Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 13th August 2026
Last updated
Wed 12th Aug 26 at
4:17PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Exceptionally hot in England and Wales, fire risk remains high. Despite haze and high cloud, beware sunburn and dehydration. Warm too in Scotland. Hill cloud and showery rain affects west Scotland from morning, patches spreading east; rain becomes frequent west Scotland later with heavy bursts.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Rising chance of rain through afternoon; very warm
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly between 15 and 25mph; some variability both above and below this range, and sometimes some notable gusts over high Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly fairly small, but occasional stronger wind over high terrain will begin to impact ease of walking.
How Wet?
Some showers west, risk more widely later
Bursts of rain mostly west of A9. Elsewhere, bursts of rain only rarely, but a rising risk of more frequent showers through afternoon, heavy in the west with a rumble of thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Increasingly forming on high tops
Little cloud on the summits in the morning, some banks passing over the high Cairngorms occasionally, with bases lowering towards 900-1000m during rain. As the day goes, summits becoming persistently capped, varied lower bases, particularly west where reaching towards 700m in heaviest rain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%, lowering to 30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Often sunny with good visibility in the morning; cloud increasingly shrouding the sun, just glimpses in the later afternoon and variable visibility with rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
15C rising slightly, up to 17C eastern Cairngorms.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 14th August 2026
Last updated
Wed 12th Aug 26 at
4:17PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 15-20mph, slight northwesterly shift later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small.
How Wet?
Patchy rain and drizzle; risk thunder east
A band of rain over many mountains in the early hours with local heavy falls soon breaks into patchy light rain, light, some drizzle on high tops. A risk of heavy, thundery bursts in the far east afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Variable, some breaks towards summits
From dawn, may be fairly extensive to middle slopes, or lower around heaviest rain. A lifting trend, breaks approaching the higher Cairngorm plateau, but only brief summit clearings if any, and returning to or below 900m in rain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun. Excellent visibility where out of cloud and rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
13C much of the day, rising slightly around Deeside. Lowering towards 11C later afternoon, further dropping into night.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 15th August 2026
Last updated
Wed 12th Aug 26 at
4:17PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 15-25mph; notable strong gusts in the morning may approach 40mph. Trending towards lighter speeds.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small in places, but strong gusts in the morning will affect stability.
How Wet?
Patchy rain
Patchy rain drifts onto the hills from the north and west much of the day, though dry windows occur too. Little reaches south/eastern Cairngorms, but organized clusters will occasionally reach more broadly.
Cloud on the hills?
Banks over tops, clear windows likely
May start fairly extensive in the west, but soon lifting to banks over the Cairngorm plateau, a chance of summit breaks but cloud will graze the tops during rain. Where rain occurs, a broader sheet of cloud will shroud high terrain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sunshine, trending towards cloudier conditions. Excellent visibility, at times deteriorating in rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7C, rising slightly, up to 9C eastern hills. Just in the morning, feeling near freezing in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Some rain and a fresh northwesterly breeze slips into England and Wales on Friday. Though weekend, high pressure is never far away to the southwest, keeping conditions generally drier and brighter across England and Wales, though a northwesterly flow will bring some cloud to western hills. Scotland is more often cloudy with patchy rain, mostly north and west. Mixed conditions early next week with periods of rain and sunny bursts. High pressure remains present to the southwest of the British Isles, maintaining the possibility of drier brighter days; detail remains uncertain regarding risk of more unsettled weather. Temperatures likely nearer average.