 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously it'll depend upon conditions but i was thinking of trying a long weekend in Scotland some time early feb. Had a look at the various resorts and liking the look of Nevis i think (more alternatives to drag lifts which my husband hates you see) and wondered if there were some kindly  's that could recommend some nice accomodation.
Also, and i know this is a stupid question, but what are the roads generally like for getting around, i just have no idea what to expect, i have huge fat low profile tyres on my rear wheel drive car which provide endless 'fun' if there is the barest sprinkling of snow on the road. Are we best to get the train up? Do hotels offer transfers to the hill?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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safest bet for snow is aviemore. nevis range is good though and you can always ski glencoe on the way, or back. however, scottish snow can be very tempremental and if you really want to ski the best snow at the time, it's best to wait until nearer the time to make any bookings.
the roads can be good and dry in the winter when there's snow on the hills, or they can be white out and shut if there's snow at low levels. You can get the train to Aviemore and there's lots of accommodation there, including the macdonald highland resort which has different grades of places to stay. You can also stay at other nearby towns, like newtonmore, which are often cheaper. The train also runs to Fort William and you get to see some pretty spectacular scenery on the way. lots of b&bs in fort bill and a couple of ok hotels, but nothing special.
Glenshee is worth a visit if the conditions are good but the road up can also be dodgy, and very busy, if there's a good dumpage. You can sometimes have to wait a couple of hours in a queue at the snow gates before getting up to the car park. as far as i know, there's no where to stay in the immediate area.
never been to the lecht.
there's bargain prices to be had on scottish hotels in winter time though. websites like easy-breaks.com and superbreak.com can have some cracking deals.
hope that helps.
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brian
brian
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snobunni, your best bet from an avoiding drag lifts perspective is actually Cairngorm, where you can access a lot of their area from the funicular railway.
Otoh, from an avoiding snow on the road perspective, Nevis or Glencoe would be better as they both have much lower car parks and an access lift to get you up to the skiing, you'd be unlucky to hit snow on the road.
Good conditions can come (and sadly go) at any time in the winter, but I think leaving it until March or even early April would offer you a statistically better chance of hitting a good time.
I'm not aware of hotels doing transfers. There is a bus from Fort William to Nevis and also from Aviemore to Cairngorm or there's always taxis.
Be prepared to do other things if the weather doesn't play ball. There may be bags of snow but blocked roads or winds too strong for lifts to run.
What sort of accom budget are you looking at ?
v. posh ?
http://www.inverlochycastlehotel.com/
http://www.ballachulishhouse.com/
mid ?
http://www.oldpines.co.uk/
budget, there's tons of B&Bs all over the place
http://www.visitscotland.com/shop/accommodation/
is a good place to start.
Edit to add: If you're thinking about the train then the sleeper to Aviemore or Fort William might be an idea.
http://www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/caledoniansleeper/index.html
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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There is a lovely new hotel with award-winning (Michelin listed) restaurant (and its own art gallery next door) in Fort William (Nevis and Glencoe ski area). It is called the Lime Tree . It is run by a mountain guide / stuntman who also paints. It is £40-55 - plus dinner - per person in a double or twin. I must add it to my Nevis TR. On the other hand you could do it for about £23 in a cheap B & B.
I agree with brian that March or even early April would be better. The snow depth generally peaks around the third week of March, but lots of the snowfall may be in the first half of March. Last year the best weeks were in April. The frequent lack of much snow in January/February is critical in Scotland. Much of the time the snow is very limited with few lifts working. (Really, as he said, it is better to go up when you hear snow has arrived or is on the way).
Personally I prefer Nevis, partly because, except for lowest slopes the pistes aren't hemmed in by snow fences.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 30-10-08 23:50; edited 3 times in total
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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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| snowball wrote: |
| Personally I prefer Nevis, partly because, except for lowest slopes the pistes aren't hemmed in by snow fences. |
Did you ski Glencoe? If only the frontside of Nevis is open it's fairly boring IMHO, Glencoe has a more undulating and interesting terrain with very few fences.
regards,
Greg
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just to echo the March or April recommendations. Last year was a good season but february was cr*p while March and April were both much better. Check the pictures on winterhighland for the last few years. eg.
http://www.winterhighland.info/2006/pix/pixalbum.php?pix_id=435
If you look at the bottom of that page you will see people have only put up pics for 5 dates in February for Cairngorm but 16 for March
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We were looking at feb because this falls between our main trips to Alpe d'Huez for xmas and Jackson Hole in March, we're not intending to book anything just yet as we want to see what the conditions are like much closer to the time but i'm having a really dull day in the office and need to be planning some snow time . . .
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| kitenski wrote: |
| snowball wrote: |
| Personally I prefer Nevis, partly because, except for lowest slopes the pistes aren't hemmed in by snow fences. |
Did you ski Glencoe? If only the frontside of Nevis is open it's fairly boring IMHO, Glencoe has a more undulating and interesting terrain with very few fences.
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Yes, a great little area which can also be skied from Fort William (though not much off piste - the best snow is on the side with the lifts while at Nevis the best is on the back). I really meant the West (ie Nevis and Glencoe).
Note that a Snowheads group is very likely to ski in Scotland for at least a weekend in the second half of March or early April (depending on snow).
Last edited by After all it is free  on Fri 31-10-08 15:05; edited 2 times in total
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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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Driving up or hiring a car up there has big advantages as you can go where the best snow is. Also, though they do exist, there are not many buses running between Fort William and Nevis (and the public buses which pass Glencoe take a long time and are not frequent either) - I don't know about the buses in the East..
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Busses no better than the west I would think. No access to Lecht or Glenshee by bus anyway. Don't know about Aviemore-Cairngorm. Any infrastructure there was has been allowed to die & Scottish skiing has become an activity needing a car unfortunately. An adv of car is the scenery is superb, between Glencoe & Nevis is the best, but Nevis to Cairngorm & Perth to Glenshee are scenic drives in their own right. You'll need to be v careful in a sportscar esp for Glenshee - but I've been to all the ski areas in Scotland in my Honda S2000 on summer tyres (& with the roof down)
There are nice places to stay near Glenshee eg http://www.dalmunzie.com/ http://www.spittalofglenshee.co.uk/ not that I've stayed there (lived 90mins away), and IIRC there is a regular winterhighlander who runs a B&B near Braemar & is geared up for skiers. A quick search should find her.
Agree with the discussion on the merits/downsides of each area, but no ones mentioned the detritus of mothballed lifts scattered around the hillside at Cairngorm yet. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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About 14/15 years ago, I skied successive years at Glenshee and Cairngorm. For Glensee stayed in Braemar, quiet but a pleasant hotel and handy for the skiing. At Cairngorm we stayed in Aviemore which thought was a decent sized twon with a few restaurants and decent pubs. Good fun, must go back some time.
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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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I've stayed at the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel linked above, and they do a range of accomodation, from cheap bunkhouse to ensuite rooms. The food is hearty (start the day with a full buffet breakfast including porridge  ) and they do special winter weekend package rates.
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I would fly to Ggw (Nottingham is a big ass drive) and rent a car for a few days. (Hertz have Landys etc) It is only a couple hours up to Glencoe (stay at Kings House if you want handy accommo-it is just across the road), drive up to Nevis (there are thousands of B&B's). Have not been to any other ski resorts but when Glencoe has full coverage it is excellent as is Nevis with the corries open. As for not wanting drag lifts in Scotland they are pretty unavoidable.
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You know it makes sense.
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snobunni,
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we're not intending to book anything just yet as we want to see what the conditions are like much closer to the time but i'm having a really dull day in the office and need to be planning some snow time . . .
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Sounds sensible. Most of the advice abovei s very sound. With the speed at which Scottish conditions can change in either dierection and the potential for differences between the different centres it makes little sense to decide on where to stay untill the time of departure.
Just about my best skiing in Scotland was in mid december by the way so Feb may turn out very good , but then again..........
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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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Looking at records this century most seem not to get going till late in the season, but a few had good falls in the first half of January, often followed by a slump in February. 2003 had a good early February but it then melted. Don't I seem to remember a heavy fall in October or early November a few seasons back (which then melted)?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Scottish ski recommendations please !! Don't do it 
I am sure their are many who will disagree, but it's a long way from nottingham, might as well go south instead !!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I skied on a white mountain under a blue sky with zero wind for one weekend at Nevis Range and Glencoe in the second half of Apr 2008.
It was unexpectedly brilliant.
Yes, the lifts suck. The food sucks. The service sucks.
But the skiing is genuinely steep in parts. And the scenery is some of the best in the world.
You will have to leave a decision until, literally, about 24 to 36 hrs before you depart, because the weather is so changeable.
But if you see a weatherwindow in the forecast for atleast 2 days in mid-Feb to late-Apr, then you should jump all over it.
Do it.
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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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Whitegold,
I thought I saw that weather window. It was absolutely freezing (like, Val Thorens on a very cold day freezing) Then on Sunday and Monday the roads were closed as there was too much snow, so spent 2 days drinking Beni at the bridge of Callay hotel instead.
All things considered not a bad weekend.
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brian
brian
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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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Do come but as you will have gathered from the previous replies Scottish skiing is ..well different. You might be lucky & hit perfect conditions, or more likely you will come for three days, have one reasonable day on the slopes, a wet and windy day with challenging conditions and a day when the slopes don't open at all. 
You need to come with the right mindset- think of it as a weekend away when you might get some skiing in, but be prepared for all four seasons in one afternoon, don't expect good snow or extensive runs and be prepared for old slow lifts with big lines at the weekend if the weather is good. (Oh & it's not cheap either!).
Friends who don't ski but holiday in Aviemore regularly say that there are loads of outdoor activities & it has one or two excellent 4* hotels. However, for spectacular scenery, there is nothing quite as good as the drive up from Glasgow to Glencoe and Fort William.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| arv wrote: |
| I would fly to Ggw (Nottingham is a big ass drive) and rent a car for a few days. |
Wuss. We did a weekend by car from Brighton this year
If I lived in Nottingham I'd go every weekend.
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wow, loads of great advice here, thanks everyone. . . .
Kel, i know heading over to europe would be as easy, possibly cheaper, more reliable conditions etc but i'm a bit of a buy british fanatic so i'd like to try and keep some of my snow £'s in Britain . . . so i'm determined to give it a go at some point this season.
I think i'll keep my diary clear on fridays and mondays throughout the season as far as poss so as soon as the conditions are favorable i'll head up there
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As someone said above the best Scottish ski website is http://www.winterhighland.info/general/, with photos etc., but you can also get snow conditions very simply on http://ski.visitscotland.com/conditions/ where you can also register to be emailed if there is a big snowfall. Of course it is better to keep an eye on the forecasts rather than just reacting after snow has arrived.
Hope we see you with the Snowheads jaunt, if (no, no, WHEN) it happens in March (and/or April). I'm hoping it will be after the 7-8th March weekend when I shall still be in Italy.
Not sure if you saw my Nevis TR from last April.
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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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snowball, i'm sure we can pop up for the snowheads jaunt if its in april, were in Jackson Hole for most of march . . . <sigh> its a hard life
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Forgot to mention; I've stayed at Old Pines (not for skiing) Nice food & built in the forest down a single track road of wood. Very peaceful but close to Nevis. I did a TR for Glencoe. At the end are pictures of all the Scottish ski areas. The weather may not alway be quite as good as this!
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewpost.php?p=940491
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brian
brian
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what...snow,
Nice write up. To clarify on this bit:
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Off-piste : ... you will frequently be alone from the end of the traverse. The on/off-piste distinction is very blurred. There are two rusting poles marking the top of the pistes but no other markings.
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I've never seen them piste out any of the top runs apart from the main basin, it's very much skiing au naturel and all the better for it. There's usually a board at the bottom of the top t-bar telling you about conditions on the top runs, in particular if they advise against the flypaper due to avvy risk.
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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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Brian
I'm meaning 'piste' as in it's on the piste map, not that some machine has dragged snow around on it. Off-piste I'm counting as other routes which may or may not be mentioned on the internet but for which no responsiblity is assumed. Not really sure anyone would know the actual extent of the ski centre area. Can't imagine arguing c ski patrol 'we're not rescuing you - thats not a ski run' when on Bailey's not the FP, for example. But where does that end. On the ER? On the back of the mt? And when skiing the skiers left car park run, its on the map all right, but we had to guide an instructor & class of boarders down it. I'm sure this topic has been done to death elsewhere.
Anyway, its all great, I love the natural skiing, but don't expect grooming (on runs, customers or staff!)
And the hotel is wooden not the road,  D'oh!!!
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brian
brian
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what...snow, yeah, I knew you knew that, sorry. I was just trying to point out to others about not expecting the grooming.
Great pics btw.
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You know it makes sense.
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what...snow, I stayed at the Old Pines years ago when it had different owners and a very high class restaurant. Not sure what it is like now (?).
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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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Access by public transport from the central belt is easy to Cairngorm, Nevis and Glencoe, either by bus or by train, and there was talk last year of a bus linking perth to braemar via glenshee, though not sure what has happened with that. Driving probably most flexible, gives you a last minute choice between east and west dependant on weather and snow (3-4 times last year had blue skies where i was, whilst it was tipping it down on the other side of the country). I would say try and fill it to spread the costs and it should end up being cheaper than flying anyway. Had a friend who came up from Nottingham last year just for the weekend and drive wasnt too bad (maybe spend first night in Glasgow before pushing further up north the next morning?) the scenery is wonderful, would be a shame to miss it by driving the whole way in the dark - if its good weather that is of course! thers plenty to do otherwise, rafting/climbing/stay in the city if its really terrible...
My favorite has to be glencoe, drag liffts are a pain but its skiing as skiing used to be, and thats hard to find these days!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Brian.
Thanks, no offence taken at all.
Snowball
Re Old Pines, I stayed there about 5yrs ago - didn't realise it had gone downhill (has it?)
dub 01
I would describe public transport access as possible, rather than easy, but maybe that's just me being lazy! Agree with staying glasgow fri night & seeing some scenery - absolute must - indeed would recommend Nevis & Glencoe together just for the drive between. For boarders the tows at Nevis are seem to be slightly less painful, other than the dreaded Alpha (forewarned you should be able to plan on getting to the Quad chair & using that instead)
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