Cairngorm Summit: average temperature history and climate record

Cairngorm Summit climate in figures (1992–2025)

This is a summit climate in the fullest sense: over the 34 years from 1 January 1992 to 31 December 2025, the average temperature at Cairngorm Summit stands at 1.4 °C. The absolute highest temperature recorded in the whole period is 23.0 °C, while the absolute lowest is -14.0 °C. That span between the two extremes is what you would expect at altitude, where a warm summer afternoon and a severe winter night can occur in the same location.

The annual profile is unusually tight compared with lowland Britain. Winter months hover around -2 to -3 °C on average, and even the warmest month averages only 7.0 °C. There is no month where the average daily maximum reaches double figures: the highest monthly average maximum is 9.5 °C, and the highest monthly average minimum is 4.5 °C. Both of those belong to July.

Looked at month by month, the year at Cairngorm Summit divides into a long cold half and a short cool half. Between October and May the monthly average temperature is at or below 1.9 °C, and between November and March it never rises above -0.7 °C. Only June, July, August and September average above 5.0 °C.

Average temperature by month

The table below gives the monthly averages calculated from the full station record: mean temperature, mean daily maximum and mean daily minimum for each calendar month.

The warmest month on average is July, with a mean of 7.0 °C, a mean daily maximum of 9.5 °C and a mean daily minimum of 4.5 °C. August follows closely at 6.8 °C. The coldest month is February, averaging -3.1 °C, with a mean daily maximum of -0.9 °C and a mean daily minimum of -5.3 °C. January is not far behind at -2.9 °C.

The month with the highest average daily maximum is July at 9.5 °C. The month with the lowest average daily minimum is February at -5.3 °C. Only three months — May at 0.1 °C, June at 2.5 °C, July at 4.5 °C, August at 4.4 °C and September at 2.6 °C — post an average daily minimum above freezing, and October already drops back to -0.3 °C. April's mean temperature sits at exactly 0.0 °C, the zero point of the annual curve.

Year-by-year evolution of the average temperature

The annual series below covers every year from 1992 to 2025 as recorded at the cairngorm-summit station. It lists the mean temperature for the year together with the highest temperature and the lowest temperature reached that year.

The chart shows the complete annual series. The table lists the most notable years; the full series comes from Met Office.

Reading the annual means in order shows a good deal of year-to-year scatter rather than a smooth line. Several years sit within a few tenths of the long-term 1.4 °C figure: 2005 at 1.4 °C, 2015 at 1.0 °C, 2008 at 1.1 °C and 1996 at 1.1 °C are all close to it. At the cold end, 2004 finished at -0.7 °C and 2001 at 0.0 °C, while at the mild end 2006 reached 2.6 °C and 2022 reached 2.9 °C.

The clear outlier in the record is 2021, with an annual mean of -4.1 °C, a highest temperature of only 7.8 °C and a lowest of -11.4 °C. No other year in the 1992–2025 series has an annual mean below -0.7 °C, and no other year fails to reach at least 13.5 °C at some point. Because that departure is so large, it is worth treating 2021 as its own case rather than blending it into a trend line.

The highest temperature anywhere in the 1992–2025 record is 23.0 °C, set in 1992. The lowest is -14.0 °C, reached in two separate years, 2010 and 2018. Most years see the minimum fall somewhere between -8.2 °C, recorded in 2014, and -13.5 °C, recorded in 1995. Highs in individual years vary widely: 2001 topped out at 13.9 °C and 2010 at 13.5 °C, while 2003 reached 21.7 °C and 2025 reached 22.0 °C.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average annual temperature at Cairngorm Summit?

The average temperature at Cairngorm Summit over the 1992–2025 period is 1.4 °C, based on records from the cairngorm-summit station in the Met Office archive. That figure is the overall mean for the full 34-year span, spanning 1 January 1992 to 31 December 2025.

Which month is warmest at Cairngorm Summit?

July is the warmest month on average, with a mean temperature of 7.0 °C, a mean daily maximum of 9.5 °C and a mean daily minimum of 4.5 °C. August is the second warmest at 6.8 °C, followed by June at 5.1 °C and September at 5.0 °C.

Which month is coldest at Cairngorm Summit?

February is the coldest month on average, with a mean temperature of -3.1 °C, a mean daily maximum of -0.9 °C and a mean daily minimum of -5.3 °C. January is close behind at -2.9 °C, and December averages -2.3 °C.

What type of climate does Cairngorm Summit have?

It is a high-mountain summit climate with a very low annual mean temperature. The entire annual mean sits at 1.4 °C, eight months of the year average below 3.0 °C, and only July and August average above 6.0 °C. Every month has an average daily minimum at or below 4.5 °C, and from October to April the average daily minimum is below freezing.

Which year was warmest at Cairngorm Summit?

In the 1992–2025 record, the highest annual mean temperature is 2.9 °C, recorded in 2022. The next highest are 2.8 °C in 2025 and 2.6 °C in 2006. At the other end, the lowest annual mean is -4.1 °C in 2021, followed by -0.7 °C in 2004 and 0.0 °C in 2001.

How hot does it get at Cairngorm Summit, and how cold?

The highest temperature recorded at the station between 1992 and 2025 is 23.0 °C, in 1992. The lowest is -14.0 °C, recorded in both 2010 and 2018. In a typical year the warmest day falls between 13.5 °C in 2010 and 22.0 °C in 2025, and the coldest night reaches somewhere between -8.2 °C in 2014 and -13.5 °C in 1995.

How much does the temperature vary through the year?

The monthly means climb from -3.1 °C in February to 7.0 °C in July and fall back to -2.3 °C in December. April marks the crossing point, with a mean of exactly 0.0 °C. The average daily maximum stays below 1.5 °C from November through March, while the average daily minimum drops below freezing for every month from October to April.