Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Monday'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.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate 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.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 22nd December 2025
Last updated
Sun 21st Dec 25 at
4:30PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Strong and gusty SE'ly winds. Rain fairly widely across the Highlands in the morning, easing but leaving patchy drizzle and low cloud shrouding the hills. Low cloud and some drizzly rain for England and Wales, but some breaks for the Lakes, also clearing conditions moving into south Wales.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Windy, gusty. Rain easing to drizzle, low cloud persists.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southeasterly 30 to 40mph; gusty over the tops and downslope, strongest gusts reach 45mph early in day; lessening into middle of day onward.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly arduous conditions for several hours, sudden and strong gusts will challenge balance. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain and drizzle becoming patchy
Rain widespread from dawn, gradually passing away to the northwest; driest near Moray Firth. Further patches of rain and drizzle follow into Deeside/east Cairngorms.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive, lowest bases in east/south
Extensive low cloud will cover the hills throughout much of the day. Down to mid or some lowest slopes from Drumochter round to Deeside. Highest bases north of Cairngorms and in Monadhliath, some breaks to 800-900m mainly afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10% south/east, to 30% afternoon northwest.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast, some brighter moments develop toward Strathspey into afternoon. Visibility poor due to early rain, or fog over hills, and an increasing haze lower down.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3C, but feeling closer to -10C where exposed to the strongest winds.
Freezing Level
Above the summits
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 23rd December 2025
Last updated
Sun 21st Dec 25 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South to southeasterly, 15 to 25mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, though some uncomfortable gusty areas around tops and some corries.
How Wet?
Patchy light rain
Patches of light rain here and there, risk more frequent in the far east. Some mountains may stay substantially dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Shrouding the tops, lowest bases south
Shrouding the high Cairngorms most of the day, cloud most extensive to mid slopes Drumochter to Deeside; some fog into glens. Some higher breaks toward north of Cairngorm plateau and over Monadhliath.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Some glimpses of weak sun north of the Cairngorm plateau. Visibility limited by rain and haze, mistier southern hills.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2C, little change with added height.
Freezing Level
Near or just above freezing point on some slopes above 1000m, mainly eastern areas.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 24th December 2025
Last updated
Sun 21st Dec 25 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South-southeasterly 10-20mph, may be gusty in exposure.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small
How Wet?
Most hills dry
Some odd spots of rain may drift into Deeside/east Cairngorms, other hills dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive east, well-broken west
Cloud often covering the slopes of Deeside/east Cairngorms from 700m up. The cloud more patchy and higher further west, may only intermittently cap the high tops around/west of Strathspey.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sun increasingly prevalent west, little in the east. Good visibility though a haze.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or +1C, may cool slightly.
Freezing Level
1000-1100m, some frosts in sheltered glens/corries.
Planning Outlook
Cloud and patchy rain lingers early this week, then a slow change to drier and chiller weather into the Christmas period as high pressure builds to the north. Easterly winds will be dominant, the strongest winds in England and Wales. Cloud may be fairly sheet-like in the east sometimes, though variably more extensive or broken, best northwest. The coldest air will reach England and Wales on the easterly wind with freezing levels reaching as low as 400-600m in Wales, staying slightly warmer in northern Scotland with some inversion conditions likely over higher terrain; frost into glens.