The Scottish Ski Season Begins

Torrential rain in the Scottish Highlands has been falling as snow on high ground, and with more precipitation forecast, along with lowering temperatures, the start of the ski season is imminent at all five of the country's ski centres.

Indeed Cairngorm Mountain above Aviemore already opened some beginner terrain at the top of the ski area, accessed from the funicular railway, this weekend.

Opening day lift tickets were GBP15 for adults, GBP10 for children, with no ski rentals available on site. The first lift up was the 10am funicular and about 600 people are reported to have taken to the slopes

The area opened by running the Ciste tow and Ptarmigan tow. A run to the middle was not possible, but this may change with continued snowfall. The weather was at the extremes Scottish skiers are prepared for, with high 45mph winds and a strong wind chill factor.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

This is Scotland Admin, 45mph is the norm, extrme is 60mph+with hailstone, all pushing you back uphill.

...I expect Pablo to have been up there in his t-shirt too... :D

Dave Mac wrote:This is Scotland Admin, 45mph is the norm.

Is that serious Dave?

Not entirely, but cloud, horizontal snow, hail can be a reasonably frequent. Road closure has to be checked. When it is windy, it is very, very cold. Most unlike the Alps, more like Canada.

The evidence of wind constancy is the prevalence of wind slab on the surface.

Oddly, at the end of my four winter seasons, I went up to Cairngorm, for a holiday, and had fantastic warm spring snow skiing. (That's probably remembering endless sunsets!)

I do intend to do some skiing up here this year, I am only 90 minutes from Glenshee, and two and a bit hours from Cairngorm.

Skiing in Scotland: If there isn't horizontal sleet right in your face, zero visibility and comedy rocks then you're not trying hard enough ;)

Hmmmmm, I was going to go up for a weekend when there was snow, but you lot have put me off now

kateshaw wrote:Skiing in Scotland: If there isn't horizontal sleet right in your face, zero visibility and comedy rocks then you're not trying hard enough ;)

Not to mention when I snapped a ski stick, trying to pierce the hard slab. And the bobbles of snow, that had hardened to concrete levels.