West Highlands
Western Highlands accessible from, and south of, Glenfinnan (Road to the Isles) and Glen Spean (includes Creag Meagaidh). This area includes Ben Nevis and the mountains around Glencoe. In the east, from Ben Alder south to Loch Lomond and Trossachs NP. Also Arran and Mull.
Monday's Forecast
Severe gale or storm, mobility very difficult
Severe conditions on the mountains, any movement very challenging, you may be blown over. 55-70mph+
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
Hazy, some fog banks
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Distant views reduced by haze, locally foggy for a time in valleys and some hill slopes.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
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Severe gale or storm, mobility very difficult
Severe conditions on the mountains, any movement very challenging, you may be blown over. 55-70mph+
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
Hazy, some fog banks
Distant views reduced by haze, locally foggy for a time in valleys and some hill slopes.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Monday 23rd March 2026
Last updated
Sun 22nd Mar 26 at
4:07PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Wind speed increasing significantly across Scotland, becoming severe-gale force over mountains into afternoon. Rain and briefly some snow on tops moving in from the west. England and Wales dry, with sun through a veil of high cloud, also increasingly windy - upland gales evening into night.
Headline for West Highlands
Gales develop, later severe tops. Rain, lowering cloud moves in.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly, strengthening during day, from 20-30mph early morning, lowest speeds in south, rising to 50-60mph, and during afternoon reaching 70mph Ben Nevis area, later gusts over 80mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Moderate conditions for a few hours from dawn, but deteriorating significantly as gales arrive, making walking increasingly difficult, later becoming severe, especially Lochaber. Powerful gusts develop downslope north of high tops.
How Wet?
Rain developing, becoming persistent afternoon
Dry most or all of the morning, then patchy rain arriving from west, briefly snow falling on high tops. Rain becoming persistent increasingly widely afternoon, heavier with time, soonest west of Loch Linnhe.
Cloud on the hills?
Very little, then lowering over hills
Local patches in morning, but starting to form over higher slopes in the afternoon, then quickly filling in above 800m and lowering as rain develops, to 600m or in places lower on windward southwest coastal slopes.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90%, dropping to 20% later in day.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Weak sun through high cloud, thickening to become overcast. Visibility very good, then poor later in rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2C rising to +2C by late afternoon. As wind increases, chill factor feeling like -12 to -15C in exposure.
Freezing Level
700m plus frost inland glens around dawn. Tending to rise, by late afternoon lifting just above freezing to highest tops. Starting to drop again overnight toward 1000m.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Tuesday 24th March 2026
Last updated
Sun 22nd Mar 26 at
4:07PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West to southwesterly 45 to 60mph, up to 70mph Ben Nevis in morning, but powerful squally gusts all day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult conditions across the mountains, any mobility very challenging on higher terrain in exposure. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Heavy snow and hail showers
Showery, increasingly heavy and frequent, clustering into more constant precipitation in western areas, falling as snow toward lowering elevations, also hail, risk isolated thunder & lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied, but fairly extensive tops
Shrouding higher mountains frequently, cloud base changing rapidly around showers, often capping hills above 700-900m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Brief glimpses of sun develop inland. Visibility very poor at times, appalling in snow and cloud; intermittently good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
+1C at first, lowering to -2C afternoon. Feeling like -15 to -18C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Dropping from northwest to 1000m early in day, 700-800m by noon, 500-600m later.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Last updated
Sun 22nd Mar 26 at
4:07PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northwesterly 35 to 50mph, varying speeds with squally gusts around showers.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging walking conditions, frequent buffeting, often arduous over higher exposed terrain. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Frequent hail and snow
Showery snow and hail falling to lower slopes, frequent to at times near-constant over coastal areas, but extending inland across all the region. Risk of isolated thunder & lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Varying over tops
Cloud base constantly changing, will come and go all day above 900m, frequently capping high tops toward coasts, patches at times to 600m. Briefly clearing tops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of bright sun, mostly morning east from Loch Lomond. Visibility intermittently very good, but appalling at times in showers with brief whiteout over tops.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C, slight rise into afternoon. Wind chill feeling like -17 to -20C on tops.
Freezing Level
400m from dawn, lifting to 600-700m, slightly higher away from showers.
Planning Outlook
Cold, wintry conditions across all mountains into midweek - significant chill factor from gale force west then northwesterly winds. Showery hail and snow falling to increasingly lower elevations in the Highlands on Tuesday, whilst a band of heavy rain moves slowly southward over England & Wales. Hail and snow showers extend southwards into Wednesday, by then below freezing on all tops above 600-700m. Fewer showers by Thursday for many, though further snow then rain moves into western Scotland. Temperature and freezing level then varying as changeable westerlies prevail for Scotland through the weekend into early next week with periods of upland gales widely, accompanied by spells of rain, hill snow and hail showers; some windows of drier weather more often affect England & Wales.