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

Friday 16 October 2026 · Schiehallion, Ben Lawers and the Perthshire ranges

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A mixed day in the Perthshire Highlands, with sleet or snow up high and cloud coming and going on the summits.

High-ground wind · 900 m15-25 mph northwesterly Gusts · 900 m20-30 mph Cloud base900-1500 m Feels like · 900 m-6 to -2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Limited sunny breaks. Any sunshine is likely to come through limited breaks.

Modelled sunshine1.5 h14% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
MiddayLess than 1 hour 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 · 08:00–12:00GoodSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud becomes more persistent later.
70
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud is more persistent early in this period, with better prospects later. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period.
65

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 north-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.

02

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.

03

Ground conditions

The ground is likely to be wet after recent rain.

04

Rain and showers

A short band of sleet crosses in the early afternoon. Expect up to 2 mm in total, measured as melted water, so any snow would lie deeper. On some hills, sleet is possible on the tops. Small temperature changes could shift the mix towards rain or snow.

05

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 55% early, about 20% around midday and about 70% later.

06

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of clear tops mid-afternoon. The cloud base could be as low as 500–800 m early in the morning.

07

Temperature and wind chill

At around 900 m it will be 0 to 4°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 is close to summit height.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 07:49, Sunset 18:12, about 10.4 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of damp air: gusts of about 30 mph. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Friday 16 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of damp air. Gusts reach about 30 mph on open ground, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the northwest. It should stay dry. Up around 900 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 1°C around 900 m.

Overnight rain0.1 mmOpen ground · 600 m13 mph · gusts 24 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
34%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
20:19 BST

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

Overnight window: 16 Oct, 17:00 BST to 17 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
11 mph / 19 mph
Coldest
1.8°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
13 mph / 24 mph
Coldest
1.8°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m55 · mixed
Wind / gust
16 mph / 28 mph
Coldest
0.8°C
In cloud
47% 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 & scramblingBetaSub-zero temperatures and moisture may leave icy patches on exposed rock. Wet rock is likely. 31Poor · 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 poor (31/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. 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 gust26 mphRain0.5 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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This is about Perthshire Highlands on Friday 16 October 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

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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.