The Northwest Highlands
Areas north from Knoydart in the west, and the Great Glen towards the east (NB. Does not include Mull and areas west of Loch Linnhe, these are found in the West Highlands forecast.)
Today'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.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
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.
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.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
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
The Northwest Highlands
Wednesday 8th July 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Jul 26 at
4:29PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Damp with blanket low cloud in W-NW Scotland, gusty locally. Highest Scottish tops may emerge above the cloud. Drizzle on western slopes easing, cloud thinning and breaking for central and southwest Scotland, sunnier and warmer overall in east. Very warm to hot sunshine for England & Wales.
Headline for The Northwest Highlands
Gusty wind. Low cloud and drizzly west, better east.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 20 to 35mph, varying, typically strongest far north in morning, more widely along west coast later, lower speeds more often near Great Glen to Ben Wyvis.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery in places especially coastal hills, more widely northern areas early morning, at times buffeting gusts affecting ease of walking and balance on ridges.
How Wet?
Drizzly west coast, fading
Western mountains often drizzly and damp, steadier drizzle in the morning, becoming patchier and fading out afternoon. Further east more often dry all day. Still wet underfoot with high streams, slippery rocks where in mist.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive low cloud west, breaks east mainly afternoon
Shrouding western hills much of day, to lower slopes near coast in morning, some rise of base with time, but rarely above 600-700m west. Highest tops above 1000-1100m near top of cloud sheet, may poke out above at times. Breaks form on eastern hills near Ben Wyvis, particularly afternoon as cloud thins more readily in east.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20% west, 50% furthest east afternoon.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloudy and misty western hills, some glimpses of sun inland and further east, best in afternoon; visibility good in east below cloud; may improve a little in west later in day.
How Cold? (at 900m)
10C rising to 13C out of cloud, local 15C Ben Wyvis. Feeling like 0 to 5C where exposed to stronger wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
Thursday 9th July 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Jul 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 25 to 35mph, gusty around high tops, strongest for mountains along the west coast, in places 40mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Affecting comfortable walking and balance over higher terrain, some buffeting gusts at times including in passes and downslope.
How Wet?
A little drizzle west
Patchy drizzle in west, more frequent for periods over coastal mountains on and near Skye. Rare drizzle and largely dry further inland and particularly eastern hills.
Cloud on the hills?
Covering most hills, very low west
Blanket fog across hills from lower elevations upward near west coast. Chance of tops above 1000m near top of cloud for a time in morning but most summits likely foggy. Base lifts to 600-800m inland, some breaks east.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely cloudy, poor visibility, misty over hills, chance of glimpses of sun out of cloud banks on highest tops. Lower down visibility better inland and east.
How Cold? (at 900m)
11C up to 14C if not in cloud on high terrain. Feeling like 3 to 6C if directly in wind on tops.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
The Northwest Highlands
Friday 10th July 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Jul 26 at
4:29PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 15 to 25mph, strongest in north toward Ben Hope, may drop below 10mph near Kintail.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but feeling breezy and rather chilly on exposed high terrain, especially northern mountains.
How Wet?
Risk of occasional rain
Patchy drizzle around Skye and nearby coast. Some spots of rain possible from high cloud, chance of steadier rain falling for a time, very locally a burst of rain, but may become more widely dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Some low cloud, possibly clearing
Varied extent of cloud, may shroud some areas from lower elevations upward for periods. Further northwest may largely disperse, to leave cloud above the mountains, may improve more widely.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun mostly weak through a veil of high cloud. Some misty areas, but visibility may improve to be widely very good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7 to 10C, coolest on mountains near and north of Ullapool.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Increasingly warm for Scotland, hot for England and Wales this week. Southwesterly winds easing for much of Scotland but remnants of fronts bring further low cloud and drizzle to the west late this week. Locally a chance of thundery downpours in eastern Highlands later Friday, some of which may linger into Saturday but likely fading. A generally fine summertime outlook through the weekend and well into next week as high pressure expands northwards to broadly reside across Britain. Warm but generally pleasant summer temperatures next week. Sunshine and fair-weather cloud, many hills often clear. Easterly breezes for England and Wales.