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

Tuesday 20 October 2026 · Schiehallion, Ben Lawers and the Perthshire ranges

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

A comparable model-confidence estimate is not available for this forecast.

What matters most

A fine day in the Perthshire Highlands: dry and breezy, with clear tops for most of the day.

High-ground wind · 900 m15-25 mph southwesterly Gusts · 900 m20-30 mph Feels like · 900 m0 to 4°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Cloud breaking up. Brighter spells should become more frequent as cloud breaks.

Modelled sunshine6.2 h57% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday3.2 h sunshine
Later1.9 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 · 08:00–12:00ExcellentSummit winds around 15-25 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground.
92
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground.
94

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 south-westerly wind of 15–25 mph, gusting 20–30 mph, strongest first thing and easing later. 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

Rain and showers

It should stay dry.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 90% around midday and about 90% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay clear of cloud all day.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 900 m it will be 6 to 10°C, feeling like 0 to 4°C in the wind. A windproof and an extra layer for stops will help.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is close to summit height.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:58, Sunset 18:02, about 10.1 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaToo windy for an exposed pitch up around 900 m on some hills (gusts of about 40 mph). Lower down, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. 39Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Tuesday 20 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 40 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. A little rain is forecast overnight. 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 below about 600 m, so expect heavy condensation. Leave the vents open. Overnight lows of about 4°C at 900 m.

Overnight rain0.9 mmOpen ground · 600 m16 mph · gusts 34 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
72%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
01:34 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: 56.545, -4.221. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
14 mph / 28 mph
Coldest
4.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m39 · poor
Wind / gust
16 mph / 34 mph
Coldest
4.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m19 · very poor
Wind / gust
20 mph / 40 mph
Coldest
3.9°C
In cloud
60% 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 & scramblingBetaCold rock may reduce comfort and dexterity. 95Excellent · Excellent 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 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 psammite, pelite or semipelite and quartzite. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceProbably dryExposed gust24 mphRain0.0 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 Tuesday 20 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 14 October 2026 at 15:27 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.