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.)
The Northwest Highlands
Monday 31st August 2026
Last updated
Sun 30th Aug 26 at
4:31PM
Showers scattered across most hills through morning, locally clustering for frequent falls with heavy bursts. Showers gradually clear eastward, spotty light rain fades out with time as sunny bursts break out (though weakened by high cloud). Cool-to-mild, but feeling chilly in a strengthening wind.
Early showers fade, sun breaking out; becoming blustery
Starting generally southerly but variable, 10-15mph, orienting westerly and strengthening, to 25-30mph, briefly stronger over highest summits.
Fairly small to start, but increasingly blustery affecting ease of walking in exposure, and briefly more strenuous with marked wind chill.
Morning showers, trending drier
Showery rain through morning, some drier moments, but some heavier bursts too. Tending to fade afternoon to just spotty light rain west with extended dry windows.
Lowest morning, often covering west tops
Fairly widespread to low elevations early in the day. Bases rise, approaching 600-800m in the west, and increasingly breaking up, to clear summits to the east. Western summits will see a few clear windows later, but with summit caps regularly returning.
30%, rising to 60% eastern summits
Largely cloudy to start, glimpses of sun increasingly breaking out, more frequent sun near west coast late in day, though some high cloud will move in from the west. Visibility very good away from showers and cloud.
8C tending to lower during day to 6C. Feeling near then just below freezing as wind increases.
Above the summits.
The Northwest Highlands
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Last updated
Sun 30th Aug 26 at
4:31PM
West-southwesterly 40-50mph for several morning hours, risk stronger gusts, particularly north; later lessening slightly.
Arduous walking conditions, buffeting affecting balance in exposure and locally more difficult. Considerable wind chill.
Early rain then showers
A few hours of persistent rain from around dawn, breaking up into showers, these briefly heavy but becoming scattered.
Western tops mostly covered
Covering hills fairly widely above 600-800m at first. Bases rising, some breaks forming, best in the east; often capping west coast tops above 800-900m.
Rising to 40%
Sun increasingly breaking through, best eastern areas. Visibility fairly good, though some haze around Skye.
4 to 6C, coolest toward far northwest. Feeling like -5C in the wind, or colder if speeds rise.
Above the summits.
The Northwest Highlands
Wednesday 2nd September 2026
Last updated
Sun 30th Aug 26 at
4:31PM
Generally southerly, some variability, 15-20mph, later strengthening and shifting southwesterly, to above 30mph into night.
Fairly small during daylight, deteriorating into night.
Mostly little until later
Some patchy rain around southern hill groups, dry windows, and perhaps substantially dry further north. Later in the day, rising chance of patches forming more widely.
Mostly southern high terrain
Cloud banks at varied heights, mostly south and east hills, will tend to lift and break up, though clinging to high southern terrain. Little expected north of Ullapool, though caps tending to increase over high terrain later.
40% south to 70% north
Patchy sun in the north, locally more sunny, but trending cloudier. Excellent visibility out of cloud.
Starting 3 or 4C north, rising towards 7C; warmer south, rising locally to 9C.
Above the summits.
A generally unsettled outlook during the first two weeks of September with frequent rain and strong winds. Low pressure dominates and a series of frontal systems move in from the Atlantic. West to southwesterlies, often gale force over the mountains in the second half of this coming week. Heavy rain most prolonged in the west where increasingly wet underfoot, streams rising to be in spate. Low cloud often covering the hills, rarely clearing western summits. Temperatures varying, some notably cooler days for Scotland, at times more humid air mainly toward the south. A few brighter windows will break out, mostly south and eastern areas, but always brief and any detail on timing remains uncertain.