West Highlands
Western Highlands accessible from, and south of, Glenfinnan (Road to the Isles) and Glen Spean (includes Creag Meagaidh). This area includes Ben Nevis and the mountains around Glencoe. In the east, from Ben Alder south to Loch Lomond and Trossachs NP. Also Arran and Mull.
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.
Thunderstorms
Bursts of rain, torrential downpours with hail, risk of thunder and lightning. Seek shelter where possible.
Very warm
Warm conditions across the hills, rising above 15C on tops. Increasingly hot on lower terrain, reaching 25C+ in many valleys. Beware of dehydration.
Strong warm sunshine
High UV levels, feeling very warm when ascending, beware of dehydration and sunburn.
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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.
Thunderstorms
Bursts of rain, torrential downpours with hail, risk of thunder and lightning. Seek shelter where possible.
Very warm
Warm conditions across the hills, rising above 15C on tops. Increasingly hot on lower terrain, reaching 25C+ in many valleys. Beware of dehydration.
Strong warm sunshine
High UV levels, feeling very warm when ascending, beware of dehydration and sunburn.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Thursday 25th June 2026
Last updated
Wed 24th Jun 26 at
4:28PM
Summary for all mountain areas
An even hotter day across the mountains; sunny and humid - risk of sunburn and dehydration. Rain soon arrives into Northwest Highlands, thunderstorms afternoon, later stretching east and south. Moderate breezes, lightest early, strengthening into evening, walking becoming strenuous over high tops.
Headline for West Highlands
Very warm, particularly south; rising risk thunderstorms
How windy? (On the Munros)
South to southeasterly between 10 and 20mph; perhaps particularly gusty at times, but also lighter periods too. Trending towards the higher end of the range later, approaching 30mph over high tops into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Generally small, although there may be sudden buffeting at times both on higher areas and some lower slopes. Notably deteriorating evening into nighttime.
How Wet?
Patchy rain, becoming heavy and thundery with time
May be entirely dry through morning, though a risk of some patchy rain primarily coastal areas near and north of Mull. Through afternoon, a rising risk of thunderstorms, (again, primarily northern areas) where extended torrential falls are possible. The south may stay dry until late in the day.
Cloud on the hills?
Banks increasingly on high terrain as rain sets in
Some ragged patches at dawn soon dissipate for largely cloud-free mountains. Where rain occurs, banks of cloud forming on higher slopes, or more extensive to middle/lower slopes in heavier rain/thunderstorms. Southern mountains clear the longest, possibly until late in the day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90%, lowering to 50% north
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun through high level cloud - perhaps more widely sunny with little cloud in southern areas. With time, a tendency for cloud filling in more widely across the sky. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
16C rising to a very warm and humid 19C, to 22C southern islands. Western glens in the lee of high mountains south of Mull may see temperatures rise to 28C or locally higher.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 26th June 2026
Last updated
Wed 24th Jun 26 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
A variable southeasterly 10-20mph, notable gusts around showers, and significantly rising overnight, 35mph+.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small at times but frequent buffeting gusts will affect stability, including to lower slopes, and deteriorating into night.
How Wet?
Thundery showers, clustering afternoon
A scattering of showers, heavy bursts with risk of thunderstorms too. Through afternoon, rising risk of showers clustering together into prolonged thundery downpours.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive and variable
Most slopes shrouded above 700-800m most of the day, lower banks likely early. A few breaks here and there for a time, and perhaps some local clear spots between cloud banks, but then becoming extensive as rain sets in more widely.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Rare glimpses of weak sun. Variable visibility, often poor due to cloud and rain, locally better, becoming hazy far south.
How Cold? (at 900m)
15 to 17C, trending towards 15C widely as rain sets in. Very humid.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Saturday 27th June 2026
Last updated
Wed 24th Jun 26 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly, some uncertainty of peak speed, in range 35mph to possibly 50mph, at least in gusts, most sustained nearer coasts.
Effect of the wind on you?
Expect strenuous walking conditions, more challenging in places with buffeting gusts knocking you off balance.
How Wet?
Bursts of rain, risk thunder
Some uncertainty, but clusters of heavy showery rain likely tracking northeastward, increasing risk with time that more frequent bursts of rain develop widely, sudden downpours, thunder and lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Often covering hills, some low banks
Fairly extensive cloud banks in the morning, to some lower slopes in southern areas. Some rise of base, local breaks mainly toward north Lochaber. In rain, lowering, filling in, low ragged patches.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Brief glimpses of sun, mainly north. Misty many slopes in morning. Visibility improving for a time if dry below cloud, but poor around rain, murky in places.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12 to 14C, small variation all day, then may lower into evening from west. Still rather humid. Feeling cooler directly in wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Exceptionally warm and humid most mountain areas until later Friday; valley temperatures approaching the low-to-middle 30s in England and Wales, with hill temperatures approaching the mid-to-high 20s. Scotland will be slightly cooler, though temperatures will still reach the low 20s on many slopes. A risk of extended torrential thunderstorms on Friday afternoon in northern areas. Thunderstorms may continue in the north on Saturday as well, but progressively less warm as the weekend goes: fronts begin to come in off the Atlantic, bringing a strengthening wind and bands of rain and low cloud, particularly affecting western mountains. Into next week, Atlantic westerlies will dominate with mixed weather.