Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Saturday'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.
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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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.
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
Saturday 27th June 2026
Last updated
Fri 26th Jun 26 at
4:29PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Widely windy, afternoon gales across Scotland, possibly Lakeland and Snowdonia too. In Scotland, drizzle gives way to showery rain, setting in late in the day over western hills. Patchy rain England and Wales with dry windows and warm sunny moments, but a rising risk of showery bursts through afternoon, locally heavy.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Some early drizzle; afternoon gales and showery rain, risk thunder
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 25-30mph, strengthening to peak speeds in range 40mph to possibly 50mph afternoon, with stronger gusts likely over high tops for a period.
Effect of the wind on you?
Expect strenuous walking conditions in exposure from dawn, increasingly challenging in places with buffeting gusts knocking you off balance. Feeling chilly.
How Wet?
Bursts of rain develop, risk thunder
A drier window through morning, some drizzle around high hills in cloud, but with time increasing risk of showery downpours developing from southwest, risk of local thunder, and perhaps some more persistent falls forming west Cairngorms and Monadhliath late in the day.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied, briefly well-broken, more extensive around rain afternoon
Varied to fairly extensive cloud banks in the morning, to some lower slopes in south. Rising with breaks forming, perhaps above 900m for several hours with clear north slopes, but then filling in again around rain, ragged patches at varied heights from low levels up.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional glimpses of sun, more often sunny north slopes until later in the day. Some mistiness in morning. Visibility good for periods where dry (notably north), but poor around rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12 or 13C to starting, rising slightly, up to 16C north of the Cairngorm plateau. Still rather humid. Feeling like 5C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 28th June 2026
Last updated
Fri 26th Jun 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 20-30mph, trending towards higher speeds, gusting 35-40mph over high tops into evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Ease of walking impacted, increasingly strenuous through afternoon and feeling cool.
How Wet?
Morning rain mostly clears afternoon
Several bands of rain drift west-to-east through morning, brief heavy falls and dry windows. By afternoon, likely just patchy rain from near Drumochter to Braemar, often dry, though risk a cluster of late showers.
Cloud on the hills?
Bases rise afternoon, increasingly broken
Likely shrouding high terrain through morning, variable bases from 700-900m in and out of rain. Through afternoon, rising with high breaks increasingly, and later just passing banks over high summits.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A few glimpses of morning sunshine, then a patchwork of cloud and sun afternoon. Visibility becomes excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8 to 11C, mildest northeast Cairngorms in the morning, slight cooling trend afternoon. Feeling near freezing in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 29th June 2026
Last updated
Fri 26th Jun 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 30-40mph at dawn, quite gusty over Cairngorm plateau. Easing to finish near 15-25mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking arduous over high tops in the morning with significant wind chill and buffeting; easing to fairly small effects.
How Wet?
Scattered patchy rain, often dry
Patchy rain affecting south and western slopes at dawn, soon becoming well scattered and mostly isolating towards Drumochter; any rain further east amounting to little.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive towards A9, improving
High terrain shrouded, lowest bases towards Drumochter where as low as 500-600m. East Cairngorms, particularly north of Ben Avon, may start (and stay) substantially clear. A lifting trend, breaks off summits to the east; banks lingering around 800-900m west hills.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 60% east
Sunshine and air clarity?
A patchwork of cloud and sun, most extensive sun far east hills. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6 or 7C, rising to 10C, a degree warmer easternmost hills. Feeling like -2 to -5C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Cooler on Sunday as the weather pattern returns to an Atlantic influence. Bands of rain sweep eastward early Sunday, followed by fresher, sunnier weather with some patchy showers in the north and west. This westerly Atlantic pattern dominates next week: high pressure south and low pressure north will bring alternating periods of rain punctuated by bright sunshine. Wind generally on the strong side with mild to sometimes warm temperatures, though cooler and windier spells at times produce significant wind chill on Scottish tops. Day-to-day detail currently uncertain, but western hill groups from Lakeland northward will see the most cloud and patchy rain, while east and southern areas likely drier and sunnier. This pattern is indicated to continue into the following weekend.