Scooby96

Anyone recommend a good 'resort' ?

Dave T-S

There aren't any (traditionally poor snow most years, and small ski areas).....and IIRC one of them is closing, so that's one less!

Probably better off going to Xscape at Milton Keynes!

Brit_in_Japan

Skiing in Scotland ain't the same as skiing in the Alps ! First choice would be to stay in Aviemore and ski the Cairngorm ski area. It's maybe a 25 minute drive to get from Aviemore to the slopes, but allow more if there's snow down and you don't have winter tyres. Aviemore has gear shops, bars, restaurants and places to stay. The new funicular should provide more efficient transport to the top from the car park. It's entertaining enough if the conditions are good.

The alternative would be to stay in Fort William and ski the Nevis Range. Fort William too has same sort of facilities but more hotels and guest houses to choose from. It's only about 15 minutes drive out of Fort Bill to get to the Nevis Range. Not skied there myself though.

In Scotland you can't too far ahead when it comes to skiing because conditions come-in and go-away so quickly (unless they have an exceptional year). If you were there for a week, there'd be no guarantee you'd get any skiing done

Don't forget to wrap up warm

Ian E

iTrader: (1)

Agree with the above - I stopped going to Scotland due to poor conditions - its either too cold, not enough snow, too windy or you can't get to the resort because the road is blocked with snow!

Tried Xscape at Castleford - excellent Meribel in a few weeks - even better

Cheers,

Ian.

Franx

It can be good, but in my one experience, it can be a little undependable. It's best if you live near the place, so you can just drop everything & shoot up there for a few days. I went to the Cairngorms last year, around the end of Jan, which was good. Plenty of hire places, but not an abundance of acommodation, so you need to get in there early.
That's the only place I've been to, although I might try a different place this year - not coz it's no good - I'm just wondering what the other places are like.

CharlesW

I have lived in Scotland for the past 20 years. It is true that some winters are better than others. But on the right day skiing in Scotland can be a very good experience. I ski every year in the Alps and obviously that is usually much better. However I usually get 10 - 20 days skiing a year in Scotland.

The Lecht has the shortest runs, but it has no rocks, so it is skiable with less snow. Also it is less affected by wind, though the infamous A939 is easily blocked by drifting snow.

Cairngorm has quite a decent vertical drop - 1800 ft. There is some good terrain for the more advanced skiers. The West Wall is genuinely steep, as are the 2 gullies on the other side of Corrie Na Ciste. The White Lady is a decent enough mogul run, though it is not particularly steep. However it is exposed and wind can be a problem. The funicular should maintain uplift in the wind, but the skiing in 70 mph wind full of flying ice will still be just as uncomfortable. But having said that, I have had some very good days skiing in late April and early May in bright warm sunshine.

Aonach Mhor or Nevis Range has excellent terrain and "alpine" scenery. It is next to Ben Nevis and on clear days there are superb views over Loch Linnhe and the Inner Hebrides. Most of the skiing is on the N side of Aonach Mhor with a vertical drop of around 2000 ft. Aonach Mhor's summit is over 4000 ft above see level. The best skiing for good skiers is in the back corrie. There is 1 chairlift in the back corrie, but it does not take you back to the summit ridge. The back corrie is all off piste. Getting into it involves negotiating a large (sometimes huge) cornice. There are some excellent places to stay in Fort William and Spean Bridge.

I have not skied Glencoe, but it does have its fans. By the way it will be open this winter, but at weekends only.

Glenshee is the nearest venue for me, so it is the place I go to most often. The access road is usually open in all but the worst weather. The longest runs have about 1000 ft of vertical. However the area is quite extensive. It extends over 3 valleys. As a consequence there is skiing on W, S, N and E facing slopes, so it is usually possible to get shelter from most weather. The terrain is very varied. The Tiger is a genuinely interesting and steep mogul run. Corrie Fionn is a large N facing corrie in which you can ski anywhere. It is fairly sheltered, so after a good dump there are plenty of powder opportunities. Also Braemar is pleasant place to stay.

I live just an hour down the road, so I am able to get there when conditions are right, and working offshore I can go midweek. Weekends are very crowded!

Glenshee, Cairngorm or Nevis Range would each keep you entertained for a couple of days. So all 3 should provide a weeks skiing.
However if you live in the South, the Alps are no further away.