Snowfall Builds Excitement At Scottish Ski Centres As Snowmaking Gets Underway

A week of subzero temperatures and snowfall in the Scottish Highlands has raised anticipation levels for the season ahead.

Usually the first Scottish centres open in early -mid December, conditions permitting, but historically there have been lifts turning as early as Halloween, when snow has arrived early.  The four centres currently aiming to offer snowsports also have all-weather snowmaking machines that allow them to create small areas of snow regardless of weather conditions.

Glencoe has kind of already recorded Scotland’s first lift-served snow skiing this past week as its dry slope, served by a conveyor lift, has been snow covered. The first ski tourers have also been seen heading out onto high terrain.

However, Scottish weather is notoriously changeable and nowhere is predicting an early season start so far.

“Great to see a bit of overnight drifting showing up on the sledging slope webcam. Always important at this time of year that we get a bit of wind when it snows to blow the snow into drifts that have a better chance of surviving when it turns mild again,” A Glencoe spokesperson commented online, adding in a separate post, “…snowmaking now underway. Official opening date for the sledging slope and the on mountain beginners ski and snowboard teaching area is 13th December. However if snow keeps falling like it has been sledging slope will open as soon as the chairlift (currently closed for annual maintenance) re-opens.”

Access to Cairngorm was cut off by drifting snow earlier this week, and roads on both sides of The Lecht (pictured above) were similarly impacted for a time.

Commenting on the snowfall, The Lecht posted, “Not quite enough yet but let’s hope that this is a sign of a good season to come.”

Glenshee say they plan to open on 20th December with manmade snow on two beginner runs and an intermediate run.

Nevis Range, which does not have a functioning all weather snowmaking system, has hardly been able to open the past few years and has not really updated its skiing information on its website since 2023, but in a blog post last year said it would still aim to open some slopes if snow conditions were really good.