Ski-Scotland blasts report over fake snow

THE marketing group behind Scotland’s skiing industry has hit back at a recent report which claimed the country’s ski resorts were spending more than half their budgets on artificial snow.

A report prepared by the Priestley International Centre for Climate recently claimed three of Scotland’s main ski resorts were spending more than half their operating budgets on artificial snow factories following the poor 2016/17 season.

Ski-Scotland has rubbished these claims, however, saying that the information is incorrect and the reporting of which ‘undermines the reputation both of the ski companies involved and the Scottish snowsports industry’.

They claim the climate report has derived its figures from a Ski-Scotland press release, which formed the basis of a news story published by The Scotsman last year about the trialling of snow machines at Scottish ski resorts.

A representative of the snowports group said: ‘In neither the online report nor in Ski-Scotland’s release was any mention made of the cost of these trials. However, both story and release did refer to funding support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for one ski resort and a crowdfunding initiative by another.

‘Certainly, the online story is not a credible source for the fanciful financial information quoted.

‘It is a matter of fact that only two Technoalpin snow factories have been brought to Scotland this winter. One, heavily subsidised by the manufacturer, was trialled early in the season at CairnGorm Mountain and is currently at the Lecht Ski Centre. The other was leased by Glencoe Mountain and may become permanent if the crowdfunding initiative proves successful.’

Ski-Scotland says that to its knowledge no researcher from the Priestley Centre has been in touch with any of the country’s five mountain ski resorts.

‘It is regrettable that the academics responsible for this report did not check facts before making such damaging assumptions about any investment made by the ski companies in this trial. It does perhaps also raise questions about attention to detail in other parts of the report,’ the representative continued.

‘The Association of Scottish Ski Areas and Ski-Scotland report all five Scottish ski resorts are enjoying an excellent season.’