Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Thursday'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 flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
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.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
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 flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
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
Thursday 22nd October 2026
Last updated
Wed 21st Oct 26 at
4:30PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Strong winds early in the day, gale force particularly toward the Cairngorms, lessening to lower speeds with time for all areas. Some early rain and upland snow in northeast Scotland clears. A few showers near west coasts fade. Cloud breaks above many tops with some sunshine, but remaining chilly all day.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Gales on tops lessen. Rain and hill snow clears.
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 40-50mph from before dawn into morning, tending to lessen into middle of day toward 30mph, shifting west-southwesterly 20-25mph during afternoon. Then southerly 15-25mph evening into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous walking and significant wind chill in the morning, gradually improving but still blustery and chilly into middle of daytime, becoming fairly small later.
How Wet?
Local early patchy rain or hill snow fades
Remnants of overnight rain, snow above 800m, continue in more northern areas early morning, but becoming patchy and fading out to be increasingly largely dry into middle of day. Chance of a brief light shower.
Cloud on the hills?
Covering tops then lifting and breaking
Shrouding higher Cairngorms and northern areas fairly widely above 700-900m early morning, but lifting and breaking to higher slopes. Patches may come and go on tops toward middle of day, but breaking up to largely clear.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% rising to 80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloud breaking to give periods of sun most frequently into afternoon. Visibility reduced to locally poor at first, but soon mostly good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0C lifting to 2 or 3C. Feeling like -12C in early wind, then improving to around -5C afternoon.
Freezing Level
900-1000m in morning, lifting to 1200-1300m into afternoon.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 23rd October 2026
Last updated
Wed 21st Oct 26 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
East-southeasterly 25-40mph, will vary, perhaps a lull but greatly restrengthening later northerly 50mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking in exposure with considerable wind chill, though variable, and may lessen briefly.
How Wet?
Rain most of the day, snow tops
Steady rain soon sets in from the south, persistent with heavy moments on high Cairngorms and south slopes nearly all day, turning to snow higher areas. Rain patchier/lighter north of high Cairngorms for a time, but steadier falls here later.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive
Blanket cloud to middle slopes most or all day, lowest south Cairngorms where patches form in glen/corries. Some variation north Cairngorms, and perhaps more broadly as wind shifts direction, but any breaks above 800-900m unlikely.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast, mostly dull and poor visibility on high terrain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3 or 4C, later lowering from the west towards 0C. Feeling near or below -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits, later lowering to 900-1000m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 24th October 2026
Last updated
Wed 21st Oct 26 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South-southwesterly, rising possibly soon during morning to 40mph, rapidly reaching 60-70mph+ as the day goes on.
Effect of the wind on you?
Deteriorating, may soon be arduous walking on exposed terrain, significant wind chill; increasingly severe conditions.
How Wet?
Rain sets in
Dry for a few hours from dawn, then patchy rain moves in from west, snow flurries above 1000m, becoming all rain, setting in, heaviest falls Drumochter area. Showery into night, snow on tops.
Cloud on the hills?
Lowering to become extensive
For much of the morning, most cloud above the hills, apart from odd patches at varied heights. Increasingly cloud will lower onto hills, forming lowest in southwestern Cairngorms; some higher breaks may remain in north.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80% in morning, dropping to 30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A little weak sun through high cloud from dawn, but giving way to overcast skies. Good visibility becomes hazier, then poor as rain sets in.
How Cold? (at 900m)
1C rising to 5C by later afternoon, then falling again to 1C after dark. Feeling around -10C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
1000m plus frost in many glens at dawn; rising to 1200m middle of day, later well above tops; lowering into night.
Planning Outlook
A deep area of low pressure moves toward northwest Scotland into the weekend to bring widespread rain and gales, stormy conditions develop over many mountains, the strongest sustained winds over Scottish tops into Sunday in excess of 70-80mph with more powerful gusts. Temperature will vary, briefly above freezing to all tops, then back just below zero on Scottish Munros by Sunday with frequent showers of hail and snow on high mountains. Atlantic west-southwesterlies remain dominant next week, bringing several low pressure systems with rain and wind, punctuated by brief clearer windows.