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.
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.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
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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.
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.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 3rd July 2026
Last updated
Thu 2nd Jul 26 at
3:56PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Early hill cloud in Wales and central/east parts England and Scotland lifts and breaks for sun through high cloud. Warm for most, mild Scottish Highlands but feeling chilly in wind. Hill cloud and patchy rain west highlands, setting in into night. Some patchy cloud lingers near tops of Eryri/Snowdonia and Lakeland.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Early cloud lifts with breaks forming; blustery in exposure
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 25 to 35mph, some variability, strongest sustained speeds in the morning, gusting 45mph over high tops for a time. May lessen for a time late in the day into nighttime.
Effect of the wind on you?
Affecting comfortable walking, at times more strenuous on exposed terrain and balance may be challenging on ridges, particularly in the morning; considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Substantially dry
Occasional drizzle mainly over summits near and west of the A9, primarily in the morning and likely fading for a dry afternoon. As night falls, some rain arrives from the west.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly higher and southwestern areas, breaks forming
Early patches to 600-700m near and west of the A9. Higher bases east around 800-1000m. Breaks increasingly forming but cloud capping tops for longer; best breaks east and northern slopes, and perhaps some Cairngorm summits too. A risk of cloud returning from the west from dusk and overnight.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%, rising to 50% southwest to 70% easternmost Cairngorms
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun, more often sunny eastern areas but weakened by high cloud. Visibility good below cloud, very good east.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C rising to 10 or 11C afternoon, mildest east Cairngorms where may reach 12C briefly. Feeling like 0 to -3C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 4th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 2nd Jul 26 at
3:56PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly, 30 to 45mph, some variability and often gusting 50mph over high tops.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking, powerful gusts over tops constantly challenging balance with considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Drizzle, patchy rain
Drizzle in the air much of the day, particularly hills near and west of the A9, spells of steady rain. Least rain east Cairngorms, though drizzly on the high tops with passing patches of rain.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive, some higher bases east
Covering higher slopes near and west of the A9 much of the day above 600-800m. High Cairngorms stay shrouded, any higher breaks mainly north & easternmost areas, and some chance of better breaks late in the day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10% west, to 30% north/east
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloudy, dull and often misty west Cairngorms/Monadhliath. Where below cloud to the north and east, visibility will be good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9C rising to 11C afternoon, or 12C far east Munros. Feeling like 0 to -3C over high terrain where directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 5th July 2026
Last updated
Thu 2nd Jul 26 at
3:56PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 25-35mph; some variability early in the day, briefly lower speeds.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking impeded on high terrain, trending towards more strenuous conditions with notable wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain most persistent west
Patchy rain drifts from the west all day, drizzly with extended falls western Munros. Rain occasionally setting in more widely for several hours. Best chance dry windows near Deeside.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive
Terrain above 900-1000m rarely clearing, if at all. Lowest bases to the west, often to 600-700m around Monadhliath with lower ragged patches around rain. More variable east, best chance higher breaks Deeside, but filling in here during bursts of rain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast, often dull western hill groups. Where out of cloud and rain, very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9C, slight rise eastern hills. Feeling like 1 to 3C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Westerlies prevail across northern Britain. Rain, drizzle and low cloud over western hills from Lake District northward through the weekend. Temperatures near average, but feeling cool in exposure to wind on tops, which could regularly be quite strong and gusty. Generally drier northeast areas with higher cloud bases but patchy rain and drizzle reach here too. Higher pressure south maintains drier conditions in Wales and the south Pennines but cloud and some drizzle will affect high western slopes from time to time. A drier and warmer window looks probable from middle next week as high pressure builds. Very warm temperatures for England and Wales, spells of sunshine more widely. Some showers and patchy rain are likely to continue through late week and next weekend, though detail is uncertain.