 Poster: A snowHead
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If you can ski in Scotland you can ski anywhere 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Firstly thanks for all the replies everyone!
Secondly, everyone says down south and seems to mean london or the south east. Living in bournemouth i either have a 5 hour ferry journey or cham is 750+ miles going via dover fort william for comparison is 560....
All that said this is only increasing the chances of my grabbing an extra few days skiing somewhere in feb so many thanks to everyone!!!
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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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| Tom B82 wrote: |
Firstly thanks for all the replies everyone!
Secondly, everyone says down south and seems to mean london or the south east. Living in bournemouth i either have a 5 hour ferry journey or cham is 750+ miles going via dover fort william for comparison is 560....
All that said this is only increasing the chances of my grabbing an extra few days skiing somewhere in feb so many thanks to everyone!!! |
That's not exactly a fair comparison. You could go to Les Rousses in the Jura and that's a lot closer. Also, whisper it quietly, none of the Scottish resorts are much like Chamonix. Of course, it all boils down to what the exact question is:
If you want the cheapest option then you should probably fly from Bournemouth to Bulgaria or similar
If you want the best option then you should fly to the Alps.
If you want the quickest option, then you should probably fly to the Alps.
If you want to ski in Scotland, then you should go to Scotland.
If you really want to drive then maybe Scotland, but also ferry to Le Havre, or similar, and then on to the Alps.
There are few logical reasons to ski in Scotland if you live pretty much anywhere south of Birmingham, but then skiing was never meant to be logical and it all boils down to what you want to do.
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^ your southern bias blinds you to the facts.
if you live in the northern half of the UK (as many millions do) then the cheapest and easiest option for a weekends skiing will always be Scotland.
I regularly met lots of people on the T-Bar at Glencoe who have come from Manchester / Yorkshire / Sheffield / Newcastle / Liverpool etc.
Usually they decided midweek that conditions look good and chucked their skis or board in the car on a Friday evening.
have you ever actually skied in Scotland ?
... or the Jura ?
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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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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
^ your southern bias blinds you to the facts.
if you live in the northern half of the UK (as many millions do) then the cheapest and easiest option for a weekends skiing will always be Scotland.
I regularly met lots of people on the T-Bar at Glencoe who have come from Manchester / Yorkshire / Sheffield / Newcastle / Liverpool etc.
Usually they decided midweek that conditions look good and chucked their skis or board in the car on a Friday evening.
have you ever actually skied in Scotland ?
... or the Jura ? |
You seem to be ignoring one small point about what you call my Southern bias. Tom B82 lives in the South. My points were all related to him and his skiing plans. You may also have failed to read the last paragraph that made this even clearer.
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^ have you ever skied in Scotland ?
I have several friend who moved "down south" (i.e London) and generally ski once or twice a season up here.
Obviously a very long way for the weekend - much like the alps / jura : or anywhere with mountains...
Usually they save their trips for 3 or 4 day "weeekends" in the Spring (March and April) when the weather and snow is more reliable.
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The Scotch (sic) stuff is interesting, but it's a few small regional hills. No disrespect to Mel Gibson intended.
To me it's like the local hills in Southern Finland. If you live in Helsinki then they're fine and dandy for a quick trip, or for learning. But they're not big enough, the snow's not generally good enough, and they're too expensive to contend with the Alps. That will be my southern Finnish bias showing through, I suppose.
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@Tom B82, Live the dream and give it a go! Scotland is not better or worse than the Alps, it is different! You should try it at least once. I would advise going Mar/Apr rather than Jan/Feb, if the snow comes it usually builds up right through March and lasts well into April or May and you get more daylight and a better chance of good weather.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| philwig wrote: |
The Scotch (sic) stuff is interesting, but it's a few small regional hills. No disrespect to Mel Gibson intended.
To me it's like the local hills in Southern Finland. If you live in Helsinki then they're fine and dandy for a quick trip, or for learning. But they're not big enough, the snow's not generally good enough, and they're too expensive to contend with the Alps. That will be my southern Finnish bias showing through, I suppose. |
To compare Scottish (or Finnish) skiing to the alps kind of misses the point ?
Not least for the people who do live within day tripable distance and are lucky enough to simply jump in the car and ski for a weekend.
Europe is full of a surprising number of small "locals" resorts outside the alps
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 12-11-15 12:40; edited 1 time in total
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There is something magical about skiing in Scotland and, if it's your thing, the gully skiing is excellent. It's different to the Alps, neither better of worse.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
^ have you ever skied in Scotland ?
I have several friend who moved "down south" (i.e London) and generally ski once or twice a season up here.
Obviously a very long way for the weekend - much like the alps / jura : or anywhere with mountains...
Usually they save their trips for 3 or 4 day "weeekends" in the Spring (March and April) when the weather and snow is more reliable. |
No, I haven't ever skied in Scotland, and as I've said before it's unlikely I ever will. There just aren't enough logical reasons to recommend it ahead of the other options. I have nothing against skiing in Scotland and I understand that there are problems comparing Scotland with the Alps, but ..... a comparison is almost inevitable. As we have said previously it's almost the same cost and the same length of journey to get from most of Southern UK to both places. So, when the moment comes to decide where to go you inevitably start to weigh up the pros and cons of both options. If you live further North, then equation may be different. I know some people have a somewhat romantic notion of wanting to ski in Scotland specifically because it's in ones own country, but I can't say I feel that any more than I'd choose to go wine tasting in Wales rather than France.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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^ so : you have never skied in Scotland, and have zero intention of ever trying it.
yet you clicked on a thread specifically about Scottish skiing and advised others not to bother ?
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@foxtrotzulu, agree with everything you say. The likes of Haggis Trap (who for some reason has decided you are anti-Scotland) are missing the point that the OP lives right on the South Coast. By the sea. Any further south and he'd be in France.
Bournemouth has an airport, from which it is possible to get a flight to Geneva or Turin and therefore faster and easier access to better skiing than Scotland. Whether it's cheaper, I don't know - but getting to Scotland from Bournemouth takes a long time and from the sounds of it it's highly likely you'll either face crowds or bad weather and closures when you eventually get there.
The further north you live, the more sense it makes to go to Scotland, I would go too!! No-one is saying skiing in Scotland isn't fun or scenic, I'm sure it is. It's just that the Alps are in a different league.
But if the OP's up for going to Scotland anyway, good for him.
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You know it makes sense.
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I always avoid Cairngorm and Glenshee at weekends, gets way to busy.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
| I know some people have a somewhat romantic notion of wanting to ski in Scotland specifically because it's in ones own country |
I've had some fantastic days walking and climbing in Scotland and would like to ski there sometime. Getting there at the right time is all a bit complicated. As for the remark above, maybe this is the wrong place to say so but I can't say I regard Scotland as my country.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Have skid extensively in Yurp, N.A, Japan etc but you can't beat a cheeky trip up to Scotland (I'm in Brizzle) when conditions are good.
This was late April this year in the Nevis back corries, when a lot of European resorts were already closed
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
^ so : you have never skied in Scotland, and have zero intention of ever trying it.
yet you clicked on a thread specifically about Scottish skiing and advised others not to bother ? |
You really are a master of the misquote and deliberately misunderstanding something. I never said I had no intention of skiing in Scotland, I said it was unlikely I ever would. Intentions and the probability of something happening are completely different. I have no intention of getting run over by a bus, but it might happen. I have every intention of having a threesome with a pair of Swedish sisters, but it may not happen.
I never advised others not to bother. I simply pointed out that if you live in the South of the UK there few logical reasons to ski in Scotland as there are other places that are more snow sure / less crowded / have better weather / are quicker to get to etc. I also pointed out that a good reason to ski in Scotland is simply because you want to ski in Scotland, and that's a perfectly valid reason.
I do wish you weren't quite so chippy and determined to find a slur on Scotland in every post. It makes life very tedious.
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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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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
I haven't ever skied in Scotland, and as I've said before it's unlikely I ever will. |
then...
| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| I never said I had no intention of skiing in Scotland,. |
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Glen Coe is my go to Scottish resort (I live in Edinburgh). Even when the weather is 'interesting' its still be pretty nice. You also have the micro lodges at the bottom of the mountain in the car park if you want to make a weekend of it without the hassle of getting in there every day. My mates have used the lodges a lot and love them. Even when its been busy with half the lifts shut I've still managed far more skiing than at Cairngorm.
The other option is that there are some scarily cheap weekend deals to Andora at the moment from places like get me to the alps.
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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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@foxtrotzulu, there are few logical reasons to head for the mountains, strap two (or one) plank(s) to to your feet and slide down, rinse, and repeat.
By your logic no one from Europe would fly stateside to strap two (or one) plank(s) to their feet to slide down a mountain... The idiots! Spend your money as you see fit dude.
@geoffers, nice pic... If only the weather wasn't a whiteout hoolie and it wasn't so crowded it mighta been worth the drive 
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
I haven't ever skied in Scotland, and as I've said before it's unlikely I ever will. |
then...
| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| I never said I had no intention of skiing in Scotland,. |
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As I said before, there is a difference between the likelihood of something happening and an intention.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| dode wrote: |
@foxtrotzulu, there are few logical reasons to head for the mountains, strap two (or one) plank(s) to to your feet and slide down, rinse, and repeat.
By your logic no one from Europe would fly stateside to strap two (or one) plank(s) to their feet to slide down a mountain... The idiots! Spend your money as you see fit dude.
@geoffers, nice pic... If only the weather wasn't a whiteout hoolie and it wasn't so crowded it mighta been worth the drive |
This was exactly the point I made earlier. You are agreeing with me. I pointed out that skiing, in itself, is an illogical activity. I also said that skiing in Scotland purely because you want to ski in Scotland was entirely valid. Incidentally, I'm not sure you are right about the question of skiing in the States. Most people I know go and ski in the States because they are hoping for better powder than they are likely to find in Europe. Logical reason. If someone told me they were going to the U.S. because it's easy to get to, the lift passes are cheap and the charm of the mountain rstaurants is consistently higher than Europe then id suggest they may be wrong.
I've no idea why HT and some others are so defensive of Scottish skiing. You are incredibly lucky to have something like that on your doorstep and I'm sure you can have some great days there, but that doesn't alter the fact that if you aren't conveniently close it may not make much sense.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| and too crowded if the conditions are good |
Definitely applicable to Cairngorm and Glenshee; possible but not generally the case at Glencoe; but have NEVER seen that apply at Nevis Range (nor at The Lecht but I'm assuming that that wouldn't be on your to do list as it's very small - still some good skiing though....).
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Agreed and mainly only really busy in January and in school holidays
Pick a weekend nearer the end of March and unless it's been a terrible winter snow wise or there are really high winds (less common in spring than deepest winter) Glencoe will be open and will have plenty of snow to ski on in the deep gulleys. There won't be any queues as everyone in the central belt will have forgotten about the snow and have moved on to planning their summer holidays and you might even get some sunshine. My birthday is at the start of April and I'm pretty sure I have skied in Scotland the weekend before or after it every year since I started skiing >10 years ago (avoid Easter though).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just to add my ha'penny's worth if I may.
I did a lot of my teeth-cutting (well, about 10 years ago when I started ski-ing seriously) in Scotland: Cairngorm mainly but also Lecht, a bit at Glenshee and also Nevis. I love it, for many reasons - part of which is the utter joy (???) of ski-ing in a force whatever utter whiteout and just plain surviving. I've always said that if you can ski in 'proper' Scottsh conditions, you can ski anywhere. (Same true of other half who snowboards, and learnt a lot up on Ptarmigan bowl, including the best lessons he says he's ever had).
I've ski-ed there in everything from full-on icicle-ridden Arctic howlers (hoolies?) with blood dripping off any exposed skin from the ice cuts and visibility down to nothing at all, right up to fantastic Alpine sun-burning sunshine. (Rarely a lot in-between, funnily enough!). The snow conditons can be ice, wonderful powder, deep, groomed, 'spring' (slush) and nothing at all.... Often all on the same day on the same run. Having said that, it can last well into April onwards at an acceptable level.
On the down side compard to Alpine areas, there's not a lot of gondolas, chairlifts and the like: mostly t-bars/pomas. And sometimes, certainly if at Cairngorm, if the snow cover's only 1/2 way down then you can get the funicular up (assuming that it's working!) but end up having to walk the last bit down on heather and grit...
I live near Sheffield and have often considered the same question as the OP - do I go through the hassle of looking online, booking, getting all the crap together for the airplane/security (it's a hassle for me, certainly), p-ing around at the airport, waiting for transfers and etc, etc - or do I sling everything, including portable sink, into the back of the car and head up the motorway for 8 hours straight? Time-wise it's probably quicker to head North, with 2 drivers it's a nice drive (blocked passes and Glasgow roadworks permitting).
So surely it's a good idea for short breaks, especially if the forecast's good? And, yes, in theory, it is: if you can double check the forecast by phoning someone or some place up there, if the weatehr actually holds good for the intended duration of your stay, if you can find somewhere to stay and if you are in a grab it and go position work- and home- wise then it's a possibility. I'd query that for anyone south of the Manchester/Sheffield line, though, and even then it's a long drag just for a weekend (but so is Geneva onwards). Also, whilst it can be cheap, a lot of accommodation isn't at all cheap, nor easy to find (depending on what you want) and the cost of fuel has to be factored in.
It's long been a favourite March-April holiday trip of ours - often around Easter is the best time, although it can be terribly busy Easter weekend/school hols, which is a real downside for me too, especially at Cairngorm - but, as many others have said, that trip also includes some favourite walks, seaside trips, photographic expeditions and general bumming around as well. I've spent many trips of 5-7 days managing to get about 3 hours in in each of 2 days, and that was with extreme high winds. Even if the resort is open (and Cairngorm will try in almost anything), you might not be able to get up there because the road's covered in spindrift.
So my conclusion, which I think agrees with other posters - it's a great place to ski/board and also to winter climb/walk (which is originally what got me up there) - BUT the weather is very fickle and unpredictable and you have to weigh that up with all of the other factors. When it's good, it's great. When it's not, it's a real downer waste of time...
My real conclusion is that if you want to ski in Scotland, go and live there (or at least very near).
Oh, and do mind the half-covered broken wooden deer fences at the side of the runs... 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
| Oh, and do mind the half-covered broken wooden deer fences at the side of the runs... |
Do you mean the snow fences? ie the fences that keep the snow on the ski runs - as opposed to it being blasted off the mountain by the wind.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 17-11-15 21:47; edited 1 time in total
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@Tom B82, This is a link which I hope will take you to video reports for previous winters at Cairngorm https://www.youtube.com/user/CairnGormMountain not it will give you an idea of how it can be in the Scottish mountains, if you look I am sure there will be videos from the other resorts.
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You know it makes sense.
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Mountainaddict - you may well be right. I mean the broken sticks of wired-together wood which stick up a few inches out o the snow and look extremly keen to trip you up at the least and impale you bodyily at every possible opportunity. Never come accross them except in Scotlan, a great additional joy of trying to see and avoid them in the usual poor visibility. Good for jumping practice if you can spot them at the last minute, though...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Grizzler wrote: |
| Mountainaddict - you may well be right. I mean the broken sticks of wired-together wood which stick up a few inches out o the snow and look extremly keen to trip you up at the least and impale you bodyily at every possible opportunity. Never come accross them except in Scotlan, a great additional joy of trying to see and avoid them in the usual poor visibility. Good for jumping practice if you can spot them at the last minute, though... |
He is correct. If they weren't there all that would be left on the high spots would be wind scoured ice. All the snow would accumulate in the lee slopes. It is windy approximately 100% of the time in Scotland.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We even have those fences down here so that the snow that blows across the Downs isn't just dumped onto the sunken roads but instead drops just on the lee side of the fence.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Very intestine that foxtrotzulu. Wasn't aware they are used on UK roads - and that being the case am surprised that they aren't in position on the worst sections of drift-prone high level routes like the North Pennines' A66, or up in the Scottish Highlands.
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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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| Quote: |
| Wasn't aware they are used on UK roads |
As a kid I remember seeing this sort of snow fencing set back from main roads in the high ground in the Cotswolds, but you never seem to see them these days as I guess the amount of snow we get now doesn't warrant the expense.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Think a lot of folk have said a lot of this already-
How good the skiing will be is based on the weather (obviously) so if you could go according to forecasts at fairly short notice do that. Scotland on a good day is as good as anywhere, and on a bad day can be totally brutal. I have had some truly amazing days skiing there.
Go mid week rather than weekends when it is much quieter.
Get a base to stay and go to the resort that has the best conditions on the day. http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/activities/skiing/conditions/ and http://www.winterhighland.info/general/ are good websites that are kept up to date on conditions. The resorts all have Facebook pages that they update regularly too.
Nevis Range is great in good weather. Has big wide open snow fields, doesn't often seem too crowded and the Back Corries are ace, in good conditions they are as good as anywhere.
Glenshee feels like it is on a different scale to the others and you get a great sense of travel. They have just replaced the tiger chairlift with a new three man one for this year.
Cairngorm is not my favourite at all but is easy to get to, has lots of accommodation and fairly varied runs. Always feel like there are bottlenecks and is often pretty crowded (not during the week though).
The Lecht is handy if its too windy at Cairngorm but the runs are very short.
Haven't actually been to Glencoe but it is on my list of places to go.
Everyone should ski Scotland. If you can ski in Scotland you can ski anywhere!
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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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I've often wondered why more south of England folk don't realise they could buy a three or four bedroom house in West Lothian for half the price of a one room flat in Kent, and commute from Edinburgh to London via budget airline in less time than the choked rush-hour trains can get you there.
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We had an easter hol in Scotland stopping in Fort William with a bit of skiing last year, went on Sat and came back the following Fri, changed plans the Wed before we went as we had been planning Avimore but the weather forecast for there was rubbish! Of the 5 full days Glen Coe and Nevis were both open 1 day, both closed due to wind 2 days and one or other open on the other two days. Lifts are slow and unreliable, mountain restaurants clearly based on 1970s motorway service areas and the lift passes comparable in price to big alpine resorts. On the plus side the skiing is fun (even if 10yo Toastertalbot was loudly complaining the Scottish reds would be easy blues in L2A) and even in the school Easter hols really quiet in the week.
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Oh and driving up the there from the southern end of the Peak District we stopped for a drink around Glasgow and the kids didn't believe me 1/3 of the journey was still to come!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I'm very happy for Southerners to go to mainland Europe instead of driving up here. Even in the summer many of them seem incapable of driving any road north of Perth at more than 30 mph and seem to feel it is necessary to slam on the brakes and almost come to a standstill at the first sign of a slight bend or a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. In winter conditions....
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| davkt wrote: |
| Oh and driving up the there from the southern end of the Peak District we stopped for a drink around Glasgow and the kids didn't believe me 1/3 of the journey was still to come! |
That might be because Scotland is bigger than England.
| davkt wrote: |
| On the plus side the skiing is fun (even if 10yo Toastertalbot was loudly complaining the Scottish reds would be easy blues in L2A) . |
In the unlikely event you make it through border security again, do drop me a message and I can take little Toastertalbot for a run down Tiger at Glenshee. It will be interesting to see how many turns he manages to get in, if any.
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FAQ
... 5 mins before the pic was taken it was ... but then a perfect day once it cleared 
