Cloud inversion forecast: Scotland

A cloud inversion traps fog in the valleys while summits sit in clear air and sunshine — the “sea of clouds” hillwalkers and photographers chase. Peakify analyses humidity, temperature profiles and cloud layers for every peak in the AI Mountain Explorer and scores the chance of an inversion. The mountains below currently have the best odds of putting you above the cloud.

Last analysed 18 Oct 2026. Best conditions are usually calm, clear nights after damp days — check each peak’s full forecast and sunrise time before an early start.

Best bet today · Sun 18 Oct
Ben Macdui North Top
1,294m · Cairngorms
94%
Excellent Best at 05:00 Sunrise 07:54 Low confidence

Good setup: warm air at summit height, wind at summit height, summit above the cloud. Be on top before 07:54.
Mountain Elevation Today Next 7 days
Ben Macdui North Top Cairngorms 1,294m 94% Excellent
Ben Macdui Cairngorms 1,309m 93% Excellent
Stob Coire Sputan Dearg Cairngorms 1,251m 92% Excellent
Cairn Lochan Cairngorms 1,214m 91% Excellent
Carn na Criche Cairngorms 1,265m 91% Excellent
Stob Coire an Lochain Cairngorms 1,235m 91% Excellent
Ben Nevis Highland 1,345m 90% Excellent
Carn Mor Dearg Highland 1,220m 90% Excellent
Cairn Gorm Cairngorms 1,245m 89% Excellent
Aonach Mor Highland 1,220m 88% Excellent
Beinn Bhrotain East Top Cairngorms 1,110m 88% Excellent
The Schil The River Tweed to the English Border 606m 88% Excellent
Beinn Bhrotain Cairngorms 1,157m 87% Excellent
Carn an t-Sagairt Beag Cairngorms 1,044m 87% Excellent
Leacann Chorrach Highland 795m 87% Excellent
Cairn Toul Cairngorms 1,291m 86% Excellent
Carn Bhac SW Top Cairngorms 918m 86% Excellent
Sgurr an Lochan Uaine Cairngorms 983m 86% Excellent
Sron a' Cha-no Cairngorms 1,028m 86% Excellent
Stacan Dubha Cairngorms 1,014m 86% Excellent
Stob Coire Etchachan Cairngorms 1,082m 86% Excellent
The Devil's Point Cairngorms 1,007m 86% Excellent
Beinn a' Bhuird South Top Cairngorms 1,177m 85% Excellent
Ben Avon North Tor Cairngorms 1,138m 85% Excellent
Carn Dearg Highland 1,221m 85% Excellent
Carn Dearg Highland 1,214m 85% Excellent
Little Cairngorm Cairngorms 1,040m 85% Excellent
Stob Bac an Fhurain Cairngorms 1,076m 85% Excellent
Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir Cairngorms 1,213m 85% Excellent
Stob Coire an t-Sneachda Cairngorms 1,176m 85% Excellent
Braeriach Cairngorms 1,296m 84% Excellent
Carn Cloich-mhuilinn Cairngorms 942m 84% Excellent
Cnap Coire na Spreidhe Cairngorms 1,152m 84% Excellent
Creag an Leth-choin Cairngorms 1,053m 84% Excellent
Creag an Leth-choin North Top Cairngorms 1,026m 84% Excellent
Creagan a' Choire Etchachan Cairngorms 1,107m 84% Excellent
Fiacaill na Leth-choin Cairngorms 1,083m 84% Excellent
Meall a' Churain Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 917m 84% Excellent
Meall Luaidhe Perth and Kinross 921m 84% Excellent
Sgurr Choinnich Mor Highland 1,094m 84% Excellent

Peaks in Scotland

4,490 summits, the highest 200 shown. A dash means no inversion score in the last 36 hours: open the peak to run one. See all Scotland peaks.
Ben Nevis 1,345m Highland 90% Excellent
Ben Macdui 1,309m Cairngorms 93% Excellent
Braeriach 1,296m Cairngorms 84% Excellent
Ben Macdui North Top 1,294m Cairngorms 94% Excellent
Cairn Toul 1,291m Cairngorms 86% Excellent
Carn na Criche 1,265m Cairngorms 91% Excellent
Sgor an Lochain Uaine 1,258m Cairngorms 74% Excellent
Stob Coire Sputan Dearg 1,251m Cairngorms 92% Excellent
Cairn Gorm 1,245m Cairngorms 89% Excellent
Stob Coire an Lochain 1,235m Cairngorms 91% Excellent
Aonach Beag 1,234m Highland 76% Excellent
Carn Dearg 1,221m Highland 85% Excellent
Aonach Mor 1,220m Highland 88% Excellent
Carn Mor Dearg 1,220m Highland 90% Excellent
Ben Lawers 1,214m Perth and Kinross 68% Good
Cairn Lochan 1,214m Cairngorms 91% Excellent
Carn Dearg 1,214m Highland 85% Excellent
Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir 1,213m Cairngorms 85% Excellent
Beinn a' Bhuird 1,196m Cairngorms 78% Excellent
Sron na Lairige 1,184m Cairngorms 75% Excellent
Beinn Mheadhoin 1,183m Cairngorms 81% Excellent
Carn Eighe 1,183m Highland 44% Possible
Beinn a' Bhuird South Top 1,179m Cairngorms 78% Excellent
Carn Dearg Meadhonach 1,179m Highland 73% Excellent
Mam Sodhail 1,179m Highland 42% Possible
Beinn a' Bhuird South Top 1,177m Cairngorms 85% Excellent
Stob Choire Claurigh 1,177m Highland 80% Excellent
Stob Coire an t-Sneachda 1,176m Cairngorms 85% Excellent
Ben More 1,174m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 80% Excellent
Cnap a' Chleirich 1,173m Cairngorms 83% Excellent
Ben Avon - Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe 1,172m Cairngorms 70% Excellent
Stob Binnein 1,165m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 82% Excellent
Beinn Mheadhoin SW Top 1,163m Cairngorms 82% Excellent
Beinn Bhrotain 1,157m Cairngorms 87% Excellent
Derry Cairngorm 1,156m Cairngorms 80% Excellent
Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag 1,156m Cairngorms 79% Excellent
A' Chioch 1,152m Cairngorms 71% Excellent
Cnap Coire na Spreidhe 1,152m Cairngorms 84% Excellent
Sgurr na Lapaich 1,152m Highland 71% Excellent
Cac Carn Mor 1,151m Cairngorms 76% Excellent
Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan 1,150m Highland 46% Possible
Bidean nam Bian 1,149m Highland 70% Excellent
Ben Alder 1,148m Highland 79% Excellent
Stob a' Choire Dhomhain 1,147m Highland 50% Good
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan West Top 1,142m Highland 48% Possible
Bidean nam Bian West Top 1,141m Highland 68% Good
Fiacaill a' Choire Chais 1,141m Cairngorms 82% Excellent
Stob Coire Dhomhnuill 1,139m Highland 43% Possible
Ben Avon North Tor 1,138m Cairngorms 85% Excellent
Ben Avon West Top 1,138m Cairngorms 69% Good
Geal-charn 1,132m Highland 77% Excellent
Ben Lui 1,131m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 68% Good
Sron Garbh 1,131m Highland 42% Possible
Binnein Mor 1,130m Highland 65% Good
An Riabhachan 1,129m Highland 52% Good
Creag Meagaidh 1,128m Highland 66% Good
Ben Cruachan 1,127m Argyll and Bute 63% Good
Ben Lui NW Top 1,127m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 68% Good
An Riabhachan NE Top 1,125m Highland 52% Good
Mullach Lochan nan Gabhar 1,124m Cairngorms 74% Excellent
Meall Garbh 1,123m Perth and Kinross 58% Good
Stob Coire na Ceannain 1,123m Highland 77% Excellent
Beinn a' Ghlo - Carn nan Gabhar 1,122m Cairngorms 81% Excellent
Clach Choutsaich 1,121m Cairngorms 68% Good
Stob Choire Claurigh North Top 1,121m Highland 77% Excellent
A' Chraileag 1,120m Highland 39% Possible
Carn Etchachan 1,120m Cairngorms 61% Good
Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda 1,120m Cairngorms 83% Excellent
Ben Avon South Tor 1,119m Cairngorms 80% Excellent
Stuc Gharbh Mhor 1,119m Cairngorms 65% Good
An Stuc 1,117m Perth and Kinross 79% Excellent
Aonach Beag 1,116m Highland 80% Excellent
Creag Meagaidh East Top 1,116m Highland 65% Good
Sgor Gaoith 1,116m Cairngorms 77% Excellent
Stob Coire an Laoigh 1,116m Highland 83% Excellent
Stob Coire nan Lochan 1,116m Highland 57% Good
Stob Coire Easain 1,115m Highland 82% Excellent
Sron Riach 1,114m Cairngorms 76% Excellent
Monadh Mor 1,113m Cairngorms 83% Excellent
Tom a' Choinnich 1,113m Highland 47% Possible
Stuc Gharbh Mhor 1,112m Cairngorms 76% Excellent
Sgoran Dubh Mor 1,111m Cairngorms 71% Excellent
Beinn Bhrotain East Top 1,110m Cairngorms 88% Excellent
Carn a' Choire Bhoidheach 1,110m Cairngorms 79% Excellent
Ciste Dhubh 1,110m Highland 56% Good
Sgurr Mor 1,109m Highland 64% Good
Sgurr nan Conbhairean 1,109m Highland 60% Good
Meall a' Bhuiridh 1,108m Highland 77% Excellent
Creagan a' Choire Etchachan 1,107m Cairngorms 84% Excellent
Stob an t-Sluichd 1,107m Cairngorms 84% Excellent
Stob Coire nam Beith 1,107m Highland 67% Good
Caisteal 1,106m Highland 83% Excellent
Stob a' Choire Leith 1,105m Highland 74% Excellent
Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin 1,105m Highland 70% Excellent
Sron Bealach Beithe 1,104m Highland 79% Excellent
Beinn Eibhinn 1,103m Highland 66% Good
Beinn Ghlas 1,103m Perth and Kinross 77% Excellent
Stob Dearg 1,103m Argyll and Bute 58% Good
Mullach Fraoch-choire 1,101m Highland 37% Possible
Stob Coire Bhealaich 1,101m Highland 78% Excellent
Creise 1,100m Highland 65% Good
Clach Leathad 1,099m Highland 77% Excellent
Sgurr a' Mhaim 1,099m Fort William to Loch Treig & Loch Leven 69% Good
Sgurr Choinnich Mor 1,094m Highland 84% Excellent
Sgurr nan Clach Geala 1,093m Highland 65% Good
Sgurr nan Clachan Geala 1,093m Highland 66% Good
Bynack More 1,090m Cairngorms 80% Excellent
Stob Ghabhar 1,089m Highland 77% Excellent
Beinn a' Chlachair 1,088m Highland 71% Excellent
Carn Eas 1,088m Cairngorms 82% Excellent
An Riabhachan SW Top 1,086m Highland 56% Good
Beinn Dearg 1,084m Highland 59% Good
Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais 1,084m Highland 63% Good
Beinn a' Chaorainn 1,083m Cairngorms 81% Excellent
Cuidhe Crom 1,083m Cairngorms 82% Excellent
Fiacaill na Leth-choin 1,083m Cairngorms 84% Excellent
Schiehallion 1,083m Perth and Kinross 73% Excellent
Stob Coire Cath na Sine 1,082m Highland 80% Excellent
Stob Coire Etchachan 1,082m Cairngorms 86% Excellent
Beinn a' Chreachain 1,081m Perth and Kinross 78% Excellent
Ben Starav 1,080m Highland 73% Excellent
Stob Coire Easain 1,080m Highland 83% Excellent
Beinn Sheasgarnaich 1,077m Perth and Kinross 75% Excellent
Beinn Dorain 1,076m Argyll and Bute 76% Excellent
Stob Bac an Fhurain 1,076m Cairngorms 85% Excellent
Stuc Bheag 1,075m Highland 55% Good
An Tudair 1,073m Highland 42% Possible
Stob Coire Sgreamhach 1,072m Highland 70% Excellent
Puist Coire Ardair 1,071m Highland 62% Good
Beinn a' Ghlo - Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain 1,070m Cairngorms 78% Excellent
Creag Mhor 1,070m Highland 70% Excellent
Mam Coire Easain 1,070m Highland 67% Good
Stob an Chul-Choire 1,070m Highland 77% Excellent
An Socach 1,069m Highland 41% Possible
Sgurr Fhuaran 1,069m Highland 34% Possible
Glas Maol 1,068m Cairngorms 77% Excellent
Stob Coire Coulavie 1,068m Highland 54% Good
Stob Coire Dheirg 1,068m Argyll and Bute 64% Good
Creag a' Ghlas-uillt 1,067m Cairngorms 69% Good
Meall Corranaich 1,067m Perth and Kinross 66% Good
Stob Coire an Lochain 1,067m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 76% Excellent
Carn Sasunnaich 1,066m Argyll and Bute 76% Excellent
An Teallach - Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill 1,063m Loch Maree to Loch Broom 27% Unlikely
Cairn of Claise 1,063m Cairngorms 80% Excellent
Ciste Dhubh East Top 1,063m Highland 37% Possible
Airgiod Bheinn 1,062m Cairngorms 81% Excellent
Binnein Mor South Top 1,062m Highland 60% Good
Stob Dubh an Eas Bhig 1,061m Cairngorms 81% Excellent
An Teallach - Sgurr Fiona 1,059m Highland 27% Unlikely
An Socach East Top 1,057m Highland 58% Good
Rubha na Spreidhe 1,057m Highland 63% Good
Creag Coire nan Each 1,055m Highland 47% Possible
Liathach - Spidean a' Choire Leith 1,055m Loch Torridon to Loch Maree 37% Possible
Na Gruagaichean 1,054m Highland 62% Good
Toll Creagach 1,054m Highland 48% Possible
Creag an Leth-choin 1,053m Cairngorms 84% Excellent
Sgurr a' Chaorachain 1,053m Highland 45% Possible
Stob Poite Coire Ardair 1,053m Highland 70% Excellent
An Leth-chreag 1,052m Highland 41% Possible
Carn Ban Mor 1,051m Cairngorms 79% Excellent
Glas Tulaichean 1,051m Cairngorms 78% Excellent
Geal Charn 1,050m Highland 71% Excellent
Stob Poite Coire Ardair East Top 1,050m Highland 72% Excellent
Beinn a' Chaorainn 1,049m Loch Lochy to Loch Laggan 73% Excellent
Beinn a' Chaorainn South Top 1,049m Highland 69% Good
Eagles Rock 1,049m Cairngorms 64% Good
Sgurr Fhuar-thuill 1,049m Highland 63% Good
Bidean an Eoin Deirg 1,047m Highland 57% Good
Carn an t-Sagairt Mor 1,047m Cairngorms 83% Excellent
Corrag Bhuidhe 1,047m Highland 27% Unlikely
Creag an Fhithich 1,047m Perth and Kinross 56% Good
Creag Mhor 1,047m Fort William to Loch Treig & Loch Leven 75% Excellent
Mullach Fraoch-choire NE Top 1,047m Highland 34% Possible
Ben Wyvis - Glas Leathad Mor 1,046m Highland 81% Excellent
Chno Dearg 1,046m Highland 74% Excellent
Cruach Ardrain 1,046m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 80% Excellent
Beinn Iutharn Mhor 1,045m Cairngorms 77% Excellent
Cruach Ardrain SW Top 1,045m Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 80% Excellent
Stob Coir' an Albannaich 1,045m Highland 68% Good
Carn an t-Sagairt Beag 1,044m Cairngorms 87% Excellent
Meall nan Tarmachan 1,044m Perth and Kinross 68% Good
Beinn a' Chaorainn North Top 1,043m Highland 77% Excellent
Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill East Top 1,043m Highland 27% Unlikely
Carn Mairg 1,043m Perth and Kinross 73% Excellent
Stuc Mor 1,042m Highland 50% Good
Little Cairngorm 1,040m Cairngorms 85% Excellent
Meall Ghaordaidh 1,040m Perth and Kinross 81% Excellent
Sgurr na Ciche 1,040m Highland 36% Possible
Beinn Achaladair 1,039m Perth and Kinross 77% Excellent
Na Gruagaichean NW Top 1,039m Highland 56% Good
An Riabhachan West Top 1,038m Highland 54% Good
Carn a' Mhaim 1,037m Cairngorms 82% Excellent
Sgurr na Lapaich 1,037m Highland 36% Possible
Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg 1,036m Highland 24% Unlikely
Gleouraich 1,035m Highland 39% Possible
Carn Dearg 1,034m Loch Treig to Loch Ericht 73% Excellent
Am Bodach 1,032m Highland 49% Possible
Beinn Fhada 1,032m Highland 39% Possible
Lord Berkeley's Seat 1,032m Highland 27% Unlikely
Tom a' Choinich Beag 1,032m Highland 44% Possible

Cloud inversion forecast by area

Lake District Snowdonia Peak District Brecon Beacons Cairngorms Scottish Highlands Wales England All UK mountains

What is a cloud inversion?

Normally the air gets colder as you climb. In a temperature inversion a layer of warm air sits on top of cold, damp air in the valleys, so fog and low cloud are trapped below and the summits stand in sunshine above a sea of cloud. Inversions are most likely after a calm, clear night following a damp day, often in autumn and winter, and they usually burn off by late morning, so go early.

How a cloud inversion forms

ColderWarmer Height

After a damp day the wind has dropped and the sky has cleared. The air in the valleys still holds plenty of moisture.

What if…

A sea of cloud is likely: calm, clear and damp.

Read it step by step
  1. A calm, clear evening. After a damp day the wind has dropped and the sky has cleared. The air in the valleys still holds plenty of moisture.
  2. Heat escapes to the sky. With no cloud overhead to act as a blanket, the ground radiates its warmth straight out to space, and the air touching it starts to chill.
  3. Cold air drains downhill. Chilled air is denser than the air around it, so it slides down the slopes like water and gathers on the valley floor.
  4. The inversion forms. A pool of cold air now fills the valleys with milder air above it. Normally it gets colder as you climb; tonight it gets warmer. That flip is the temperature inversion.
  5. Mist over the water. Lakes and wet ground give the cold air the last bit of moisture it needs, so wisps of mist form there first. If you are going up, this is when to set off, by head torch.
  6. Fog fills the valleys. The trapped air keeps cooling until it reaches its dew point. Its moisture condenses into tiny droplets, and the cold pool turns to fog. Climbing through it, you see nothing but grey.
  7. A sea of cloud. The warm layer above works like a lid, so the fog cannot rise through it. Summits higher than the lid break out into clear air and sunshine.
  8. The best hour on top. Low sun lights the cloud tops gold and the hills cast long shadows across them. Turn your back to the sun: your own shadow may land on the cloud inside a rainbow ring, a Brocken spectre.
  9. The sun gets to work. Sunlight warms the slopes and the ground beneath the fog. Rising thermals stir the air and start to break the lid.
  10. The inversion lifts. The cloud rises, thins and breaks apart, usually by late morning. Then it is an ordinary day again, until the next calm, clear night.

Cloud inversion or fog?

From the valley floor an inversion just looks like fog. The difference is what is above it: if the summit is higher than the top of the fog layer, you climb out of the grey into clear air. The chances here are for standing above the cloud from each summit.

New to inversions? Read what a cloud inversion is and how to catch one, or get an alert on your phone when your hills look likely with the Peakify cloud inversion app.

Out after dark too? See the aurora forecast for the UK and the astronomy calendar.

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How the cloud inversion forecast for Scotland works

What an inversion needs

Air gets colder as you climb. On a calm, clear night the ground loses heat, cold air drains into the valleys, and warmer air settles on top of it. If the valley air is damp enough, it condenses into fog, and the warm layer holds it down like a lid. Stand on a summit above that lid at dawn and you look across a flat sea of cloud.

How Peakify scores it

For each mountain, Peakify finds the lowest ground within 6 km of the summit, where fog would pool, and pulls an hourly forecast for the summit and that valley from Open-Meteo. It scores every hour from three hours before sunrise to two hours after and keeps the best.

Five ingredients build the score: a stable, layered atmosphere between about 750 m and 1,500 m, valley air close to saturation, dry air above the summit, overnight cooling in the valley, and a long night. Five checks then scale it: wind at summit height, overnight cloud, air pressure, wind in the valley, and the depth of the fog. Peakify estimates the fog top as the forecast boundary-layer height above the valley floor. Strong wind on the tops, or fog deeper than the summit is high, takes even a good setup close to zero.

How to read the table

The table ranks up to 40 peaks with a score from the last 36 hours, using today’s forecast. 70% and over is Excellent, 50 to 69% Good, and 30 to 49% Possible. Open a mountain for the full breakdown: the best hour, how long the inversion should last, which ingredients hold it back, a seven-day outlook and a confidence rating. Confidence is High when the ECMWF and Met Office models agree on a calm, clear valley at dawn, and Low when they disagree.

Limits

Read the percentage as a score of how well the ingredients line up. Forecast models work on grids 1 to 10 km across and can’t see into a narrow valley, so Peakify estimates the valley air from a coarser picture. Fog over a lake or in one side valley may not show. The table lists only peaks scored in the last 36 hours, so a quiet hill with a good setup can be missing until someone opens its page. And plan for the walk in: you’ll climb in the dark, through the fog, to reach the clear air.

Cloud inversion questions

Where in Scotland has the best cloud inversion forecast today?

The table at the top of this page ranks summits in Scotland by today's cloud inversion score, refreshed each morning from the latest forecast. Peaks that rise well above deep, sheltered valleys tend to score best, but the setup changes from day to day, so check again the evening before you go.

What is a cloud inversion?

A cloud inversion happens when a layer of warm air sits on top of cold, damp air in the valleys. Fog forms in the cold layer and can't rise through the warm one, so from a summit above it you look down on a flat sea of cloud.

When do cloud inversions happen in the UK?

Mostly in autumn and winter, on calm, clear nights under high pressure, often after a damp day. Long nights give the valleys more time to cool, and light winds let the cold air settle instead of mixing.

What time should I be on the summit?

Before sunrise. Peakify looks for the best hour between three hours before sunrise and two hours after, and each mountain page gives that time and the sunrise. Once the sun warms the valleys, the fog thins and lifts.

How high do I need to climb to see one?

Higher than the top of the fog. Peakify estimates the fog top from the forecast boundary-layer height above the lowest ground near the mountain and compares it with the summit. On a shallow fog morning a modest hill clears it. On a deep one, even a 900 m summit can stay in the murk.

How reliable is the cloud inversion forecast?

Use it as a guide and check again the evening before. Each mountain page shows a confidence rating: High when the ECMWF and Met Office models agree on whether the valley will be calm and clear at dawn, Low when they disagree.

Why isn't my mountain in the table?

The table ranks the 40 highest scores among peaks with a forecast from the last 36 hours. Peakify refreshes popular UK summits each morning and any other peak when someone opens its page, so open your mountain to score it.