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
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
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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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
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
Sunday 28th June 2026
Last updated
Sat 27th Jun 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Strengthening southwesterly winds, reaching gale force over western Scottish mountains, soonest near Skye. Much fresher everywhere, rather chilly on tops in exposure to wind. Some early rain, improving as cloud lifts and breaks, but scattered showers move east across the Highlands into the afternoon.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Brisk winds. Patchy rain, showers; cloud lifts, breaks to tops.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 20-30mph, but 40mph around and before dawn higher and eastern Cairngorms. Trending towards higher speeds again later, gusting 35-40mph over high tops into evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Ease of walking impacted, increasingly strenuous through afternoon and feeling cool.
How Wet?
Morning rain mostly clears, late showers
Several bands of rain drift west-to-east from before dawn into early morning, brief heavy falls and dry windows. By middle of day, just patchy rain from near Drumochter to Braemar. Often dry elsewhere, though likely later a cluster of showers spreading more widely from southwest.
Cloud on the hills?
Bases rise, increasingly broken
Shrouding high terrain early morning, variable bases from 700-900m in and out of rain, but lifting and breaking with time. Into afternoon, rising with high breaks increasingly, and later just passing banks over high summits.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A few glimpses of morning sunshine, then a patchwork of cloud and sun by middle of day. Visibility becomes excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8 to 11C, mildest northeast Cairngorms in the morning, slight cooling trend afternoon. Feeling near freezing in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 29th June 2026
Last updated
Sat 27th Jun 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 30-40mph at dawn, quite gusty over Cairngorm plateau. Easing to finish near 15-25mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking arduous over high tops in the morning with significant wind chill and buffeting; easing to fairly small effects.
How Wet?
Scattered patchy rain, often dry
Patchy rain affecting south and western slopes at dawn, soon becoming well scattered and mostly confined towards Drumochter; any rain further east amounting to little.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive towards A9, improving
High terrain shrouded, lowest bases towards Drumochter where as low as 500-600m. East Cairngorms, particularly north of Ben Avon, may start (and stay) substantially clear. A lifting trend, breaks off summits to the east; banks lingering around 800-900m west hills.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 60% east
Sunshine and air clarity?
A patchwork of cloud and sun, most extensive sun far east hills. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6 or 7C, rising to 10C, a degree warmer easternmost hills. Feeling like -2 to -5C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 30th June 2026
Last updated
Sat 27th Jun 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 15 to 20mph, perhaps 25mph for a time, but may drop lighter and variable.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, possibly feeling more blustery for a few hours on higher terrain.
How Wet?
Showery rain
Patchy rain spreading in from the southwest in the morning into middle of day, then slow-moving showers afternoon, some places drier, but risk heavy bursts locally, chance isolated thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, better north
Cloud varying over the hills, but often capping high tops, lowering around rain with ragged patches lower down. Breaks likely best north Cairngorms in morning.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun mainly north in morning. Visibility very good where dry, but reduced to poor in rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8C rising to 10C afternoon.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
A westerly Atlantic pattern dominates the new week: high pressure south and low pressure north will bring alternating periods of rain punctuated by bright sunshine. Wind generally on the strong side with mild to sometimes warm temperatures, though cooler and windier spells at times produce significant wind chill on Scottish tops. Western hill groups from Lakeland northward will see the most cloud and patchy rain, while east and southern areas likely drier and sunnier. This pattern is likely to continue into next weekend.