Scotland’s ski centres hail ‘fantastic season’

OUTDOORS: Glencoe Mountain enjoys ‘recordbreaking year’, amid ‘longest and best season’

The melting Scottish ski season has been one of the best in recent years.

Two of Scotland’s winter sports resorts have now closed for season – with the others expected to follow in the next few weeks. But Andy Meldrum, chairman of Ski Scotland, said this winter was on course to be the best for the five resorts for five years.

It comes after one of the worst-ever seasons for the Scottish centres.

Glenshee and The Lecht in Aberdeenshire have both closed, while Glencoe Mountain aims to provide daily skiing and boarding until May 7. Nevis Range is hoping to do so but only will open around weekends, while CairnGorm Mountain also plans to provide snow sports until about the same period but is losing the white stuff.

Mr Meldrum said the season is on target to clock between 240,000 and 250,000 skier days – compared to just over 54,000 last year.

The season had been so good that Glencoe Mountain, which he runs, is planning to purchase a snow making machine, which will guarantee skiing from December to May each year – even without natural snow.

The £400,000 cost includes £60,000 from a crowdfunder and help from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

“We will be the first resort in Scotland to have a snow making machine permanently. It will make a massive difference and give people confidence to book their holidays, knowing they will be able to ski” said Mr Meldrum.

“As we have seen this year, if the conditions are there people will come in large numbers. We even have a growing market from Ireland because we had the conditions – particularly in January and February.

“We opened in November and this is our longest and best season. It has made it possible for us to buy the snow making machine. At Glencoe Mountain last year we managed just 32 days of operation – this year it will be more than 120 days. It has been a record-breaking year for us.

“And there is still some life left in the season, though the snow is disappearing fast for some of the resorts. Yesterday we had 150 people and the weekend is looking good. All the resorts are happy – we have had a five-and-a-half-month skiing season, you could not ask for more.

“The main lesson from this season is: we have learned to manage the snow really well and create truly fantastic conditions. We have had some of the best bluebird days I’ve ever experienced in Scotland with blue skies, sunshine and fresh powder.”

Nevis Range commercial manager Chris O’Brien said: “It’s been a fantastic season so far with more than 30,000 skiers on the slopes. It’s great to have had so many people up on the hill and more people coming from the UK for some time now, and the season just seems to be carrying on.”

Yesterday we had 150 people and the weekend is looking good. All the resorts are happy – we have had a five-and-ahalf-month skiing season, you could not ask for more

Picture: Steven Brown. Sloping off: Plenty of white stuff means there has been great skiing at Glenshee.