Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Thursday'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.
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.
Clear
Excellent or superb visibility, no navigation issues.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
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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.
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.
Clear
Excellent or superb visibility, no navigation issues.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 2nd April 2026
Last updated
Wed 1st Apr 26 at
4:14PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Patchy cloud lingering on upper hills at dawn, clearing for several hours of sunshine and light wind. Wind begins strengthening from the west in Scotland, high cloud builds, with rain and snow arriving and spreading into central Scotland by evening. England and Wales stay dry, small increase in wind and high cloud later.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Often sunny, light wind; deteriorating west later
How windy? (On the Munros)
North-northwesterly 5-15mph at dawn, soon easing to variable 10mph or less for several hours. Orienting southerly and restrengthening through afternoon, to 25-30mph by dusk with strong gusts in exposure, up to 40mph over highest tops.
Effect of the wind on you?
Small much of the day, but increasingly blustery in exposure as the afternoon goes, walking becoming strenuous with buffeting and significant wind chill as night approaches.
How Wet?
Substantially dry during daylight
A few odd snow flurries in the northeast Cairngorms early, but otherwise a dry day. Later afternoon, rain arrives around Drumochter area, snow above 500-600m, spreading more widely overnight, though perhaps only light and patchy northeast areas.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly just high terrain, clear summits likely
Cloud banks mostly above 900-1000m in the morning on northern slopes, some lower patches around dawn. After sunrise, cloud lifts, likely clear of tops for several hours, then some patches again returning from the south and west as afternoon goes, though mostly just high terrain until late in the day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80% for several hours
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny, some high cloud occasionally weakening sun, more high cloud in the west late in the day. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C lifting to -1C, or locally 0C.
Freezing Level
Widespread frost at dawn. Thaws up to 700-800m perhaps locally higher northern Cairngorms.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 3rd April 2026
Last updated
Wed 1st Apr 26 at
4:14PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Generally west-southwesterly 20-30mph. Some variability, much stronger speeds at and before dawn likely.
Effect of the wind on you?
At times fairly small, but conditions will very, some blustery moments affecting stability and a notable wind chill.
How Wet?
Often snowing/raining, particularly west
Periods of snow and rain, most frequent Drumochter and Monadhliath (snow to 400m). May merge into broader areas of rain that extend east, but also with drier moments, driest northeast Cairngorms.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, may break somewhat
A blanket of cloud shrouds most high terrain, the bases most consistently to middle slopes west, at times to lower slopes in precipitation. The highest bases northern Cairngorms, perhaps a period in the afternoon where cloud more broken.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly overcast and dull with poor visibility, but a few glimpses of sun possible to the north and east where visibility will be good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 to -2C most of the day, though may start near +2C, particularly east. Feeling like -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
1000-1200m from overnight into dawn, lowering to 600-700m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 4th April 2026
Last updated
Wed 1st Apr 26 at
4:14PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 25-35mph at first, turning south then southeasterly, easing briefly, but then rapid increase, later 60-80mph+.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery start, lessening for a time, but then deteriorating, by later in the day any mobility increasingly difficult.
How Wet?
Snow and rain developing, setting in
Largely dry likely all morning, perhaps an odd snow flurry. During afternoon, hill snow developing from south, becoming persistent - for a time later rain up to tops, then abruptly snow level dropping again late in day or after dark.
Cloud on the hills?
Likely little for many hours
Patchy cloud around some slopes, but the mountains may well remain substantially clear onward into afternoon. Later as precipitation develops, cloud lowering over the hills, soonest in south.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Weak sun through high cloud giving way to more overcast skies into afternoon. Visibility very good, then reducing, to be very poor, or appalling in snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C, rising later to 0C or briefly higher, then dropping again into night. Feeling like -15C in early wind, then even colder later.
Freezing Level
Frost in many glens from dawn, 600m mid-morning, rising afternoon, later briefly toward high tops, then 600m into night.
Planning Outlook
Atlantic weather patterns and generally westerly wind will be dominant in the foreseeable future. The weekend ahead is increasingly unsettled, widespread gales on Easter with storm-force wind in Scotland, cooler temperatures, and showers west. Into next week, temperature and wind will be variable, periods of gales and possibly often cold over the mountains with snow and hail showers at times to lower elevations at least in Scotland, sometimes more widely. Precipitation generally most frequent west and northwest, though bands of heavy rain will sweep east at times. Some brief windows of drier and brighter conditions, as well as milder days in England and Wales, occasionally milder Scotland too, but soon followed by more Atlantic low pressure systems.