Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Sunday'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.
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.
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
Sunday 22nd March 2026
Last updated
Sat 21st Mar 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
A band of patchy rain and low cloud moves southeastwards, improving with rising cloud bases across the Highlands, but brisk winds and below freezing on higher terrain - snow showers mostly in northwest. England & Wales start with low-level fog, hazy sun then cloud lowering, a little rain develops.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
A little early rain, cloud on tops, clearing. Chilly and windy.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwest at first soon westerly, 25 to 35mph, or 40mph around dawn, stronger gusts for a time around rain.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery, affecting comfortable walking and balance at times on exposed high terrain. Considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
A little rain west, then rare snow flurries
Patchy rain in morning, mostly near/west of the A9, briefly showery moments mixed in, finishing as snow flurries on higher areas. Very little reaching Deeside. Local snow showers later mainly Monadhliath.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly higher areas morning, lifting and breaking to tops
Covering higher areas above 900-1000m for a few hours, locally 800m near Drumochter. During morning will lift and break from northwest, clearing toward higher slopes, brief patches on tops mostly toward west.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% early morning, rising to 80% by middle of day onward.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Fairly cloudy for a few hours, brighter eastwards, then improving to sunny spells from north by middle of day onward. Visibility mostly good, briefly reduced in early rain; increasingly very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
+2 or 3C in morning, dropping during day from northwest, later to -1C. Feeling like -8 to -12C directly in wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits at first, but lowering during morning, to 1000m before noon north & west, 800m widely later in day, then 600m after dark.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 23rd March 2026
Last updated
Sat 21st Mar 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West soon southwesterly, 25mph morning, risk 35mph north at dawn. Then increasing rapidly to 50-70mph afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery at first, a relative lull for a few hours, but then rapidly deteriorating, walking increasingly difficult.
How Wet?
Rain later west
During afternoon toward / west of A9, patchy rain arriving, then becoming more persistent from west from dusk onward, briefly snow may fall on tops.
Cloud on the hills?
Little if any until late
Later afternoon as rain develops, cloud starting to form over higher tops near Drumochter.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90%, later afternoon 60%.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Early sun weakening as high cloud thickens, becoming overcast. Visibility excellent, later a little hazier.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2C rising to +2C by late afternoon. As wind increases, chill factor later feeling like -12 to -15C in exposure.
Freezing Level
700m plus frost in glens around dawn. Tending to rise, by late afternoon likely lifting just above freezing to highest tops.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 24th March 2026
Last updated
Sat 21st Mar 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West to southwesterly 50 to 70mph, peak speeds likely in morning, but powerful squally gusts all day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult conditions across the mountains, any mobility very challenging on higher terrain in exposure. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain then snow and hail showers
Rain from dawn into early morning, mostly western areas, finishing as snow on high terrain. Then a scattering of showers, some heavy later, falling as snow toward lowering elevations, also hail.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied over tops
Covering higher terrain fairly widely in morning above 800-1000m, lower for a time in west. Base rising, then varying mostly above 900m middle of day onward.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Brief glimpses of sun develop. Visibility very poor at times, appalling in snow and cloud; intermittently good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
+2C at first, lowering to -2C afternoon. Feeling like -15 to -18C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above summits prior to dawn, then dropping from northwest, to 800m during morning, 500-600m later.
Planning Outlook
A fine start to the week for many places, but strengthening winds and a spell of heavy rain arriving from the northwest during Monday advances southwards into Tuesday. Cold, wintry conditions follow across the mountains into midweek, falling sub-zero across all hills of Britain above 600-700m later Tuesday into Wednesday. Significant chill factor from gale force west then northwesterly winds. Showery hail and snow falling toward lower elevations. High pressure to the southwest then likely rebuilds to settle things again toward next weekend and temperatures will tend to recover. A mixed west to southwesterly flow likely continues to bring more changeable conditions to west and northwest Scotland.