The high Cairngorm Plateau has more in common with the Arctic than the Alps. In the depths of winter, the vast landscape is a serious place.
Cairn Gorm mountain itself holds the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded in Britain. Winds of 173mph screamed across the summit and into the record books on 20th March 1986. When you combine this with the fact that the Cairngorms are generally the coldest place in the UK, then you have a recipe for some interesting winter conditions.