Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Tuesday's Forecast
Severe gale or storm, mobility very difficult
Severe conditions on the mountains, any movement very challenging, you may be blown over. 55-70mph+
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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Severe gale or storm, mobility very difficult
Severe conditions on the mountains, any movement very challenging, you may be blown over. 55-70mph+
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
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 9th December 2025
Last updated
Mon 8th Dec 25 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Severe conditions becoming widespread and lasting onward into the night and Wednesday - stormy conditions, hurricane-force winds on higher mountains. Heavy rain sweeping northwards across Scotland during the day, breaking up into showers for England & Wales; flooding likely.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Heavy rain and increasingly stormy winds.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southeasterly rapidly strengthening from dawn to 50mph, gusts 60-70mph higher Cairngorms developing, turning southerly by midday. Strengthening further during afternoon to reach 80mph, up to SW'ly 100mph by evening into night higher Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Soon deteriorating from dawn to make mobility difficult, powerful gusts could knock you over on downslopes N/W of major hill groups. By later daytime and after dark, increasingly severe conditions low-levels upward.
How Wet?
Persistent rain soon sets in, flood risk
Patchy rain arrives from the southwest before dawn, soon spreading widely with heavy bursts well into the day. A breaking trend into showery rain later, though later evening frequent or setting in again; into night turning to snow above 1000-1100m. Beware fast-rising streams and flood risk.
Cloud on the hills?
Soon extensive
Fog over the high Cairngorm plateau and down to middle southern slopes soon fills in widely across middle slopes, down to low slopes in the south. Highest bases northwest Cairngorms and north Monadhliath, 500-600m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Less than 10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Soon widely overcast and dull. Poor visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3 or 4C, rising to 7 or 8C for several hours, sharply cooling later, to 2C into night. Feeling like -10C in strongest daytime wind; colder into the night.
Freezing Level
Above the summits until after dark, then onward into night lowering to around 1200m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 10th December 2025
Last updated
Mon 8th Dec 25 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 55 to 70mph, often 80mph higher tops particularly Cairngorm plateau, gusts here may exceed 100mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult walking conditions from mid elevations upward, severe over the mountains; significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Showers mostly west, snow tops
Showery precipitation most common toward Drumochter and Ben Alder, falling as snow above 1000m, possible hail.
Cloud on the hills?
Frequently on tops
Cloud base constantly changing, but often capping higher slopes, particularly toward western Cairngorms and west of A9.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional sun mostly north and east. Slight haze, visibility reduced further around showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2 or 3C. Wind chill feeling near to -15C.
Freezing Level
1100 to 1200m
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 11th December 2025
Last updated
Mon 8th Dec 25 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South-southwesterly 40 to 60mph, some uncertainty of peak speed, possibly 70mph higher Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Widely arduous, but risk of more difficult or severe conditions ongoing on higher mountains.
How Wet?
Little or no rain
Spots of rain in the wind at times, but amounting to little, some places dry all day.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly southern areas
Banks of cloud on some slopes, most common Drumochter around to some areas accessed from Braemar, may cling over tops. Good breaks northward.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A little sun mostly toward north. Slight haze possible, but mostly good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
4C, may start to drop into evening or night. Feeling near -10C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits
Planning Outlook
A very unsettled pattern as southwesterly winds prevail and low pressure systems move in from the Atlantic, sustained gales over the mountains, severe or stormy for periods. Temperatures only close to freezing on higher Scottish tops this week, even here will experience spells above freezing with thawing, leaving snow increasingly patchy, but beware some icy surfaces on the very highest tops where some refreezing occurs. Drier for most places on Thursday this week, otherwise rainfall will be frequent and heavy, sometimes showery with hail. Expect wet ground conditions and further flooding of streams and some rivers.