Snow Sports
To the more adventurous among us, Scotland is a huge playground. We’ve put together an introduction to what’s on offer across Scotland during winter.
Before you head off on any winter sports adventure, check the Mountain Weather Information service for essential and highly accurate weather forecasts to make sure you make it back safely every time.
Skiing and snowboarding
Although most of the mountain terrain is rugged there are lots of great places to ski and board. For on-piste skiing there are five areas in Scotland to choose from:
- Nevis range
- Glenshee
- Glencoe
- Cairngorm
- The Lecht
Skiing is rather more rough and ready than the average Alpine resorts, but far more exhilarating as a result. The ski season is slightly later than other European resorts, usually starting in January and going through to April.
For the more adventurous skier, most outdoor centres offer ski touring, ski mountaineering and off piste skiing. Ski mountaineering uses specially designed skis for going uphill. This is a great way to see the mountains and find powder snow. But you need to be fit – there are no ski lifts to get you to the top – just your own muscle power.
If you’re in the city, head for the dry-ski slopes, available across Scotland. Edinburgh’s Hillend, for example, offers the longest artificial slope for skiers and boarders in Britain. There's also the indoor skiing and boarding facility at Xscape, near Glasgow, with real snow.
Dog sledding
You can take exhilarating dog-sled rides through the forest of the Cairngorms with Sled Dogs, whether there’s snow or not.
Snow sport safety
Many companies offer specific mountain survival techniques, for instance Glenmore Lodge and Braemar Mountain Sports. These winter skills courses cover aspects of survival techniques like navigation, snow holing (digging a tunnel into snow to sleep in), self-arrest (rescuing yourself from a fall on ice using an ice axe) and mountain first aid. All essential skills for snow sports.
Take a look at the Ski-Scotland website for information on all five resorts, snow conditions and web-cams.
For guided trips and lessons see Active Scotland and most of the other centres mentioned on this page.
More information on dog sledding in Scotland