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.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Very cold
Significant wintry conditions - below freezing from lower elevations up all day, -7 or -8C highest summits, feeling like -20C or below on high tops due to wind chill. Frostbite and hypothermia risk. Substantial protective clothing is required.
Terrain widely frozen
All ground frozen from lower elevations upward, with hard frost or snow cover. Beware of icy surfaces on lower and higher terrain. Appropriate footwear needed, crampons may be necessary.
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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.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Very cold
Significant wintry conditions - below freezing from lower elevations up all day, -7 or -8C highest summits, feeling like -20C or below on high tops due to wind chill. Frostbite and hypothermia risk. Substantial protective clothing is required.
Terrain widely frozen
All ground frozen from lower elevations upward, with hard frost or snow cover. Beware of icy surfaces on lower and higher terrain. Appropriate footwear needed, crampons may be necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Thursday 20th November 2025
Last updated
Wed 19th Nov 25 at
3:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Staying cold as northerly winds continue, speeds starting to lessen gradually Scotland. Snow/hail showers in N Scotland, slowly fading. Showers also Cheviots, locally N/W Wales. Mostly sunny elsewhere. All terrain frozen; extensive snow cover over mountains, most substantial NW Highlands & Cairngorms.
Headline for West Highlands
Bitter wind lessening. Mostly sunny, local snow and hail.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 25 to 40mph, strongest inland in morning, speeds gradually lowering; dropping lighter from dusk into evening, before starting to strengthen westerly later into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging walking on higher terrain particularly early in day, significant wind chill; gradually improving, but blustery most of daytime.
How Wet?
Largely dry, local snow showers
A few snow and hail showers continuing to run down west coast, mainly areas near Mull, tending to fade out. Some snow flurries also into Creag Meagaidh area, but largely dry many places all day.
Cloud on the hills?
Patches higher tops mostly north
Some patchy cloud drifting over higher slopes, mostly Ben Nevis group to Creag Meagaidh, also toward Mull. Further south, many mountains often clear.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
60% N/E Lochaber, to 90% south
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine best across southern mountains, bursts of sun elsewhere. Visibility mostly excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-4C (to -6 or -7C Ben Nevis top): rising marginally. Wind chill feeling like -15C, to -20C early in day high tops.
Freezing Level
Terrain frozen from glens upward, partial thawing only lowest sunlit slopes, up to 500m coastal slopes.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 21st November 2025
Last updated
Wed 19th Nov 25 at
3:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West then southwesterly, strengthening during daytime from 20-25mph to 35-45mph, risk 50mph by dusk Lochaber.
Effect of the wind on you?
Expect conditions to deteriorate, to give strenuous walking, difficult higher mountains, significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Snow becoming rain from west
Snow likely to push increasingly inland, becoming persistent. Increasingly rain to higher elevations in coastal areas, may set in heavy. Turning to rain higher up inland later.
Cloud on the hills?
Patchy, then more extensive
Prior to snow/rain, just patchy cloud on various slopes, clearer areas inland. With time, cloud lowering and filling in across the hills, soonest coasts/islands.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
60% dropping to 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Any weak early sun soon obscured by thickening high cloud, becoming overcast. Visibility may start excellent, but reducing to poor in rain, very poor in snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2C, rising from west to +1C, or slightly higher near coast later. In stronger wind feeling like -15C.
Freezing Level
Terrain frozen inland to lower slopes, but a gradual rise of freezing level toward 800m, or higher later; most rapid west coast.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Saturday 22nd November 2025
Last updated
Wed 19th Nov 25 at
3:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
W-SW'ly 20 to 25mph, occasionally 30mph higher areas mainly south. May become more variable toward and beyond dusk.
Effect of the wind on you?
Feeling noticeably breezy with marked wind chill; may start to affect ease of walking and balance on some ridges.
How Wet?
Showery rain coast, snow inland tops
Showers merging into more frequent rain at times, particularly coastal areas, here falling as rain toward higher slopes, but showers that push inland falling as snow above 800-900m. Rain and hill snow may develop further into night.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, lowest coasts
Covering higher mountains most or all day, often shrouding many areas above 800-1000m, sometimes 600m near to coasts and on islands. Inland toward north and east of Ben Nevis, some higher breaks.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Rare glimpses of sun mostly inland Lochaber. Visibility occasionally very good below cloud and where dry, but reduced to poor if in snow or constant rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or 1C inland, up to 2C coasts and islands. Feeling like -7C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
900 to 1100m, typically highest near coasts and on islands; some lower terrain well inland may remain partly frozen.
Planning Outlook
Winter conditions over the mountains - snow coverage to lower slopes in Scotland, snow and ice cover varied for England & Wales, but much terrain frozen; hard frost into inland valleys and glens into Friday. A front moving into Scotland from the west on Friday brings gales and snow, turning to rain lower down - arriving in England & Wales Friday evening-night. Less cold into the weekend, but higher mountains stay near or just below freezing, particularly Scotland; showers or locally more frequent upland snow over several days forward. Later next week looks at least briefly milder.