, some bright breaks in the far northwest. Feeling damp, warm, and often cloudy England and Wales, drizzle on west hills, odd patchy rain, but sun glimpses too.
Headline for West Highlands
Early wind eases, rain sets in; warm and humid
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 25 to 40mph, very gusty for a time, but then tending to lessen through afternoon, to 20-25mph later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Varied conditions, blustery in exposure and for a time more frequent buffeting in morning, then becoming smaller.
How Wet?
Rain much of the day
Drizzle merging into more steadier rain from the west in the morning, heavier falls developing for a time. Into afternoon, rain becomes more patchy north of Mull, staying persistent towards the south, including inland with steady, heavy falls, mostly west aspects.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive
Varied banks of cloud around dawn across most hills (not just high elevations), starting more extensive Mull and Lochaber. Cloud fills in widely across the hills, increasingly to low slopes, patches into glens/forest canopies later.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Starting 40% inland/south, soon lowering to 10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloudy, misty to lower levels near coast and increasingly widely dull. Just at dawn, bright breaks inland and south with good visibility, but deteriorating.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9 or 10C, quite humid early in day, then dropping to 6 to 8C during afternoon, soonest dropping Lochaber. Feeling near/below 0C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Wednesday 23rd September 2026
Last updated
Mon 21st Sep 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northwesterly 15-20mph, starting stronger in the south but widely lessening later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Often fairly small, but quite breezy over high southern tops to start.
How Wet?
Showers, fading
Showers drift from the west, most frequent near and north of Loch Linnhe (including inland). Showers soon well-scattered to the south, and increasingly fading widely, likely dry by evening.
Cloud on the hills?
Coming and going on high terrain, increasingly breaking
May start fairly extensive towards central highlands just at dawn, but soon lifting and breaking, to varied banks above 800m. Cloud will continue to break up, returning above 900m during showers, mostly western slopes, and increasingly breaking up into evening.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%, rising with time towards 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A patchwork of cloud and sun, more widely sunny later. Excellent visibility, a little haze near the coast.
How Cold? (at 900m)
5 or 6C, rising a degree southern islands and Ben Lomond to Loch Lyon. Feeling like -5C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Thursday 24th September 2026
Last updated
Mon 21st Sep 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 25-35mph, strengthening, sustained 45-60mph later, strongest coast with powerful downslope gusts.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking becomes challenging, strongest gusts knocking you off your feet; feeling chilly despite mild temperature.
How Wet?
A little rain, later more widely
A little drizzle and patchy rain on high terrain near the west coast, particularly northern areas. Later, rain will tend to increase and spread widely into night, though timing is uncertain.
Cloud on the hills?
Little through morning, filling in afternoon
Patches drift over the tops through morning, mostly near and north of Mull, many clear windows too. Through afternoon, banks more often shroud tops, first towards the coast, lowering and filling in more widely late in the day/into night.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%, lowering to 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun, weakened by high cloud, trending cloudier. Very good visibility, a little coastal haze building.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6C rising to 8C, staying elevated or rising further into night. Feeling as cold as -5C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
A heavier swathe of rain moves east Wednesday morning, soon clearing Scotland but leaving a few showers behind, later clearing England and Wales. Southwesterly winds increase again on Thursday and rain later moves into western Scotland, but elsewhere is likely dry, bright in Wales and much of England. A variable outlook continues next weekend and beyond with high pressure building from the south at times with fairly warm and dry conditions, but Atlantic systems still pass to the north bringing occasional rain and showers toward western Scotland at least, strong wind here with sustained gales in the north. Next week remains on the unsettled side: west-southwesterly wind with bands of rain passing over most mountains, but a trend towards higher pressure brings longer settled windows into October.