The Ski Scotland ALL Area Season Pass is returning for winter 2025/26 and is now on sale through to 30th November (or until sold out). Find out more at:
www.snowsportscotland.org/all-area-pass .
Get an early West coast weather check - our Glencoe webcams are updating from around 7.30am currently. Our Leadhills camera in the Lowther Hills is online 24/7 for a weather check in the Southern Uplands.
Please check Glencoe and Nevis Range mountain report pages for daily updates on activity and lift status.
While we move further into meteorological autumn, summer activities are continuing at CairnGorm, Glencoe and Nevis Range this weekend, but the weather could be a problem on Sunday with stronger winds and rain moving in from the West. Saturday is certainly looking like the best day of the weekend, and it looks to be a day to start early to get the best of the weather as wind speeds may already be picking up during Saturday afternoon (see below for weather discussion).
Nevis Range has concluded daily lift served mountain biking for the season, with the lift served bike tracks scheduled to be open Saturday and Sunday during October.
However, lift served mountain biking continues daily down the road at Glencoe, with both the red and black downhill bike tracks, plus the blue, red and black xc trails on the mountain open daily through Sun 2nd November (wind permitting, check mountain report page for daily updates). The Plateau Cafe at the start of the blue xc trail and disc golf course is open daily during the October school holidays, serving hot and cold drinks, plus light snacks.
During spring, Glencoe revamped the lift served downhill bike tracks, featuring an improved combined lower section that runs out into a finish area adjacent to the White Corries Cafe at the base for both the red and black downhill tracks.
The Access Chairlift is open for sight seeing daily from 9am to 4.15pm with the last lift down at 4.30pm. The White Corries Panoramic Cafe at the base is open daily 8am to 8pm, with last hot food orders at 7pm.
For sightseeing the 15 minute walk to the summit of Creag Dhubh from the Access Chair is well worth doing for a fantastic 360deg panorama. The UKs highest disc golf course is also open daily. Both the disc golf and blue single track xc bike loop start from the Plateau Cafe.
Summer tubing at Glencoe on the dryslope is open daily through Sun 2nd November. Advisable to book tubing sessions online for summer to avoid disappointment at
http://glencoe.axess.shop .
At Nevis Range, from the Top of the Gondola there is a choice of 2 view point walks. The Gondola opening hours have reduced from Monday 15th, now open 9.30am to 3.45pm for the last uplift. The lower mountain bike trails are open year round and the base Cafe Bar is currently open daily until 10pm for refueling after evening rides.
On CairnGorm the funicular is due to run daily until Sunday 2nd November when it shuts for pre winter maintenance. Weather permitting the magic carpets at the Daylodge level will be open for the small bike park. Tubing and mountain carting should be pre booked to avoid disappointment as sessions are filling up. Check activity status before travelling this weekend.
At the Lecht the Cafe is now closed until the snowsports season begins. The big news from the Lecht from mid August is that the Lecht has been granted full planning permission for a new snowfactory plant to be situated beside the existing piste basher garage that will produce more than 2.5 to 3x the snow output of the existing plant.
At Glenshee eyes are also turning to winter and early bird season passes are now on sale on the website, with early bird prices until 31st October.
There are always opportunities to volunteer to assist various work parties over the autumn months to help get the club fields ready for winter, please visit the relevant websites and social media feeds for updates. Annual membership/season passes are now open.
Please check club access rules / availability if not a club member / pass holder.
Weardale: https: //skiweardale.com/ .
Allenheads:
http://ski-allenheads.co.uk/ .
Yad Moss: https: //yadmoss.co.uk/ .
Raise: https: //www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/ .
At 6pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut at 850m the mid mountain temperature was +2.9°c, with a generally Southerly wind at 11 gusting 24 mph.
The SAIS AWS at the top of the Summit Tow was reporting +7.4°c on Aonach Mor, the wind at the Met Office Summit Run station was SE 7 gust 10mph. Rising temperature and dropping humidity at the summit since lunchtime are indicative of the inversion level lowering below the summit around noon. The Tower 17 AWS on the Gondola was reporting +4.2°c at 6pm with a light and variable wind. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +9.3°c.
In the East the CairnGorm the Met Office Summit AWS reported +1°c with a Southerly at 11 gusting 16mph. Aviemore was at +10°c.
The Cairnwell AWS reported +3.2°c (3061ft /934m), with a Southerly wind at a mean of 9 gusting 14 mph.
High pressure with tendency for big pools of low cloud under inversion conditions has dominated the weather post Storm Amy, but the high pressure will slide Eastwards as we go into the weekend as a distinct pattern change takes hold across the North Atlantic.
Saturday looks set to be the best day of the weekend, but SE winds will be freshening later in the day from the West and could be particularly gusty to the NW of major ranges and plateau areas. Winds will pick up towards a 40 mph average later in the afternoon and gusts to 55 to 60 mph or more on the higher tops and areas prone to topographic acceleration of SE winds are expected by evening.
It should stay dry for daylight hours on Saturday, away from the far south of the Highland mountains where dam drizzly low cloud may build during the day, best change of brighter conditions towards the NW and Western Lochaber. Around +3 to +4°c middle of the day at Munro Level, possibly rising a degree or two in the afternoon.
By Sunday morning the change in the weather will definitely be felt on the Highland mountains with a very poor day compared to the past week or so of high pressure dominated conditions. Widely wet and wild, with rain particularly persistent and heavy at times in the West and Southern Highlands with a Gale Force SE backing ESE wind. Around +4 to +6°c at Munro Level, but feeling decidedly colder in the rain and wind.
Looking ahead into next week, while an unsettled pattern becomes established, fairly benign mountain conditions look possible for Highland Scotland on Monday and Tuesday, as the weekend low fills in situ over Southern England, leaving a slack and variable wind flow over Northern Scotland. Monday at present looks like the best shot of brighter spells, with the West Highlands favoured. Risk of some drizzly low cloud towards the SE Highlands if light on shore winds persist.
Later Tuesday more unsettled conditions look to be edging in with a deeper low approaching and while day to day detail may change fairly unsettled conditions can be expected for the remainder of the week.
After midweek, colder air may edge in, increasing the likelihood of frost or even snow flurries on the higher slopes, and freezing levels may dip closer to or below summit height at times.
Lowther Hill: Leadhills webcam is online (24/7).
GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images will be shortly before 7am BST. Wind speed is now available from base and mid mountain. Storm Amy damaged the Summit AWS!