Without a shadow of doubt nor a hint of hyperbole, the worst weather I`ve ever experienced in the world has been in winter at around 4,000 feet on the Cairngorm Plateau of Eastern Scotland. Nowhere else ever came a close second. Not even an Alpine Föhn storm. At least those winds are warm. Force 12 (over 73 mph) winter winds above the Northern Corries are bitterly cold and only to be endured on hands and knees and in the best outdoor clothing currently available. They literally take your breath away. And they are not uncommon. Indeed the Cairngorm winter mean has been measured at 34.3 mph. The picture top middle is only included here because my Scotland map artificially extends the Cairngorms all the way to the east coast. But the Cairngorm Plateau, just 20 miles inland, will require a global warming way beyond our worst nightmare in order to become suitable for the growing of anything at all .