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
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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.
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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.
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
Friday 24th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 23rd Jul 26 at
4:15PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Strong westerly winds, reaching gale-force on Scottish tops, increasing later. Low cloud and some drizzle in western Scotland, drier and some cloud breaks further east. More persistent rain develops from the northwest later. Largely dry England & Wales, some cloud capping high western tops.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Windy, gales high tops. Patchy drizzle, cloud on tops.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 30 to 40mph, gusts 50mph at times during day over higher Cairngorms. Tending to strengthen toward evening, reaching 60mph with gusts 70mph high tops from dusk into the night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Frequent buffeting over high terrain, making walking strenuous, gusts knocking you off balance. Generally deteriorating further later in the day to become widely challenging on hills. Considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Drizzle most frequent west in morning
Drizzle on and off for mountains near and west of the A9 corridor, mainly morning, drier afternoon. Patchier eastwards, more often dry all day toward Deeside. Toward evening, some steadier rain develops from northwest, further rain into night, mainly in west.
Cloud on the hills?
Most persistent western tops, breaks east
Covering hills from Ben Alder to west Cairngorms and Monadhliath much of day above 800-1000m, brief breaks. East near Deeside, bases 1000-1100m, good breaks, best during afternoon. Some highest tops near top of the cloud banks at times. Lowering during evening into night.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% west, to 60% furthest east.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely cloudy, visibility reduced at times in drizzle west, otherwise good below cloud, some sun breaking through in east.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8C rising to 11C, local 13C eastern tops; little change with added height on Munros. Feeling like 0 to -3C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 25th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 23rd Jul 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 40-50mph from dawn into early morning, stronger gusts; lessening to 25-35mph middle of day, 15-20mph later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging walking and marked chill at first, improving during day, to become mostly small afternoon.
How Wet?
Drizzly rain or showers
Patchy rain from overnight into early morning, some more persistent rain western Cairngorms, tending to ease to drizzly showers by middle of day. An odd heavier shower locally during afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive higher areas, rising, breaks
Shrouding hills fairly widely above 600-800m in morning, lowest toward west. Base tending to rise, to 1000m with some breaks to 1200m or above, best in east afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20% rising to 50%, or 70% east.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely cloudy, dull morning, misty over hills especially in west; improving visibility to become very good below cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9 to 12C, warmest near Deeside afternoon. Feeling below freezing directly in the wind in the morning.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 26th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 23rd Jul 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 10-20mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small.
How Wet?
Periods of showery rain
Patchy rain drifts from the northwest, both wetter and drier windows through the day, but then risk of heavier afternoon showers far east Cairngorms.
Cloud on the hills?
Often covering high terrain
From dawn, most terrain above 800-900m in cloud. Cloud will lift, some breaks towards or above high tops forming briefly, but returning to or below 1100m during showers, lowest in heaviest showers in the east.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of sunshine. Varied visibility, very good when out of showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6 or 7C, rising to 10C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Westerly winds prevail this weekend and early next week, then southwesterly into midweek, bringing spells of rain, drizzle and some showery falls; low cloud persistent across hills, particularly in the west. Upland gales early on Saturday tend to lessen, but staying breezy; lower wind speeds for Scotland on Sunday. Rather cool this weekend and Monday, single-figures Celsius on high terrain. Then more humid, and warmer, especially England & Wales. More prolonged heavier rain possible for western Scotland Monday-Tuesday, risk of gales again on high tops. More uncertainty later in the week as a slow-moving area of low pressure is nearby, but risk areas of heavy rain and showers.