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.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
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.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
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
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
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 Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Very warm sun, some high cloud; risk late thunderstorms
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly between 10 and 20mph; perhaps particularly gusty at times. Notably strengthening late in the day over the high tops and particularly east, sustained speeds approaching 35mph.
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?
Rising risk of thunderstorms through afternoon
Substantially dry through morning, a few odd showers in the west possible. A risk of thunderstorms rises through afternoon, which could become frequent with extended torrential falls in the west late in the day, and more widely overnight.
Cloud on the hills?
Mountains substantially cloud free; patches forming near rain
Some early well-scattered ragged low cloud at dawn soon dissipates for cloud-free mountains well into the day. As showers/thunderstorms form, cloud banks begin to form on higher terrain, increasingly lowering as rain continues to fall.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun through high level cloud, which may at times clear for very strong sunshine. Very good visibility although a light haze towards Deeside.
How Cold? (at 900m)
A very warm 17 to 20C, warmest towards Strathspey where glens may approach 27 or 28C; humid.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 26th June 2026
Last updated
Wed 24th Jun 26 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Generally east-northeasterly 10-20mph, variable and often gusty around showers. Trending southeasterly later.
Effect of the wind on you?
May be often fairly small, but notable buffeting gusts around showers.
How Wet?
Thundery showers, risk prolonged later
A scattering of showers, heavy bursts with risk of thunderstorms too. Through afternoon, rising risk of showers clustering together into prolonged thundery downpours, greatest risk central highlands.
Cloud on the hills?
High terrain largely shrouded; deteriorating
High tops stay in cloud most or all day, varied lower banks, notably north in the morning. Clear windows in between layers, but also more extensive around rain. Through afternoon, increasingly extensive widely as rain sets in.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40% lowering to 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sun through high cloud, later more overcast. Good visibility, deteriorating as rain sets in.
How Cold? (at 900m)
15 to 17C, or warmer for a time near and north of Ben Avon. Humid.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
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 high Cairngorms.
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 develop, risk thunder
High uncertainty of detail - possibly a few hours in the morning largely dry, but with time increasing risk of sudden downpours widely developing from southwest, thunder and lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied, extensive around rain
Varied to fairly extensive cloud banks in the morning, to some lower slopes in south. Some breaks forming, but then filling in again around rain, ragged patches at varied heights from low levels up.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional glimpses of sun. Some mistiness in morning. Visibility good for periods where dry, but poor around rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
13 to 15C, small variation all day, warmest northern areas. 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.