Ski resort appeals for backing to fund snowmaking machine
THE OLDEST commercial ski resort in Scotland is hoping to restore confidence in the country’s ski industry by making its own snow.
Glencoe Mountain Resort has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to buy a Snow factory machine that can create 100 cubic metres of snow per day.
After enduring the worst winter on record for snow in Glencoe - with slopes only open for 32 days of the season - operators at the 61-year-old resort are aiming to guarantee snow on the hills throughout the winter.
Owner and managing director of the resort Andy Meldrum explained: ‘What it will allow us to do is guarantee snow from a set date for one beginner ski run, our sledging area, a ski and snowboard learners area and a small freestyle park.’
The company has begun crowdfunding to raise £320,000 of the £460,000 needed to buy and install the device, which can operate in mild, wet and windy conditions at temperatures as high as 25°C.
When asked about the decision to crowdfund, Andy told the Lochaber Times: ‘Very simply, on the back of last year’s dreadful season, we don’t have the money.’
He added: ‘The most exciting thing is how much this could benefit the local economy as people regain confidence in the Scottish ski industry.’
If the funding campaign is successful, the snow machine could be switched on in early November to build massive piles of snow ahead of an official opening day for the slopes on December 1. Although it will be the first unit in operation in Scotland, Snowfactory machines have already been used on slopes in Eastern Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Andy said: ‘People book their holidays to the Alps months in advance, but here we rely on opportunistic skiers.
‘A poor season can kill off fragile local businesses and harm the community but this technology could give visitors the confidence to plan a trip here.’
Andy told the Lochaber Times the Snowfactory has already proved important in attracting visitors to Glencoe, claiming it was a deciding factor for one individual looking for a ski holiday.
He explained: ‘With the Snowfactory he was coming to Scotland, without it and no guarantee of snow he was going to Austria. This is what we expect to happen but to have it evidenced so early is amazing.’
Alan MacKay, director at Scottish snowsports information website Winterhighland, said: ‘The Snowfactory represents an exciting step change in snow-making technology, so it’s great to see Glencoe lead the way forward.
‘The economic benefits from increased snowsports participation accrue well beyond the mountain with substantial off-mountain spend from skiers and boarders benefiting lots of local businesses.’
Speaking about the wider ramifications of the development on tourism in the Highlands, VisitScotland’s chief executive Malcolm Roughead added: ‘It is an excellent example of the resilience, determination and innovation of Scotland’s tourism industry.
‘As a business greatly reliant on the weather, Glencoe Mountain Resort has shown real creativity in considering ways it can continue to attract local residents and snowsports enthusiasts to the area, regardless of the temperature.’