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
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.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Snowdrifts
Considerable lying snow over the mountains, with substantial drifting in places.
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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.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Snowdrifts
Considerable lying snow over the mountains, with substantial drifting in places.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Monday 16th March 2026
Last updated
Sun 15th Mar 26 at
4:21PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Snow and hail showers affect most areas in the morning, frequent over western hills. A brief easing, then several hours of rain arrives to Wales, moving north and east into England and Scotland through afternoon and into evening. A notable rise in temperature with arrival of rain. Strong wind all day, a slight easing for a few hours.
Headline for West Highlands
Snow and hail showers, gales; rain afternoon into evening
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 40-50mph most of morning, easing to 35-40mph for a few afternoon hours and shifting southwesterly, then strengthening again, notably gusty to lower slopes.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous to difficult walking most of the day with severe wind chill. A brief improvement of conditions but this followed by a rapid deterioration, with considerable buffeting on lower slopes.
How Wet?
Morning snow and hail showers, becoming widely rainy
Shower after shower falling as snow above 300m, later 600m. Hail likely mixed in as well, small risk of thunder near the Lochaber coast. Showers tending to lose strength, then rain will gradually set in from the southwest west through the afternoon, risk some freezing rain at first.
Cloud on the hills?
Persistently covering nearly all higher areas, some breaks well inland
Cloud base will vary: near precipitation forming below 450m, sometimes 300m. Otherwise, cloud base 600m morning, and 800-1000m well inland into the afternoon. Cloud fills in more widely afternoon to 500m or lower.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%, lowering to almost nil later
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun only - mainly lower slopes well inland, more widely cloudy late in the day. Persistent haze at best; appalling visibility in precipitation, whiteout conditions over lying snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2 or -3C, slowly rising to 0C afternoon, sharply rising towards 3C around or after dusk, likely rising further overnight. Will feel as cold as minus 18C due to wind chill.
Freezing Level
500m (600m near coast), gradually rising, 800-900m by afternoon, then sharply rising above the summits with the arrival of rain.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Tuesday 17th March 2026
Last updated
Sun 15th Mar 26 at
4:21PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 50-65mph, risk 70mph coastal Lochaber afternoon. Powerful gusts over high terrain, and possibly lower slopes too.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mobility widely difficult with significant wind chill; you could be blown over in powerful gusts, in places on lower slopes.
How Wet?
Rain and drizzle much of the day
Rain in the morning, an easing trend, but staying drizzly on high terrain. East of Loch Linnhe and north of Rannoch Moor drier, just a little drizzle in wind; then a broader area of rain more widely later.
Cloud on the hills?
Blanket of fog; highest cloud base central highlands
Loch Lomond NP and Arran: Persistent fog, covering some south facing coastal cliffs, to widely 200-400m. Elsewhere: In rain, patches of fog from lower slopes up. But most cloud above 600, but 750 to perhaps sometimes 1000m near and north of Glen Spean.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Less than 10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Extensively dull and murky. Pockets of sun here and there north toward Glen Spean, and lochs Treig and Ossian, where visibility good.
How Cold? (at 900m)
4 or 5C most of the day; late in the day, beginning to lower to 2C north of Mull. Feeling like -10C or colder in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits, lowering to 1000-1100m Mull and northward late in the day.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Wednesday 18th March 2026
Last updated
Sun 15th Mar 26 at
4:21PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 20-30mph, stronger gusts in exposure; easing, 15mph in the north, to less than 10mph south.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking with buffeting and wind chill in exposure to start, gradually easing to mostly small effects.
How Wet?
Most hills dry
A few light showers affecting coastal Lochaber, falling as snow from 750m up at first, the snowfall level rising
Cloud on the hills?
Variable early, lifting
From dawn, banks of cloud at variable heights, including lower slopes, particularly in the south; some summits above cloud layers. Most cloud will lift to high terrain, some higher breaks, best clearing south of Glencoe. Coastal Lochaber often seeing cloud banks above 800-900m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Best sunshine well-inland, more of a patchwork near the coast, particularly Lochaber. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0C from dawn, lifting to 3 to 4C, up to 5C possible near Arran. Feeling like -10C in early wind.
Freezing Level
900m from dawn, lifting to 1200m, off the summits south of Mull; coastal Lochaber staying nearer 1000-1100m.
Planning Outlook
Areas of low cloud, drizzly rain and strong winds will continue to affect mainly western mountains until Wednesday, the rain at times heavy in western Scotland. Pressure begins to quickly rise on Wednesday, providing fairly widely settled conditions across the country. Some cloud and spotty light rain lingers in north England/south Scotland for a few days, elsewhere becoming mostly sunny. England, Wales, and southwest Scotland seeing milder temperatures, mostly light wind but the occasional stronger breeze. Elsewhere in Scotland stays cooler, some overnight frosts possible under clear-sky nights. Over the weekend, first indications of a cool easterly wind building across all areas, perhaps some periods of rain south, but further detail currently uncertain.