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.
Friday'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.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
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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.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 6th February 2026
Last updated
Thu 5th Feb 26 at
12:25PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Widely very poor conditions on the hills: upland gales, and persistent fog and rain, or on higher areas (widely Scottish Highlands) snow. But western Scotland, mainly westernmost slopes, often dry with higher cloud base (sometimes clearing). Wales: some improvement from south during day.
Headline for West Highlands
Upland gales; snow flurries. Fog.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Easterly 40 to locally 55mph, powerful gusts around higher mountains and particularly downslope (west) of major ridges and summits.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult mobility, particularly on high terrain, buffeting gusts knocking you off balance or over even on some lower slopes. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Snow mostly central Highlands
Snow to the east will spill over to the central highlands, but often only flurries. Elsewhere, just the odd flurry, but substantially dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Blanket of fog most mountains - breaking up toward west coast
Persistent cloud base 500 to 700m central highlands. Westward, cloud base rising to 800-1000m may sometimes or rarely clear summits toward the coast (including near Loch Linnhe).
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely dull and on eastern hills hazy (appalling visibility in snow). On western hills, particularly near the coast, sunshine, locally extensive and excellent visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-4C north and east, to -2C, locally 0C toward west coast. Will feel as cold as -15 to -20C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
450m tending to rise toward 600m, but locally as high as 900m near west coast.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Saturday 7th February 2026
Last updated
Thu 5th Feb 26 at
12:25PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Easterly 25 to 35mph at first, tending to lower to 15 to 25mph and veer into south-east.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking fairly arduous at first with significant wind chill and buffeting, but tending to ease down from the south.
How Wet?
Patchy precipitation petering out
A few snow flurries from dawn, rain below 500m, perhaps fairly constant Ben Alder down to Loch Lomond NP. Likely to fizzle out during afternoon. Very little if any west coast.
Cloud on the hills?
Covering upper terrain, clearer west coast.
Be prepared for extensive coverage across higher terrain above 800-1000m, more like 600m central Highlands. Best breaks in cloud, and chance of clear tops, hills west of Loch Linnhe.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy sun toward west coast in an otherwise overcast atmosphere. Hazy, best visibility west coast, poor in any rain and snow flurries.
How Cold? (at 900m)
Around -1C.
Freezing Level
Poorly defined: 600 to 900m, but locally 1100m westernmost summits: generally only slow temperature drop with height.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Sunday 8th February 2026
Last updated
Thu 5th Feb 26 at
12:25PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Between southeast and south typically 15 to 25mph, although possibly below 15mph near the coast.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small
How Wet?
Little or no precipitation
Rain, or above 600 to 900m snow here and there, mostly amounting to very little.
Cloud on the hills?
Most mountains persistently covered. May clear some western hills.
Persistent fog most of region, but by afternoon perhaps breaks to 600m and here and there higher slopes briefly clearing or between cloud layers. Again on westernmost areas, cloud may sometimes or fleetingly clear, revealing higher slopes or summits.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sunshine here and there - possibly bright sun for an hour or two near coast. Widely misty or murky, possibly very good visibility westernmost hills.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or 1C
Freezing Level
800 to 1050m. although terrain down to lower slopes (except close to west coast) mostly frozen.
Planning Outlook
Overall little change in conditions over the coming week: the mountains extensively foggy, precipitation from time to time (although lower total rainfall in eastern Scotland and Wales than recently) and often strong southeast or easterly wind. However, a slight rise in temperature will result in thawing of lying snow from southern Scotland southwards and some thawing up to around 900, sometimes 1050m Scottish Highlands - although the chance of the return of low freezing level toward the middle of next week.