Perthshire
Ben Lawers Weather
Mountain forecast and current conditions · summit 1214m
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 06:27
- Sunset
- 20:04
- Civil dawn
- 05:48
- Civil dusk
- 20:44
NOAA Solar Calculator · 5 September 2026
About the weather here
Ben Lawers (1,214m) is the highest hill in Perthshire and the top of a seven-Munro range on the north side of Loch Tay. Most people start from the National Trust for Scotland car park high on the Lochan na Lairige road, which takes a big chunk of the ascent out of the day but also means you start already exposed — there is no valley shelter to retreat to. The summit is a pointed cone with steep ground on the east and north sides.
What to expect
The Lawers range sits between the wet west and the drier east, and gets both. Cloud regularly sits on the summit ridge while Killin and Kenmore are clear, and the col between Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers funnels wind. The ridge is high enough that summer showers arrive as sleet in the shoulder months. Because the car park is already above 400m, a poor forecast bites from the first step rather than after two hours of climbing.
Wind exposure
High. The whole approach from the car park runs along an open ridge with nothing to break a westerly or south-westerly. The final climb from the Beinn Ghlas col to the summit is the most exposed part: a narrow, steep-sided ridge where strong wind makes the footing feel much worse than the gradient suggests.
Winter conditions
The east-facing corries of the Lawers range hold snow well into spring and the summit cone builds cornices on its north-east side. The path from Beinn Ghlas becomes a snow arête in full conditions and needs an ice axe and crampons — people underestimate it because the summer path is so easy. The Lochan na Lairige road is not gritted and is often closed by snow, which turns a short day into a long one from Loch Tay.
Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Ben Lawers; SAIS forecasts six areas only. In winter, judge snow stability on the hill from first principles.
Official forecasts
Always check an official mountain forecast before setting out. Current conditions displayed above are from the Open-Meteo API and are indicative only.
Hills in this area
| Hill | Height |
|---|---|
| Beinn Ghlas | 1103m |
| An Stuc | 1117m |
| Meall Corranaich | 1067m |
| Meall Garbh | 1123m |
Frequently asked questions
- How much colder is the summit of Ben Lawers than Loch Tay?
- Allow for several degrees of cooling between the loch and the summit before wind chill, and considerably more on the summit ridge in a strong wind. The NTS car park sits high on the hill, so the temperature you feel getting out of the car is already well below the loch side.
- Is Ben Lawers a good choice on a windy day?
- Not really. The approach ridge and the final climb from the Beinn Ghlas col are open to the west and south-west, which is where the strongest winds come from. On a day with gales forecast, lower Perthshire hills with more shelter are a better call.
- Does Ben Lawers get snow?
- Yes — it is one of the highest hills in the southern Highlands and its east-facing corries hold snow into late spring. Treat it as a winter hill from November to April and carry an ice axe and crampons when snow is lying on the upper ridge.
- Which forecast should I check for Ben Lawers?
- The MWIS forecast linked on this page covers the Perthshire hills, and the Met Office mountain forecast gives summit temperature and wind. There is no avalanche forecast for this hill; that is stated on the page rather than left blank.
Weather for other locations
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