Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Monday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
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.
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
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
Monday 29th June 2026
Last updated
Sun 28th Jun 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Southwesterly breezes, strongest in the morning. Cloud covering many western hills, some drizzly rain and light showers, mostly western Scotland. Cloud higher and more broken toward east. Some improvements in the west as cloud base rises, some breaks forming afternoon. Rain develops from west into night.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Strongest wind easing. Often dry, cloud breaks to tops.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 30-40mph from dawn to early morning, quite gusty over Cairngorm plateau. Easing to 25-30mph middle of day, later toward evening 15-20mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking arduous over high tops early in the morning with significant wind chill and buffeting; easing to more moderate conditions, later fairly small effects.
How Wet?
Scattered patchy rain, often dry
Patchy rain mainly affecting hills near and west of the A9 early in the day, soon becoming well scattered and mostly confined towards Drumochter; any rain further east amounting to little much of day. Into night, patchy rain spreads from southwest, some heavier later in night mainly south.
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 often clearer. A lifting trend, breaks off summits best to the east; banks lingering around 800-900m west hills near Ben Alder, some breaks.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 60% east, 40% west.
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 afternoon, a degree warmer easternmost hills. Feeling like -2 to -5C in strongest wind in morning.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 30th June 2026
Last updated
Sun 28th Jun 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 15 to 20mph, up to 25mph high tops for a time in morning, but tending to drop lighter and variable.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but 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 heavy bursts locally, risk of 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. Feeling near to freezing on high tops in early wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 1st July 2026
Last updated
Sun 28th Jun 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Variable 10mph or less possibly much of morning, strengthening southerly to 25-35mph, later risk 40-50mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Small in the morning, but likely becoming more blustery, walking more uncomfortable later, possibly more arduous.
How Wet?
Risk of rain later in day
Generally dry much of the day, except for an odd isolated shower. Likely only into evening, increasing risk of rain moving in from southwest.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied in morning, lifting, breaks to tops
Banks of cloud over higher slopes and some patches to mid-levels in the morning. Tending to lift and break to upper slopes, clearing some high tops, best toward north and eastern Cairngorms.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of cloud and sun, giving way to high cloud moving in from west later. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8 or 9C, local 10C afternoon in north/east. Feeling like freezing as wind increases, risk later near -5C in exposure on tops.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
A changeable westerly Atlantic pattern dominates this week. Western hill groups from Lakeland northward will see the most cloud and rain, while east and southern areas are drier and sunnier. A spell of stronger winds and more widespread rain likely develops later Wednesday to early Thursday. Possibly another windy and wetter spell into Friday. A rather cool and windy westerly pattern is likely to continue into next weekend with showery rain. Drier and warmer conditions are indicated into the week of 5th July, though southwesterlies may still bring more cloud to the west, some rain in northwest Scotland.