Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Wednesday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 11th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 10th Mar 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold strong westerly winds, gales over Scottish mountains and more widely early in day, significant chill factor over mountains. Showery snow and hail most frequent W & NW Highlands, more scattered elsewhere. Cloud base varying, occasional sun.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Upland gales, strongest in morning. Local snow & hail showers.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 60-70mph post dawn; dropping to 40-50mph middle of day, strongest north Cairngorms. Increasing again into night, reaching 80mph, stronger gusts.
Effect of the wind on you?
Expect significant or severe wind chill and walking to be very difficult across the hills, any mobility challenging at first. Deteriorating to stormy conditions again into night.
How Wet?
Hail and snow showers
Showers of hail and above 600m snow. Overall very few (and brief) reaching or east of Braemar, whilst most frequent west of A9 in morning. Risk whiteout. Into night, more persistent rain, snow becoming confined to higher tops.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensively covering higher areas.
In precipitation, cloud forming below 500 to 700m (generally lowest morning west of A9). Otherwise, by midday (as average cloud base tends to rise) between 800 and 1100m, highest eastern Cairngorms NP.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of sunshine, particularly lower slopes toward eastern Cairngorms NP. Poor visibility in snow; otherwise slight haze, but frequently very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C during day, then up to +1 or 2C into night. Will feel like -15C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
750m, then rising after dark, briefly toward 1000-1100m into night.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 12th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 10th Mar 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 50 to 70mph, gusts over 80mph on higher Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult conditions, mobility challenging over exposed terrain from mid-elevations upward. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Early rain, then showery snow and hail
Heavy rain to upper slopes from before dawn finishing as snow as low as 700m. Then showers, most frequent toward Drumochter and southwestern Cairngorms, of snow above 600m, also hail.
Cloud on the hills?
Most persistent southwest
Banks of cloud often covering higher Cairngorms, more extensive with patches to 600-700m Ben Alder to Glen Garry. Some breaks to upper slopes to northeast.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun breaking through mostly north of Cairngorms where visibility very good where dry. Poor in rain and cloud, especially southwest.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0C or 1C early morning, lowering, to -2C by evening, further lowering overnight. Wind chill feeling like -15 to -18C.
Freezing Level
1100m or above up to dawn, lowering to 800m in the morning, later in day nearer 600m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 13th March 2026
Last updated
Tue 10th Mar 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly, risk 60mph at dawn, then shifting westerly 35 to 45mph, squally gusts around showers.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging walking conditions over the mountains, considerable buffeting and severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Hail and snow showers
Showers with hail most frequent near and west of the A9, locally may cluster together for an hour or more; also snow falling toward lower elevations in morning, then mostly rain below 400m.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly higher tops, clearer east
Often capping western areas toward Ben Alder above 800-1000m, some breaks higher up. Patchy cloud likely to come and go above 1000m elsewhere, briefly lower in showers, but frequently above tops east.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of sun west, or more frequent bright sun toward Deeside. Visibility often excellent eastern areas, but further west at times very poor in snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C, lifting slightly, -1C by afternoon. Feeling like -15 to -18C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
Near freezing from lower slopes up at first, becoming typically 600-700m by early afternoon.
Planning Outlook
Generally unsettled onward into the upcoming weekend and start of next week as low pressure systems pass near and north of Britain - strong west or southwesterly winds prevail, often gale-force to at times storm-force over the mountains. Some fluctuation of temperature and freezing level, but mostly below freezing over Scottish mountains, at times snow falling to lower elevations. Colder for all by the end of this week with widely lowering freezing level by Friday. Frequent precipitation most western mountains, accumulations of snow across the mountains, most substantial in western Scotland from Glencoe northwards. Quieter weather patterns indicated beyond mid-month as higher pressure builds.