 Poster: A snowHead
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Maybe you're talking about it elsewhere but...Lib Dem MSP Jamie Stone has persuaded the Scottish Government to get the old plans for a Ben Whyvis Ski centre out of the attic. The mountain is over 1000m high and often has good snow cover - but I'm still not certain the almost coastal location holds snow better than Cairngorm, which is so much more central.
And would a new ski centre ever be able to repay the costs (and ecological costs) of being built from scratch? Cairngorm is only now pulling itself back from the brink after 3 good seasons.
Here's the link...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12162593
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Great map! Really interesting (and only £1.50) from (OMG Melvyns! haha, it's like seeing a ghost). Strathpeffer would be an excellent place to have a resort - it always looks like a magnificent place under-used! Let's hope this season continues well. How does Ben Whyvis compare to Cairngorm in terms of snow-hilding? Then get busy and draw a piste map - That I would like to see!
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There was also at least one proposal to come in from the Garbat side, but the NW aspects of An Cabar are very prone to avalanches, due to the very smooth mountain side. Generally though the smoothness of the mountain would be an asset as a ski area not requiring a huge depth of snow and the SE aspects have good snow holding most winters, as seen from Inverness, but on the whole the season would typically end earlier than CairnGorm, though it has to be said there could have been skiing into June some years on Ben Wyvis.
Ben Wyvis has some geographic advantages in terms of climate, it generally catches a lot more snow from Northerly weather than even CairnGorm and the Lecht, but is in one of the driers areas of Scotland and would suffer the least from SW'ly blasts. The snow catching from the North would favour the SE aspects visible from Inverness which were favoured for development.
From the Herald in 1999: http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/rival-groups-in-bitter-battle-to-create-ben-wyvis-ski-resort-1.636158
There was an attempt to revive the railway proposal in the late 90s and early 2000's with a Funicular, the proposals never got that advanced as far as I'm aware and I've not had any joy trying to find more detailed information. The basic concept revolved around a detachable grip funicular system following a not dissimilar line to that proposed in the 80s plans above. Not sure if funiculars have ever been built on that scale and there would have been a variety of issues to deal with technically, including funiculars running cable hauled over mainline rail - the junctions at least would have presented interesting technical challenges!
Some recent press coverage:
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2102398?UserKey=
http://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/8626/Ben_Wyvis_ski_centre_plan_back_on_the_agenda.html
SNH has stated that it would not oppose development of the NNR on principle, it would be a case of a development proving it could be built and operate without jeopardising the conservation interests in the NNR. I believe rail based approach on similar proposals to the 80s and 90s plans would have a presumption in favour of consent due to past decisions, but a ropeway based approach could likely demonstrate an even lower impact.
Could it actually happen? I doubt significant public funding would come the way of this project at least from Highlands & Islands Enterprise, HIE needs to sort out CML and the Cairngorm Estate (it owns both the land and operating company) first and would have concerns about a new ski area in the Inner Moray Firth undermining CML year round. However that doesn't rule out other public funding streams, either direct from the Scottish Government, locally through the Highland Council or through the likes of Sport Scotland or indeed private sector and community based investment.
Should it happen? That's a whole different issue, in fact two separate issues. Firstly there is the conservation issue, which needs separated from human preconceptions over wilderness, the fact is the knowledge and technology exists now to develop a very low impact ski area which need not compromise the reasons for the NNR.
Secondly there is the issue of viability of Ben Wyvis and the other Scottish Snowsport Areas should a 6th area be created. The proposals based one way or other around the Raven Rock base regarded snowsports as the cream, in that respect the project would be similar to Nevis Range in that a viable visitor attraction could exist without snowsports, which simply is not the case at Glencoe, Glenshee, the Lecht or indeed at CairnGorm Mountain.
Personally I think I would be likely to oppose any other proposal should there be one for a new Scottish Ski Area within the geographic Highlands, but the combination of Strahpeffer and Ben Wyvis could create the only truly integrated 'ski resort' in Scotland and one which would be absolutely unique. If it came to public funding, I'd probably come down in favour of 'downwards expansion' on CairnGorm Mountain through building new base facilities at Glenmore and replacing at least the upper reaches of the Ski Road and Coire Cas Carparks with a Gondola of some form or other.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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For many years I taught a course on Business Analysis at Glasgow Caledonian and every 3 or 4 years the students did as their real life project an analysis of ski/tourist development at Strathpeffer. The key is to get central high quality facilities and time share chalets adjacent to the base station to give the closest thing Scotland can offer to a ski in-ski out experience. My view is that the quarter share option pioneered by Intrawest that built so much of Tremblant and Whistler, would have just been feasible provided the non snowsports activities (golf, swimming, biking etc) were good. The train is a romantic notion (which I really like in Wengen) but gondolas are much better in delivering people to the slopes.
Getting people north of Inverness (or even north of Watford) requires some clever marketing, good snow and good summer weather. A big ask, which is why it has not happened. It is also very risky as a project.
Incidentally a key element of the plan was restrictingall but a few tickets to tourist staying in Strathpeffer and keeping the skiing exclusive. No queues at weekends was a big deal!
Geoff
NB I did a Cost-Benefit Appraisal of the railway very early on just after the Invergordon smelter went. It was not a good investment even then
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If you consider the huge opposition to the Cairngorm funicular and the planning conditions that allowed it to be built, I don't think there's an earthly chance a completely new resort would be built today.
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^ Agree.
If this was going to happen then it would have been in built in 1980s (rather than Nevis Range)
Ben Wyvis was a nice idea : my uncle lives in Dingwall and toured there a lot.
However recent government sponsored economic review of the Scottish ski areas proposed supporting / upgrading the 5 ski areas that we already have.
As Alan says we dont need another ski area diluting trade from the ones we already have.
Any new development would need to be 100% private funded with approval of the land owners.
Seems very unlikely to me this will ever get off the ground.....
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Anyone skied down Wyvis ? I was brought up in Alness (about 20 miles away by road / 10 by air) and could see it from my house. I've always fancied it butI left home at 18 and that was before I started skiing. I've only ever been up it in snowy conditions a few times as it can be very hard work from the Garve side in snow and the approach from the east, although easier, is a very long walk in
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