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.
Saturday'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.
Heavy snow and hail showers, isolated lightning
Showery precipitation, often heavy, may merge to become constant for periods. A mix of snow and hail often falling to lower slopes. Risk of very localised thunder and lightning.
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.
Heavy snow and hail showers, isolated lightning
Showery precipitation, often heavy, may merge to become constant for periods. A mix of snow and hail often falling to lower slopes. Risk of very localised thunder and lightning.
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
Saturday 11th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 10th Apr 26 at
4:30PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Windy with significant chill factor. Gales develop and strengthen with time England & Wales. At first, a band of persistent snowfall across the hills, rain lower slopes, soon moving away eastwards, leaving clearer conditions and scattered showers, but becoming locally heavy with hail and chance of thunder.
Headline for West Highlands
Upland gales, briefly ease, stronger later. Hail showers form.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 40-50mph around dawn, then 30-40mph, quite variable for a few hours, but then strengthening again afternoon, soonest coastal areas toward Arran, 45-55mph, reaching 60mph into evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous walking with significant wind chill most of day, later speeds challenging forward mobility over mountains along the coast, widely by evening.
How Wet?
Hail and snow showers develop
Overnight hill snow clears eastward by dawn, a fresh covering on the hills. Then often dry for a few hours, but scattered hail and snow showers form, locally heavy in afternoon with chance of isolated thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly early, improving to many clear tops
Most Munros shrouded at dawn from at least 800m and up, lower bases on southern slopes, soon beginning to lift and break from the west coast and gradually more widely. Cloud returns to summits above 1000-1100m in showers, breaks to tops at times.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20% rising to 60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of sunshine. Very good visibility but suddenly very poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2C rising to 0 or +1C afternoon. Feeling like -15C in direct wind, then colder later as speeds increase.
Freezing Level
Variable, around 600-700m, locally to some lower slopes at first; tending to rise, toward 900m, but lowering in showers.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Sunday 12th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 10th Apr 26 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South then southwesterly, 45 to 60mph, stronger gusts in showers. Tending to lessen gradually afternoon-evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult walking conditions, powerful squally gusts could knock you over on exposed terrain. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Frequent heavy showers, hail, snow
Showery all day, but clustering into more frequent to near-constant precipitation for periods across the region; heavy bursts with hail, snow at times falling toward 600m, risk of isolated thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Varying, but fairly extensive
Frequently covering higher terrain above 800 to 1000m, some patches to 600m or lower in showers, but brief breaks to upper slopes. Better breaks typically inland north/east of Ben Nevis group.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Brief moments of bright sunshine. Visibility changing suddenly from occasionally very good to appalling at times in snow/hail and cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or -1C rising to +1 or 2C. Wind chill feeling like -15C, risk nearer -20C highest summits early in day.
Freezing Level
800-900m from dawn, rising to 1000-1100m, then lowering again from dusk; briefly dropping also in showers.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Monday 13th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 10th Apr 26 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly, later southeasterly, 20 to 25mph, may drop slightly lower in afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but blustery in places where exposed on high tops, giving considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Hail showers forming increasingly
Showers mostly coastal areas early morning, then a scattering forming inland middle of day onward, widespread by late afternoon, briefly heavy with hail, also snow may fall to 600m. Risk isolated thunder & lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied in showers
Patches of cloud in the morning, mostly southern areas, lifting above many tops. Then occasional banks forming over hills during and after showers. Island tops more often covered above 700m in morning.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% coasts, to 50% inland.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine best inland in morning, then brief bursts of sun between showers. Visibility excellent, but briefly very poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C rising to +1 or 2C. Wind chill feeling like -6C to near -10C at first on tops.
Freezing Level
800m at first, also frost in some sheltered inland glens; rising 1000-1100m into middle of day and afternoon.
Planning Outlook
Chilly and showery conditions to start the new week, hail and a risk of isolated thunder into Monday afternoon, but less windy than the weekend. Drier for much of Tuesday, but rain and strengthening south-southwesterly winds likely return from the west later. Milder into mid-late next week, but Scottish high tops above 1200m close to freezing at times. Showers or more persistent rain mostly in the west, accompanied by strong winds Wednesday-Thursday. Higher pressure builds toward next weekend, bringing drier conditions overall; some chilly nights but fairly mild spring days.