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
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
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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Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
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
Friday 27th March 2026
Last updated
Thu 26th Mar 26 at
3:10PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Wind strengthens across Scottish mountains to gale-force, significant chill factor. A dry morning central-eastern Highlands, but snow showers in the west develop widely and become heavier with hail. Early rain clears southeastward over England, cloud lifts and breaks; slower to improve southward across Wales.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Increasingly upland gales, hail and snow showers into afternoon.
How windy? (On the Munros)
West to southwesterly, 25-35mph from dawn, trending towards higher speeds with time, 40-50mph midday into afternoon, stronger squally gusts in showers. By evening-night, widely 60-70mph on high terrain.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking increasingly strenuous in exposure, becoming more difficult into afternoon with significant wind chill, powerful gusts knocking you off balance.
How Wet?
Afternoon snow showers, mostly west
Patchy overnight rain fades before dawn. Dry most of morning. Showers arrive from the west, snow to 600m, most in Monadhliath & Drumochter area, heavier afternoon, a scattering of showers extend eastward, later hail.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly high western terrain, often broken
Some ragged patches of cloud at several elevations at dawn but these dissipating after sunrise. Banks of cloud occasionally drift over the high tops, most often west during showers, as low as 800-900m afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%, lowering to 50% west afternoon
Sunshine and air clarity?
Frequent bright sunshine, turning to a patchwork afternoon, most cloud west. Very good visibility, though suddenly poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C early, sunny slopes may briefly rise a degree; lowering later, to -3C into night. Feeling like -13C to later -17C in direct wind as it strengthens.
Freezing Level
Lowering from overnight, 800m at dawn, lowering to 600-700m through the day.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 28th March 2026
Last updated
Thu 26th Mar 26 at
3:10PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 45 to 60mph, strongest over higher Cairngorms. A brief lessening by evening, then increasing again overnight.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging mobility on higher mountains, difficult conditions with gusts knocking you over. Significant-to-severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Hail and snow showers
Showers spreading from the west in the morning, mostly areas near and west of the A9, hail and snow falling to lower elevations. Scattered showers extend eastward, tending to ease from west during afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Patches over tops, lifting higher
Varied cloud capping higher slopes in the morning above 800-1000m, lowest around showers near the A9. Lifting above higher slopes increasingly often into afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% rising to 60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of cloud and sun. Visibility often very good, but reduced at times to briefly very poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C rising to 0C. Wind chill feeling like -15 to -20C.
Freezing Level
600m in morning, plus frost in sheltered glens around dawn, rising to 900m afternoon.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 29th March 2026
Last updated
Thu 26th Mar 26 at
3:10PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwest at first, soon westerly, 70-80mph dawn into morning, then near 50mph, sudden squally gusts.
Effect of the wind on you?
Severe conditions for a time, remaining difficult over the mountains all day, mobility often challenging. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain, snow, then showery hail
A swathe of rain moving in from west around dawn, starting as snow on high terrain. A more intense band moving through in morning, abruptly turning back to snow to 600m, then showers with hail.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, then varied on tops
Covering higher terrain fairly widely above 800-1000m early in day, locally lower toward west. Then rising and more variable above 900m with breaks to tops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of sun develop, best in east. Visibility changing quickly, very poor in rain, appalling at least temporarily in snow, intermittently very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
+1 or 2C for a time, dropping to -2C later. Wind chill feeling like -15C, nearer -20C on highest terrain.
Freezing Level
Briefly may rise just above freezing to upper slopes in morning, then soon lowering again, to 700m afternoon.
Planning Outlook
Changeable westerlies prevail onward into early next week, continuing gales over most high terrain. Below freezing on Scottish mountains above 700-800m into Monday with snow showers; higher freezing level further south, above the tops in Wales with mostly drizzly rain here. Milder air lifts above freezing to all tops into Tuesday with low cloud, drizzle and rain, most persistent west-northwest Scotland. Mixed conditions likely continue, but some windows of better weather mid-late in the week - temperatures vary above and just below freezing on Scottish tops. Potential for cold conditions again early April, but drier conditions possibly more common by then.