Blame the lack of winter snow and warm spring for the tiny, few and far between display of summer snow patches that are typically found within sheltered mountain gullies.

On this day last year I climbed Ben Macdui (2), Beinn Mheadhoin (10), Cairn Gorm (6) and despite being mid summer plenty of large snow patches remained thanks to large late winter snowpack and coolish spring.

Captured this large snow patch on the high slopes connecting Conival and Ben More Assynt last June on a hot day.

These are my photos taken this day last year en-route to Ben Macdui.

Lower slopes of Macdui. My first time standing in snow in July.

Looking back over Loch Etchachan with many large snow patches remaining.

Small snow patch on eastern slope of Cairn Gorm.

Much healthier snow patches on the Ben Nevis north face last August 16th than July 8 (below) this year.

West face snow patch from July 18, 2014.

Though last summer’s snow patches weren’t the most nor largest, this year is significantly less in number and size.

This photo from Al Todd shows very thin snow patches tucked into the crags of the steep north face of Ben Nevis on July 8. If this melts entirely, this is rare.

Folks skiing on a patch on Cairn Gorm on July 12.

On July 8, this photo was taken of Braeriach’s Garbh Choire Mor, considered Scotland’s most permanent snowbed with a rather venerable looking snow patch.

This was the photo I took of Garbh Choire Mor last August 30 and it appears to be snow free.

Incidentally, this coire has only been absent of snow 5 times (1933, 1959, 1996, 2003 and 2006) in the last 100 years. Could this be the case in 2017?

Coire an Lochain on Aonach Mor from Iain Cameron today. This snow patch will likely struggle to survive before the first autumn snows from past years underneath is slowing the melting process.

Be sure to follow Iain Cameron on twitter for lot’s of great info and pictures of summer snow patches across Scotland.

Tags: snow patches, snow patches scotland, summer snow in scotland