A great place to go.
Some great advice already in this thread!
If you can slum it, the FC tent/camp site at Loch Morlich is very good - lots of great walks from there into the wilderness, with abundant wildlife close by too, plus the deer herd!
If you are pushed for time, take the cable car up Cairngorm and descend back via a number of good routes, but make sure you are dressed well, its very very cold up there, with lieing snow most of the year, take a map and know how to use it .
A bit early, but there are also a lot of arctic alpine plants there in the flushes, some rarities included.
Ptarmigan venture to about as low as 2000ft, and are best found near jumbled and loose rocky outcrops - they are also quite confiding and will let you get fairly close for spectacular shots (photography that is).
In the forests, keep quiet and go off the trail, at early light and late evening, pine marten and others such as capers are better seen then.
there are also some real ale pubs nowadays inthe highlands - nearest are in Aviemore, which in spite of the tack is a good place to go for info.
there might also be some RSPB evening talks by such as Roy Dennis - ask at the Osprey centre.
If you are really into plants, take in Ben Lawers as you travel up - well worth a trip, Purple Saxifrage should be out about then.
Have a great time!
Ken
