Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Saturday'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.
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.
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 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.
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
Saturday 30th May 2026
Last updated
Fri 29th May 26 at
3:52PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Early patchy rain west Scotland, east hills dry and clear of cloud. Afternoon brings more substantial rain and cloud to west Scotland, spreading east with time; becoming blustery west too. Weak sun and clear hills England and Wales, mild-to-warm, notable breezes later for Eryri NP and Lakeland.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tops mostly clear morning, increasingly wet through afternoon
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly, soon shifting southwesterly, 10-15mph, some variability around this range, sometimes 20mph over Cairngorm plateau. Later afternoon, speeds rising, approaching 25mph over high tops.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small much of the day, some nuisance wind over Cairngorm plateau, with a slight deteriorating trend through afternoon.
How Wet?
Rain moves in from west afternoon
Dry start, patchy rain encroaching in from south and west as midday approaches, increasingly frequent through afternoon with patches falling more widely and some heavy bursts coming and going. Perhaps a few hours of more persistent rain as evening approaches.
Cloud on the hills?
Forming over tops from west, lowering on south aspects
Most mountains clear in the morning, bar odd patches. Cloud banks forming onto higher slopes from the west afternoon, filling in above 900-1000m as rain develops, lower banks towards 700m south slopes. Northeastern hills will maintain breaks.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90% morning, dropping to 20% through afternoon
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sun in the morning, weakened by high cloud, this thickening through afternoon, overcast later in the day. Very good visibility, deteriorating where rain occurs.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C rising to 9C afternoon, or 10C N Cairngorms; only small drop in temperatures towards summits.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 31st May 2026
Last updated
Fri 29th May 26 at
3:52PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 15-25mph, some stronger gusts over high Cairngorms early in the day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, ease of walking sometimes affected over the high Cairngorm plateau, notably early.
How Wet?
Some showers
Morning showers, and perhaps a few hours of heavier, more persistent rain early. Breaking into only scattered showers, extended dry windows. Some risk of heavy rain with thunder in the far northeast Cairngorms.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting to high summits with breaks
Variable banks of cloud above 700m in the morning, some lower patches south; east Cairngorms clearer, particularly north. Cloud largely lifts above the summits by afternoon, only passing caps on Ben Macdui and nearby high tops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Early cloud breaks in to a patchwork of cloud and sunshine. Excellent visibility away from showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C rising to 9C, or 10C northern Cairngorms.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 1st June 2026
Last updated
Fri 29th May 26 at
3:52PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly before dawn, soon shifting southerly 10-15mph, strengthening to 15-20mph afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small.
How Wet?
Some patchy rain
A few spots of patchy rain drifting from the southwest as the day gets going, likely more frequent through the afternoon, but rainfall totals likely small through the day.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly clear morning, deteriorating afternoon
Scattered patches mostly above 1000m in the morning, likely lifting off the summits for several hours. As afternoon goes, bases lower to summits, further lowering to finish near 800m southern slopes. Staying clearer north, little cloud onto Monadhliath.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80% lowering to 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy morning sun, gradually weakened by high cloud, overcast by evening. Excellent visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6C rising to 9 or 10C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Changeable southwesterlies prevail as the weekend transitions into next week. Sunday sees showers for west hill groups, more widely and sometimes heavy in Scotland. Monday brings more widespread rain and wind into England and Wales, showers continue in Scotland. An unsettled theme is expected during the first ten days of June. Frontal systems from the Atlantic bring periods of rain, wind, and low cloud. Wind speeds will vary, but reaching gale force on mountains for periods, England and Wales looking particularly vulnerable. A few brighter windows, but these brief and often interrupted by afternoon showers with a risk of local thunder. Sometimes chilly in Scotland when the wind turns northwesterly though staying above freezing to summits.