Cairngorms
A fine day in the Cairngorms: dry and breezy, with clear tops for most of the day.
Sunshine and sky
Cloud breaking up. Brighter spells should become more frequent as cloud breaks.
These are direct modelled sunshine hours during daylight, not the probability of sunshine. Cloud cover and summit cloud are assessed separately in the forecast above. The regional median prevents one unusually bright or dull summit cell defining the whole area.
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
High-ground wind (900 m)
At around 900 m, expect a south-westerly wind of 15–25 mph, gusting 20–30 mph. A wind like that will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.
Walking impact
A steady wind of 15–25 mph will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.
Rain and showers
It should stay dry.
Cloud-free summits
Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 90% around midday and about 90% later.
Cloud and visibility
The tops should stay clear of cloud all day.
Temperature and wind chill
At around 900 m it will be 6 to 10°C, feeling like 2 to 6°C in the wind. A windproof and an extra layer for stops will help.
Freezing level
The freezing level is close to summit height.
Daylight
Sunrise 07:57, Sunset 17:59, about 10.0 hours daylight.
Differences across the area
More sunshine is likely around the northern hills than the southern hills. This is a broad-area estimate, not sunshine on every summit.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind: gusts of about 40 mph. 54Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full regional overnight outlook
Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. Gusts reach about 40 mph around 900 m and nearer 25 mph around 300 m, which makes for a noisy, testing night even in a good tent. Look for shelter from the southwest. It should stay dry. Overnight lows of about 4°C at 900 m.
Moon overnight
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 72%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 01:30 next morning BST
Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.
Overnight window: 20 Oct, 17:00 BST to 21 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Representative location: 57.070, -3.669. Times vary across the area.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 13 mph / 27 mph
- Coldest
- 4.9°C
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Low
- Wind / gust
- 15 mph / 32 mph
- Coldest
- 4.9°C
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Low
- Wind / gust
- 19 mph / 38 mph
- Coldest
- 4.0°C
- In cloud
- 10% of modelled night
- Condensation
- Low
Open-hillside guidance across representative hills. Local shelter, ridges, tent design and the exact pitch can change conditions substantially. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.
Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaRock is likely to be mostly dry, but check for local dampness. 95Excellent · Excellent View detailsHide details
Regional climbing & scrambling outlook
A broad guide to dampness and exposed rock across the area, not a forecast for every crag. Lower, sheltered crags and individual rock types may behave differently.
Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look excellent (95/100). Rock is likely to be mostly dry, though local seepage and shaded holds remain unresolved. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.
Representative summit-point samples across the region; individual crags and routes may differ.
Generic exposed hands-on-rock terrain across representative summits; mapped summit-point geology is a broad regional sample, not a named-route survey. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
Recommended kit for this dayWeather-aware packing prompts, plus your core hillwalking kitView kit
For a day hillwalk, not a complete route-specific checklist. Carry navigation and backup you can use, warm and waterproof layers, suitable footwear, food and water, a headtorch, emergency shelter, first aid and a way to call for help. Snow, ice, technical terrain and overnight trips need additional equipment and skills.
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Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.
Updated 14 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Cairngorms.