Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Sunday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchy cloud and winter sun
Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchy cloud and winter sun
Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 30th November 2025
Last updated
Sat 29th Nov 25 at
4:30PM
Summary for all mountain areas
A fine day for many places, sunshine and broken cloud. Much terrain frozen in the Highlands, where a lull in wind, later strengthening southerlies in west. Strong northwesterlies for England and Wales tend to drop. Some local showers move inland from the Irish Sea. Deteriorating all areas into night.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Chilly wind eases; increases into night. Cloud on tops, some sun.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 20-25mph at first, strongest in east at dawn, dropping light and variable. Then from dusk starting to strengthen southerly, into night to 50mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Marked wind chill in exposure early in day, but becoming small. Deteriorating onward into night.
How Wet?
Local flurries; snow/rain into night
Fresh snow cover to lower slopes particularly northern areas from overnight. Occasional snow flurries mostly northern Cairngorms to areas north from Deeside in morning, fading. Onward into night, snow develops from west, but turning increasingly to rain higher up later in night, less in northeast areas.
Cloud on the hills?
Cloud banks slow to clear north/east
Shrouding higher and northern Cairngorms above 800-1000m in the morning at least. Cloud more broken south & westwards. Tending to break up, but some patches may cling all day over higher Cairngorms.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40% rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloudy northern areas, some sun toward south, then sunnier widely, before thin high cloud builds from west later. Navigation difficult in fog over snow in morning; visibility excellent out of cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2 or -3C, small variation with height. Feeling nearer -10C if exposed to wind early morning.
Freezing Level
Much terrain frozen with frost into glens, only partial thawing lowest sunlit slopes up to around 400-500m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 1st December 2025
Last updated
Sat 29th Nov 25 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South to southwesterly; overnight gales ease, typically to 20-30mph or less during day. May increase to gales after dark.
Effect of the wind on you?
Most likely fairly small much of daytime, but blustery at times over exposed high tops. Beware possibly worsening later.
How Wet?
Risk rain and hill snow returning
Overnight hill snow finishing mainly as rain toward higher slopes, fading around dawn. Largely dry for a few hours, but risk further rain developing from south with time, turning back to snow on tops.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied, some breaks north
Patchy cloud at various heights from dawn, more extensive in southern areas, but breaks to some higher slopes for a time north of Cairngorms. Lowering widely if rain/snow returns.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun mostly obscured by high cloud, but may be bright with good visibility in morning, then dull overcast skies, visibility poor in rain/snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2 or 3C, then into night nearer 0C. Feeling like -10C or below if exposed to stronger winds.
Freezing Level
Rising up to dawn, above the summits for a few hours. Tending to drop afternoon to 1000-1200m, slightly lower after dark.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 2nd December 2025
Last updated
Sat 29th Nov 25 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South to southwesterly 25mph to often 30-35mph higher Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery, starting to affect comfortable walking on exposed higher areas. Noticeable wind chill.
How Wet?
Largely dry
Chance of odd brief showers, with snow above 800m, most likely areas toward Ben Alder.
Cloud on the hills?
Most persistent south, breaks north
Banks of cloud may linger on southern slopes in Cairngorms NP, to some mid-slopes or lower in morning, but northward from Drumochter bases higher, more often above 900m with breaks above tops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% south, to 60% north.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional sun mostly north of Cairngorms. Visibility very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or 1C. Wind chill feeling like -7 to -10C.
Freezing Level
900 to 1000m
Planning Outlook
Areas of low pressure circulating to the west and north will dominate the weather pattern in the week ahead, bringing generally unsettled weather. Southwesterly air and briefly milder into Monday, with rain for most places at times, but prolonged heavier rain for England and Wales. Then typically cooler with showery conditions - higher mountains near or just below freezing point likely for the remainder of the week - some snow on tops, occasional hail. Wind speed likely to vary, some squally gusty spells, but also some lulls possible during the week.