Scottish Snowsports sector 2022 - economic, social, and cultural impact

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I think I am agreeing with the way this thread is going forward.

Scottish skiing is for the locals (2 hours away) or for those that are happy with their plan B should the conditions not allow.

I still don't understand why they can't put dry slope matting on the piste, if it snows great, if it is poor snow you can still ski.

As for climate change, you should really be looking at the TikTok generation rather than those that fly to the Alps if you have a need to point a finger.

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The changing climate could quickly cause problems for some alpine resorts. Unlike Scotland they are not yet geared up for stop-start ski seasons. The current model relies on continuous snow cover throughout the season. This season has perhaps indicated the direction of travel with long lasting persistently mild air streams.

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I agree with @Haggis_Trap re webcams. I'm a long time Scottish skier, though still 3-4 hours' drive away. Happy to do the drive any time, though ideally for at least 2 days in a row (rarely both bluebird, of course!), but haven't bothered this year because it's just seemed harder and harder, (not just this year) to gather what conditions are really like, or to get anywhere near a decent weather forecast 12-24hrs in advance.
Facebook posts from each area extoll the glorious conditions and weather in hindsight (or in pink, a la Cairngorm), whilst Winter Highland says not worth it up front (as did other forecasts): not sure which is ever right. Do feel that the 'resorts' are often over-selling how good it is (and have indeed confirmed that in the last few years also).
With the current costs of fuel, accommodation and food (if you don't have a van and can't get cheap SC 'digs' easily - which you often can't), then it's often just seemingly much too much of a chance to take, especially if conditions are quite marginal anyway. Real shame, as I used to love grabbing the gear and 'hacking up' for an overnight stay. Good memories, but lesser reality these days. Or maybe me just getting old Sad

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>>or to get anywhere near a decent weather forecast 12-24hrs in advance. <<

MWIS is about as accurate as you will ever need in my experience of working in the hills. On very rare occasions it’s not spot on but it’s usually bang on.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

^ nice. Yeah it's a tricky environment to forecast in from what I know but the models and MWIS in particular does a pretty good job of localising it enough. Aspect etc. all play a part but totally understand it's a big commitment to a 300 mile drive for pox weather ! I live near lots of it and that is bad enough, when I'm retired next winter I'll be making good use of all the weather windows !
I also totally get it if I was sitting in the SE of England I'd not drive to Aviemore for my holiday if i wanted locked in skiing, totally get that. But then you can drive to the Alps from there easily enough (relatively). I'm fervent that we need to encourage the N of England and Scottish people to look at more 'local' options. My concern, as always, is 'use it or lose it'. The less we frequent these places the less likely they are to survive, like pubs Very Happy

I've now properly read that whole paper and it has HIEs mucky fingerprints all over it.

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" I'm fervent that we need to encourage the N of England and Scottish people to look at more 'local' options. My concern, as always, is 'use it or lose it'. The less we frequent these places the less likely they are to survive. "

Every time that I've been up in the last many years they've been remarkably busy - and several times this year it has been impossible to buy tickets on line as they've been sold out.
Lift queues at Glencoe upper mountain and Nevis, and past memories of Cairngorm funicular, have been sufficient to be off-putting, too.

Still, I agree, and would like to get up there as often as possible, even if the weather is chancy. But consider a 'northern England' visitor: Carlisle to Glencoe and return is 360 miles, Cairngorm 450 (per Google maps). Say, very roughly, £60 in fuel. Then a £35 lift pass. Then maybe £70 accommodation for a night (very variable, but rarely cheaper) if you don't fancy the very early start, long and often slow drive, plus skiing/boarding all in one day. £165 plus food for a few occasionally wonderful but often not so inspiring runs; and mostly on drag lifts.
It used to make sense as part of a week's general getaway holiday - where we counted ourselves lucky if we got 3 days on the hill around Easter time, and spent a lot of time driving around desperately trying to find anywhere open - but just on the chance of getting in a slide..? And when it is actually sometimes annoyingly busy as well..?

Mind you, as posted elsewhere, I have for many years been seriously looking into moving up to Scotland so that I can much more easily 'carpe snow' whenever I can.

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So having read the report, here is my 10 penny worth. It seems to me that the report is a mixture of: trying to nail jelly to a wall; trying to pander to the Scottish Government’s various agendas; and stating the obvious - who’d have thought that most people ski because they enjoy it? It reminds me of an old Monty Python sketch where they investigated the theory that sitting down does actually rest you. They missed out one of the most important reasons – “To appease my partner “. There are inaccuracies (as others have pointed out) and omissions – no mentions of Highlands based BASI or the seemingly now defunct Lowther Hills. There is no reference to the fact that many who work in the sector are transient, often younger people who will eventually pursue a different career path. There are also lots of meaningless tables – stats relating to the SMID quintiles and Local Authority Areas, being just one. It does tell us that snowsports are not a huge part of the Scottish economy – but that is fairly obvious. If they were determined to do a report, it really should have waited until most of the impact of the pandemic had shaken out.

I first skied in Scotland 30 odd years ago, when I Iived in Yorkshire and was trying to get on the BASI ladder, so I did a season of weekends and school holidays working in Glencoe. I thought it was going to be a chore, but proved a wonderful experience. I went back in subsequent years, occasionally to work, but mainly to have fun. When I moved to Glasgow (for reasons largely unrelated to skiing) I worked part-time at Xscape/SnowFactor from its opening to its demise at the end of last year. But, I mainly worked for the Scottish Government, where from time to time and where it seemed appropriate tried to interest Ministers and officials in the industry, where it impacted my own area of work – little to no interest. I think I previously recorded on SH an instance where I persuaded a Minister to come to a meeting of those involved in adventure sports that took place at Glenmore Lodge. There was snow on the ground. The Minister turned up in a fun fur coat and heels, commenting it was a bit cold. It didn’t impress the fleece clad audience. I also had dealings with Ekos – the authors of the report in question. They are very adept at the processes surrounding reports for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Government is very adept at commissioning reports and setting up committees rather than actually doing anything.

As others have suggested, those who ski in the Scottish mountains are largely: locals(up to a couple of hours away); motivated enthusiasts from further afield; “passers-by”; and the curious. No matter what we might wish (unless there is some miraculous climate or technological change) there are never going to be enough customers to make for a thriving industry. I would guess that more than half of the people who came for beginner lessons at Braehead had no immediate intention of going to the mountains to ski or board. Of those that had an intention many did not even know you could ski on the Scottish mountains. However, there is one less tangible thing which I don’t think is fully brought out in the report and that is that the existence of Scottish ski stations adds to the atmosphere of the Highlands even for folk who have no intention of ever participating themselves - it offers (an uneducated additional edge). I remember a coach load of shorts clad Spanish tourists coming up the funicular at Cairngorm and gawping in wonderment at the late season skiers and borders – somewhat ironic given I learnt to ski in Spain.

Oh and for the record – I’m Welsh, speak with a North of England accent and I’m married to a Highlander. I also despair of some of the crass comments about Scotland made by some of my English friends, who really should know better.

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Some insightful observations there @Ski lots. Thanks.

I just hadn't realised that (very sadly and concerningly) it appears that there is, effectively, no real support for Scottish snowsports from those in positions of power and influence north of the border.

I hope I'm wrong, but a well-known word of a famous Scotsman comes readily to mind...."Dooooomed!" rolling eyes

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@Haggis_Trap, thanks for that information.

Incidentally I see that your linked article says funding came from Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise. I gather Scottish Enterprise is a publicly funded body that covers all of Scotland. So being pedantic perhaps it would be more accurate to say public funds have been put into all the Scottish resorts (although far from on an equal basis) but not necessarily all the Scottish resorts have received funds from HIE?

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@Haggis_Trap, are you certain that Glencoe isn’t covered by HIE? Given its in Highland council (which HIE cover the rest of), and HIE say they cover Lochaber, it looks to me that where Glencoe ski area is, falls within the HIE area…

^ Glencoe is technically just inside Argyll, but on boundary with Lochaber. They have received funding from both HIE and Scottish Enterprise over the years.

You know it makes sense.

Glencoe ski area is not in Argyll. It’s in Highland. ABC are quite clear it’s not their’s: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/sites/default/files/community-life-and-leisure/argyll-and-bute-area-map-with-main-towns-1.pdf

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

HIE covers the Highlands plus Argyll, but SE covers the whole of Scotland in some respects, particularly in terms of inward investment - it has some overseas offices. Like most things in U.K. administration things are a little more complicated than they at first seem. SE also provided some support to SnowFactor. I once bumped into Jamie Smith outside their HQ, which was a little embarrassing given that I was both working for SF and on secondment to SE at the time. I deliberately avoided asking for any details.

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Thanks for clarifying @Haggis_Trap.

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The confusion above re. which region Glencoe is part of comes from whether you care talking about Argyll (historic county) or Argyll and Bute (council area). In current terms (i.e. council areas), Glencoe is indeed part of Highland, as @Inboard says. (Lochaber is really just part of Highland now.)

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Agree that weather combined with snow conditions is fickle enough that Scotland is always going to be largely a "driving distance, decide 48 hours in advance" sort of downhill destination. Which can (and probably increasingly will) mean some successive bad years, and so limited funds for reinvestment in infrastructure. The relatively small size can also mean that when there ARE good conditions resorts are overrun, with insufficient car parking, uplift, refreshments etc, so providing an unsatisfactory experience. (And in today's social media world, word quickly gets around).

Where Scotland could probably offer more is touring, but the report doesn't seem to cover this.

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But wasn't there a post-covid day last year when someone with a pre-booked pass claimed it still took them 2 hours queue to get in the car park, a further hour to queue to actually collect their pass, and then lift queues so long that they only got 2 runs in? Perhaps Glenshee?

Not sure if limiting pass sales is a good or bad thing for the future of Scottish skiing. The possibility of not being able to even get a pass is surely going to encourage people to plan on going elsewhere?

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^ that was the morning after a decent snowfall and then a bluebird day and F&K council decided to not plough the rod for ages and then there were no police available to open the gates - they do that, not the council. So a massive queue built up then all descended on the centre literally at once. Bit of a nightmare scenario that one and not something you can ever plan or manage for but still leaves a poor experience. I had something similar a few times when I was there and it was a PItA. Limiting passes is a good thing for those who get one - way better than turning up to massive lift lines etc. a lot of resorts limit passes when snow is limited so it’s not exactly unique. Just, in Scotland, that’s the permanent state of affairs !

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Scottish Snowsports sector 2022 - economic, social, and cultural impact

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