Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Friday'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 rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Hazy, some fog banks
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Distant views reduced by haze, locally foggy for a time in valleys and some hill slopes.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
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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 rain or drizzle
Rain on and off, or generally drizzly - total amounts small, but may be persistently damp, especially where hills are shrouded in cloud.
Hazy, some fog banks
Distant views reduced by haze, locally foggy for a time in valleys and some hill slopes.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 28th August 2026
Last updated
Thu 27th Aug 26 at
4:26PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Frequent rain for England and Wales well into the day, clustering into heavy falls and local thunderstorms; poor visibility on many tops and some fast flowing streams. Easing to lighter showers later. Rain and drizzle over north and notably east Scotland, best of clear hills west highlands. Widely warm and humid.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Persistent drizzle, very low cloud north Cairngorms
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northeasterly shifting northwesterly, 10-15mph, strengthening slightly, more notably east where strongest gusts later will reach 35mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small, but becoming quite blustery over high eastern terrain with some buffeting gusts.
How Wet?
Persistent drizzle, patchy rain
Drizzle rarely ceases, particularly northern Cairngorms, with some patches of more steady rain drifting from the north at times. A few patches may bring some heavier bursts, these mostly in the east.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive
Hills shrouded from at least middle slopes upward most of the day, persistent to low slopes northern Cairngorms where forming into glens/corries in rain. Slight rise, highest towards Braemar, but unlikely much above 800m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast and dull. Poor visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
10 to 12C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 29th August 2026
Last updated
Thu 27th Aug 26 at
4:26PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Generally northwesterly but variable, 10-15mph and sometimes less.
Effect of the wind on you?
Small.
How Wet?
Drizzly, some spotty showers
Drizzly on high tops through morning at least, damp onto lower northern Cairngorms to start as well. Drizzle will fade, spotty showery breaking out later.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, some improvements
Cloud shrouds most terrain above 500-600m early, lowest bases north where into glens/corries briefly. A lifting trend, may break up somewhat, though breaks above 1100m unlikely, and locally filling in again later.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Rare glimpses of weak sun. Mostly poor visibility on high tops; will locally improve where cloud lifts.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9C, rising a degree, locally to 11C Deeside.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 30th August 2026
Last updated
Thu 27th Aug 26 at
4:26PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Generally southerly, 5 to 15mph, though variable in both speed and direction.
Effect of the wind on you?
Small.
How Wet?
Patchy rain, heavier falls forming
Patchy rain here and there much of the day, generally local in nature, with early drizzle on high terrain. Heavier falls will form as well, more widely later.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting to high terrain for a time
High terrain starts in fog, varied banks to lower terrain, locally into glens and corries where rain falls. Cloud will lift, isolating to higher slopes for a time, though any high summits breaks fleeting, and then returning more extensively late in the day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A patchwork of sun, very good visibility where out of fog, but trending overcast with visibility increasingly poor later.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9 or 10C, rising slightly, locally to 12C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
A generally damp weekend ahead, particularly in England and Wales: several bands of rain will pass west-to-east, cloud often shrouding hills, particularly west where only slightly improving away from the main areas of rain. Some stronger wind will affect Wales at times, notably south. Less rain over Scotland, though a little drizzly rain here and there will become local showery bursts through afternoon; variable cloud, tending to lift during the day but returning where rain forms. Also minimal wind in Scotland, mild temperatures. Westerly flow is expected next week, drawing cloud and showers into western areas, particularly in Scotland, with periods of strong wind and broader areas of rain more widely across the country. Best of bright breaks to the east.