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
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
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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.
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.
Warm
Comfortable temperatures on the hills, 10 to 15C on tops, feeling pleasantly warm especially on lower ground. Beware of feeling cooler if exposed to wind on higher terrain.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 26th August 2026
Last updated
Tue 25th Aug 26 at
4:29PM
Summary for all mountain areas
East Scotland, the Pennines, and Wales start cloudy, this lifting, dissipating over much of Scotland. Early showery rain and cloud in Wales migrates to England and southwest Scotland, thundery showers following over Wales and England; driest/clearest northwest Scotland. Warm, humid, and breezy.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Early cloud east, may largely clear; breezy
How windy? (On the Munros)
East-southeasterly 20 to 30mph, local stronger gusts in places around higher mountains, approaching 35mph or stronger in the early morning.
Effect of the wind on you?
Generally breezy, local gusts may suddenly affect balance on high tops and locally downslope west of Cairngorms, and walking perhaps more widely strenuous around dawn.
How Wet?
Little or no rain
Patchy drizzle some eastern slopes where in cloud. Odd spots from high cloud elsewhere, and trending towards entirely dry conditions.
Cloud on the hills?
Most extensive south and east, mostly clearing
Cloud fairly extensive south and eastern Cairngorms NP above 600-800m, rolling across higher slopes toward north and west; patchier toward Monadhliath. Cloud lifts and may dissipate entirely for several hours, banks just clinging to tops east of Ben Macdui. Returning from the east late in the day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% Cairngorms, to 60% northwest, rising to 70% widely
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun mostly near Strathspey, perhaps more widely sunny for several afternoon hours but with a thin veil of high cloud, which may thicken from the south. Visibility good, some haze building east and south.
How Cold? (at 900m)
9C, rising to 13 or 14C, or warmer where out of cloud towards Strathspey. Feeling like 5C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 27th August 2026
Last updated
Tue 25th Aug 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Generally easterly, some variability, 20-30mph early with strong gusts, easing towards 15-20mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking in exposure early with buffeting, easing to fairly small effects.
How Wet?
Some patchy rain
Patchy rain drifts from the east from time-to-time, areas near and west of Strathspey seeing only rare spots. May trend towards more frequent patches with heavier falls later, setting in overnight.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive
Low cloud shrouds most hills from dawn, rolling over the high Cairngorms (highest west summits perhaps out of cloud). Lifting to shroud high terrain, above Monadhliath summits. Cairngorms remain in cloud, lowest Deeside where unlikely above 800m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun breaks towards Strathspey/Monadhliath, where visibility becomes very good. Cloudier east, poor visibility on high terrain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
10 or 11C rising to 14C; staying a degree cooler eastern Cairngorms, and feeling humid.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 28th August 2026
Last updated
Tue 25th Aug 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northeasterly trending northerly, 10-20mph, strongest east, and later strengthening, gusts to 30mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small, but becoming quite blustery over high eastern terrain with some buffeting gusts.
How Wet?
Persistent rain
Rain rarely ceases, particularly northern Cairngorms, several moments of heavy falls with a risk of some local thundery bursts forming. Some streams in spate, risk of localised flooding.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive
Hills shrouded from at least middle slopes upward most of the day, persistent to low slopes northern Cairngorms where forming into glens/corries in rain. Slight rise, highest towards Braemar, but unlikely much above 600-700m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast and dull. Poor visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
12 or 13C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Heavy, thundery rain likely affects England, Wales & southern Scotland on Thursday and Friday, potentially prolonged heavy falls bringing a risk of local flooding. A westerly wind will establish into the weekend, drawing cloud and drizzle onto western high terrain, several frontal systems sweeping more broadly across the country. The strongest wind and heavy rain may pass mostly across England and Wales, with the lightest rain in west Scotland. Best chance of cloud base rising towards higher terrain in western areas, perhaps briefly to higher summits, but the hills more often shrouded, patches to low slopes around heaviest rain. A west-southwesterly weather track prevails next week: cloud and drizzle on western hill groups (particularly west Scotland), breezy, areas of rain regularly spreading more widely.