By Tom Litchfield
Published: Dec 02, 2022More by Tom
By Tom Litchfield
Published: Dec 02, 2022More by Tom
Often unfairly overlooked, skiing in Scotland, on its day, is right up there with anywhere in the world. With five commercial ski areas, Scotland has plenty to offer the budget-savvy and climate-conscious skier this winter. Equally, with some great backcountry terrain, Scotland also has a wealth of options for the ski connoisseur. Topped off with an authentic ‘off the mountain’ availability of outstanding food, craft drink and friendly accommodation options, it’s a great alternative to mainland European or even further afield ski destinations.
Learn more about Winter in Scotland.
Scotland has five major ski areas, each with a respectable uplift capacity. Although lacking the snow surety and weather reliability of their Alpine cousins, each has its own charm, bargain day lift passes, and all are within shooting range of the central belt or Highland capital of Inverness for single-day missions. And when it’s good, it’s really, really good!
All the ski areas Scotland has to offer are well worth a visit: On a Wilderness Scotland Ski the Scottish Highlands trip, you will get the chance to experience several.
To get an overview:
Ski with unobstructed views over Buachaille Etive Mor, widely considered one of Scotland’s most spectacular mountains and the star of James Bond Skyfall. In the other direction, you overlook Rannoch Moor, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The 50 square miles of wild moorland is also the site of Craigh na Dun in Outlander. With 730m vertical descent (the largest in Scotland) available in good conditions, Glencoe offers far more than great views!
Easy to access from Fort William, Scotland’s newest ski area offers reliable skiing well into the spring on Scotland’s highest and north-facing pistes, accessed by the UK’s only mountain gondola and Scotland’s only quad chairlift (ok, the last two were for the real ski lift nerds). The Back Corries offer some of the best life-accessed freeride terrain out there, full stop.
With the funicular railway due to reopen early in 2023, Cairngorm Mountain feels like it is back on an upward trajectory. With a great selection of pubs, cafes, restaurants and gear shops, Aviemore is the nearest Scotland has to a ski resort
Spread out across both sides of the highest A road in the UK, Glenshee is the largest ski area in Scotland, covering three glens (The Scottish Trois Vallées?), and 2,000 acres. Glenshee is derived from the Gaelic Gleann Shith, meaning Glen of the Fairies.
The smallest ski centre in Scotland, the Lecht 2090 is designed for beginner and intermediate skiers. The comparatively low maximum elevation is more than compensated for by the small amount of snow required to cover the grassy slopes and an unusual ability to attract and hold snow. Ski in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park at the Lecht 2090, which has grown organically since the 1970s.
While there is undoubtedly a huge place for lift-accessed skiing, which is great for beginners, park-rats, racers and if you fancy some on-piste cruising, skiing in Scotland comes into its own away from the often-crowded ski fields. Immerse yourself in Scotland’s remote, picturesque and historic landscape while experiencing the pure unadulterated joy of almost guaranteed fresh tracks without any painfully cold lift-line waits.
With the chance to feel the isolation and remoteness many travel thousands of miles to find within a few hours of the road, the Scottish hills offer something for all ski mountaineering appetites, from rolling “nordic-style” hills to steep gullies. The cheapskate in me would like to point out that ski touring (usually) means you don’t need to pay for a lift pass either!
With sufficient snow cover, it is possible to ski anywhere. During lockdown, many enjoyed skiing in their local hills (e.g., the Pentlands and the Ochils), having brilliant days in ranges that are normally overlooked on the way to bigger hills. Since reliable snow cover in local hills is a pipedream, the larger hills in Glencoe, Lochaber and the Cairngorms are a good bet but still within a short-ish drive from the central belt. North of the Great Glen, there are many spectacular hills (e.g., in Torridon) and home to some superb skiing, making a multi-day excursion an excellent choice when blessed with good conditions.
By 2019, Helen Rennie had skied every month for a decade in Scotland, including through the summer months: With a sufficient level of motivation, flexible attitude and willingness to walk to snow, skiing in Scotland is almost always possible. Even with a largely un-snowy looking hillside, enjoyable lines can often be found as windblown snow tends to collect, then persist in great depth, on lee (downwind) slopes, in burn (stream) lines, gullies and corries, so targeting these (generally north- and east- facing) areas, with an understanding of when windblown snow can constitute an avalanche hazard, is a good tactic.
That said, there is no denying skiing is best when faced with a white mountainside. Skiing in Scotland requires a “go when it is good” opportunistic approach, which can be any time between October (very unusual) and May. Generally, the best time to find snowy conditions is towards the end of February into March. While a decent base of snow can build up between December and the end of January, short days, harsh winds and wildly fluctuating temperatures can limit skiing opportunities. An optimistic attitude and experience knowing where will be out of the wind and holding the best snow (a great reason to hire a guide) dramatically increase chances of “getting lucky” with the weather. Spring snow in Scotland is often superb, especially when combined with stabler weather, longer days and warmer temperatures typical in later March, April and May.
Similarly, snow farming means snow persists in ski areas too. Ski touring has been largely embraced by the ski areas, with several offering discounted “Ski Touring Passes” allowing access to uplift, leaving you to journey onwards from the top of the resort. If you do choose to skin through commercial ski areas, follow Mountaineering Scotland’s ‘Snowsports Touring Code’.
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