The Cairngorms are the closest thing Britain has to the Arctic — a granite plateau abov…

The Cairngorms are the closest thing Britain has to the Arctic — a granite plateau above 1,000 metres with a genuine tundra climate, where Braemar once recorded minus 27.2°C. The Gaelic name Am Monadh Ruadh means “the red mountains.” Five of Scotland’s six highest peaks are here. There are no roads through the mountains and no settlements on them. The park holds more than half of what remains of the ancient Caledonian forest, 25% of the UK’s threatened species, and Britain’s only free-roaming reindeer herd, brought from Sweden in 1952. At 4,528 square kilometres it’s the UK’s largest national park, twice the size of the Lake District. It’s also a Dark Sky Park — on a clear night the Milky Way is overhead.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​