The Northwest Highlands
Areas north from Knoydart in the west, and the Great Glen towards the east (NB. Does not include Mull and areas west of Loch Linnhe, these are found in the West Highlands forecast.)
Thursday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
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.
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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.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
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.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
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 The Northwest Highlands
Fine start, some sun; strengthening wind, rain/snow later
How windy? (On the Munros)
Variable 10mph or less early, turning southerly and strengthening from the west, reaching 30-45mph by evening, strongest in the west with gusts over the Cuillin reaching 50mph or stronger.
Effect of the wind on you?
Small in the morning, gradually deteriorating, to arduous conditions, at least, on most hills with constant balance challenges in exposure and significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain/snow from the west afternoon
A few odd light flurries along the coast at dawn, but otherwise dry through morning. Spotty rain arriving onto Skye afternoon, snow above 500-600m, setting in and spreading across all Munros by evening, increasingly heavy falls on Skye.
Cloud on the hills?
Summits often clear well into the day
Some variable cloud patches at several heights from before dawn, these lifting and mostly dissipating for clear hills, northern hills likely slowest to clear. Occasional cloud patches will drift over the high tops of Skye and Torridon. Increasing risk of cloud over the Cuillin ridge afternoon, bases lowering to 500-700m south, spreading more widely into evening and extensively to middle slopes.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%, lowering to 30% later afternoon
Sunshine and air clarity?
Often sunny, some high cloud at times weakening the sunshine, and increasingly cloudy from the west through afternoon. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C lifting to -1C, 0C Skye around evening. Feeling like -10C or colder in direct wind later in the day.
Freezing Level
Most inland terrain frozen at dawn, nearer 300-400m coastal slopes. Gradually lifting, 600-700m.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
Friday 3rd April 2026
Last updated
Wed 1st Apr 26 at
4:14PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Generally west-southwesterly 20-30mph, strongest north. Some variability likely, perhaps lower speeds south at times.
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?
Periods of snow/rain
Snow and rain affecting all areas (snow down to 400m). A mix of showers and longer periods of precipitation, heavy at times, notably Skye, perhaps a lull in the precipitation for a few hours.
Cloud on the hills?
Likely extensive, may break somewhat
Blanket cloud shrouds hills to middle slopes most or all day, to the lower slopes near the west coast. May briefly lift higher during cessations in precipitation, and bases more frequently lift around Ben Wyvis, but summit clearing is unlikely.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly overcast and dull, perhaps an odd glimpse of weak sun, best chance east. Mostly poor visibility in fog and rain/snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1 to -3C, coldest around Ben Hope. Feeling like -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
500-600m, though perhaps up to 800m at and before dawn.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
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 showers, later snow / rain setting in
A few showers mostly near west coast early in day, with snow falling to some lower slopes for a time. Fading, but then later more persistent hill snow and rain - for a time by evening rain up tops, then abruptly snow level dropping again.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied, may be little for many hours
Patchy cloud over western mountains, may break up largely for a few hours, some mountains perhaps clear for a good part of the daytime, but later lowering widely as precipitation develops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Any sun mostly weak through high cloud, giving way to increasingly overcast skies. Visibility very good away from showers, then later very poor, 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 inland 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.