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.
Thursday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
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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.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Thursday 7th May 2026
Last updated
Wed 6th May 26 at
4:26PM
Summary for all mountain areas
South to southwesterly winds giving considerable chill factor over high terrain, up to gale-force over coastal northwest Highlands. Areas of showery rain, most widespread into the afternoon when some clusters of heavier rain forming. Rain generally becomes more persistent toward northwest Scotland.
Headline for West Highlands
Windy, up to gales tops, mainly northwest. Local bursts of rain.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 25 to 30mph, local stronger gusts early; trending southwesterly, sustained speeds rising to 35-40mph Lochaber to coastal summits near Mull, gusts toward 50mph particularly afternoon; less rise near Loch Lomond.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking impeded in exposure, conditions increasingly strenuous along the coast and highest tops inland Lochaber with buffeting gusts; significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Showery rain, persistent later west
Local light showers from dawn, falling as snow flurries from 1100m up. Showers then forming mostly inland during morning, odd brief heavier ones, but moving away eastward to become drier for a few hours into afternoon, leaving well-scattered showers. Showery rain near coast tends to move inland later in day.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied early, rising, but variable around showers
Banks of cloud above 600-700m near south coastal areas, nearer 800m and up well-inland but fairly extensive at dawn. Lifting to largely above 800m, some higher breaks, but lower again where showers return and more widely later west of Loch Linnhe.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%, to 60% well inland afternoon.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly cloudy, a few glimpses of sun. Mixed visibility, often excellent but poor during rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or +1C lifting to 4 or 5C. Falling to 0C again onward during night. Feeling like -5C in direct wind during daytime.
Freezing Level
1000m, chance of slight frost inland Lochaber glens at dawn. Lifting to 1200-1300m. Then dropping overnight to 900m.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 8th May 2026
Last updated
Wed 6th May 26 at
4:26PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 20-30mph, shifting westerly and easing with time, to 10-15mph south, staying near 20mph north.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking inconvenienced, locally strenuous in the morning with wind chill, an easing trend with time to fairly small effects.
How Wet?
Showers tend to fade
Frequent showery rain, snow on higher tops above 1000m through morning tending to ease with time as showers move away inland and eastwards, though a few may remain, mostly brief and light.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive early, lifting with some breaks
Fairly extensive from 600m up in the morning, perhaps lower in the south. A lifting trend, particularly near/west of Loch Linnhe, breaks to summits here but caps over highest and coastal summits. Southern Munros slower to clear, ragged lower patches around rain.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20% rising to 60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchy cloud and sun, more often cloudy south. Variable visibility, poor in rain but very good during drier spells.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2 or 3C, rising to 5C well-inland; little change Mull and north, later +1C here. Feeling as cold as -8C in early wind.
Freezing Level
Around 1200m or above, lowest Lochaber, and above summits south of Glen Coe.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Saturday 9th May 2026
Last updated
Wed 6th May 26 at
4:26PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 15 to 20mph, perhaps often less well inland and toward Loch Lomond.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small.
How Wet?
Rare showers
One or two brief light showers, mostly well inland by afternoon. Falling as a brief flurry of snow on the Munros.
Cloud on the hills?
Lifting, clearing most summits
Occasional patches of cloud on upper slopes in the morning, patches may come and go for a few hours in Lochaber, but tending to lift above most or all tops.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of sun, best near to coast in afternoon. Some high cloud toward south. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C rising to +2 or 3C.
Freezing Level
800 to 1000m, lowest in Lochaber in morning, lifting toward 1200m. Also frost in sheltered glens mainly Lochaber at dawn.
Planning Outlook
A notably chilly outlook for May into the weekend and early next week, with higher Scottish mountains almost continuously below freezing point possibly onward through much of next week as northwesterly air prevails. After a warmer end to this week, higher tops in England and Wales also dropping intermittently to freezing point from the weekend onward. Wind-speed varying day-to-day, but prepare for often considerable chill-factor on all mountains. Some frost overnight into valleys when skies are clear. Broadly showery through mid-May, plus some fronts bringing persistent rain most common in northwestern Scotland, often falling as snow on mountain tops, sometimes to below 600m. Drier intervals too, some days with fewer showers and broken cloud lifting above the summits, varying locally day-to-day.