Perthshire Highlands mountain weather forecast.

Schiehallion, Ben Lawers and the Perthshire ranges. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Perthshire Highlands

Thursday 15 October 2026 · Schiehallion, Ben Lawers and the Perthshire ranges

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A poor day on the tops in the Perthshire Highlands, with a blustery wind and cloud coming and going on the summits.

High-ground wind · 900 m25-35 mph westerly Gusts · 900 m35-45 mph Cloud base500-1000 m Feels like · 900 m-6 to -2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Little sunshine. Very little direct sunshine is indicated.

Modelled sunshineLess than 1 hour5% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday0 h sunshine
Later0 h sunshine

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.

Morning · 08:00–12:00PoorSummit winds around 20-35 mph. Gusts around 40-50 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges. Cloud may restrict summit views early on.
28
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00PoorSummit winds around 20-40 mph. Gusts around 45-55 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can knock you off balance, so take care near edges and on narrow ridges. Summit cloud is more persistent early in this period, with better prospects later. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period.
35

Conservative regional grades across representative summits, so one sheltered hill does not overstate the wider area.

01

High-ground wind (900 m)

At around 900 m, expect a westerly wind of 25–35 mph, gusting 35–45 mph. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 35–45 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

03

Ground conditions

The ground is likely to be wet after recent rain.

04

Rain and showers

Drizzle sets in during the early afternoon.

05

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 10% early, about 30% around midday and about 55% later.

06

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud. The cloud base could be as low as 400–700 m early in the morning. In cloud you'll be finding your way without landmarks, so carry navigation you trust and know how to use, with a backup such as a spare battery or a map and compass.

07

Temperature and wind chill

At around 900 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -6 to -2°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.

08

Freezing level

The freezing level falls through the day, to around 1400–1700 m by midday.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 07:47, Sunset 18:15, about 10.4 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaToo windy for an exposed pitch up around 900 m on some hills (gusts of about 45 mph). Lower down, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. 39Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 15 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Too windy for an exposed pitch up around 900 m on some hills. Lower down, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. Gusts reach about 45 mph around 900 m and nearer 30 mph around 300 m, which makes for a noisy, testing night even in a good tent. Check the forecast for the hill and height you have in mind, and don't assume lower ground will be sheltered. Some light rain is forecast overnight. Above about 600 m you'd likely be in cloud for part of the night: damp, and hard to find your way if you need to move. The air is damp at every height we checked (300-900 m), so expect heavy condensation. Leave the vents open. A cold night, down to about 2°C around 900 m.

Overnight rain1.8 mmOpen ground · 600 m22 mph · gusts 37 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
26%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
19:25 BST

Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.

Overnight window: 15 Oct, 17:00 BST to 16 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 56.545, -4.221. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
18 mph / 31 mph
Coldest
3.7°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m39 · poor
Wind / gust
22 mph / 37 mph
Coldest
3.6°C
In cloud
40% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m19 · very poor
Wind / gust
26 mph / 43 mph
Coldest
1.7°C
In cloud
45% of modelled night
Condensation
High

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 & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. Gusts near 40 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 0Poor · Very poor View detailsHide details
Regional rock conditions · sampled mountain terrain

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 very poor (0/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 40 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes psammite, pelite or semipelite and quartzite. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust42 mphRain1.9 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits2 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
psammite, pelite or semipelite 62% 5 representative summitsDry quartz-rich bands can be grippy, while mica-rich or foliated sections, lichen and vegetation may become slippery when wet.quartzite 38% 3 representative summitsUsually hard and grippy when dry and often reasonably positive when damp, although wet lichen and smooth slabs can still be slippery.

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 15 October 2026 at 15:29 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Perthshire Highlands.

More context for your hill day

Check the approach as well as the tops

Compare midge conditions by day and height, or look for a possible cloud inversion. For Snowdon and Tryfan, camera-derived cloud-base observations add a view of conditions already seen on the slopes.