Easter Ross
Ben Wyvis Weather
Mountain forecast and current conditions · summit 1046m
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 06:27
- Sunset
- 20:08
- Civil dawn
- 05:46
- Civil dusk
- 20:48
NOAA Solar Calculator · 5 September 2026
About the weather here
Ben Wyvis (1,046m at Glas Leathad Mor) is the big whaleback north of Inverness, climbed from Garbat on the A835 by a path up An Cabar and then along a broad, mossy summit ridge. It stands alone above Easter Ross with nothing of comparable height nearby, which makes it visible from half the Highlands and makes its summit ridge exceptionally exposed.
What to expect
Ben Wyvis is an isolated massif on the drier east side of the Highlands, so it gets less rain than the west but more wind than almost anywhere, because nothing shelters its summit plateau. The ridge from An Cabar to the summit is high and broad and in cloud has no landmarks. The hill is often in cloud when Dingwall and Inverness are clear, and it holds snow on its northern side well into spring.
Wind exposure
Very high. The summit ridge is a long, open plateau above 1,000m with no lee at all; a moderate wind in Garbat is a gale on top. The climb up An Cabar is steep and sheltered enough that the exposure on the ridge comes as a shock. There is nowhere to shelter between An Cabar and the summit.
Winter conditions
Ben Wyvis is a serious winter hill because of its plateau: cloud, wind and snow on featureless ground make navigation hard, and the eastern corries carry cornices. The An Cabar ascent path ices and the summit ridge builds hard windslab. No avalanche forecast covers Ben Wyvis, so snow stability has to be judged on the hill. The whaleback shape means there is no quick way down out of the wind.
Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Ben Wyvis; 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 |
|---|---|
| Little Wyvis | 763m |
| Beinn nan Eun | 743m |
| Meall Mor | 738m |
| Carn Loch nan Amhaichean | 697m |
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Ben Wyvis so windy?
- It is an isolated massif with a long summit plateau and nothing around it of similar height. Wind that is deflected by neighbouring hills elsewhere hits Ben Wyvis directly, and the plateau offers no shelter once you are on it.
- Is Ben Wyvis drier than the west coast?
- Yes — Easter Ross is well east of the wettest ground and Ben Wyvis gets noticeably less rain than the Torridon or Kintail hills. It compensates with wind and with cloud sitting on the plateau.
- Is there an avalanche forecast for Ben Wyvis?
- No. Ben Wyvis is outside the six SAIS forecast areas. In winter use the mountain weather forecast and judge the snow yourself, particularly on the eastern corrie edges where cornices form.
- How long is the summit ridge exposed for?
- From the top of An Cabar to Glas Leathad Mor is a couple of kilometres of open plateau, and you walk it twice. In poor weather that is the part of the day that decides whether to turn back.
Weather for other locations
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