 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone recomend any accomodation around Ben Nevis region? I have never tried skiing in Scotland before and was wanting to try it and take my nephew,looking on several sites it looks like Ben Nevis is about the best,but cant seem to find much in the way of cheap accomodation.Not bothered if its a B&B or hotel as long as its within a 15-20min drive away and cheap!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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have stayed here
http://www.glen-nevis.co.uk/
we got a 3 night break in a 2 bed cabin for £200. Cabins were nice although very old fashioned decor, think granny's living room  There is a pub and restaurant nearby which was good for dinner.
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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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scooby1, the skiing at Fort Bill (Nevis Range) is on Aonach Mor. You wouldn't want to ski on Ben Nevis without a very detailed map, a GPS unit and total familiarity with the hill from summer walking and climbing. The hike / skin up from the near sea level car parking is over 4,000 feet too. 
Just curious as to the context of your saying it looks like Ben Nevis (sic) is about the best ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skiing aside, aviemore (cairngorm) offers far more off-hill choice (accom, food, shops, flesh-pots etc).
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 on Aviemore/Cairngorm
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Plus Fort William is a bit of a nothing town. I was quite impressed by Aviemore 
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Dirt cheap in Fort William is the Backpacker place, it is a hostel but it has a couple of private rooms for a little extra. No breakfast though (you can make your self tea and toast), me and my mate headed to the Morrisons for a cheap full english (in Scotland! Lol).
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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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But the skiing at Nevis Range is a superior experience to CairnGorm. CairnGorm is busy at weekends & the lifts are slow & in the wrong places. Queue for Bus then queue for Funicular isn't an appealing uplift option!
I've barely seen queues at Nevis and it's much the best ski area when the Braveheart is running. Glencoe seems (to me) to have at least as much lift-accessible interesting terrain as CairnGorm and is hours less driving, and quieter again. They are both much more scenic and fairly close together.
Glenshee has enough reasonable runs to make me question if the better snow, longer vertical and steeper terrain at Cairngorm are worth the extra driving and queueing. Generally, I'd say no. Unless you are touring.
Aviemore is the best winter sports resort in Scotland but is that enough to justify recommending staying there and skiing CairnGorm?
If going for a few days mid-week (so no Braveheart), yes. For a weekend, no.
Stayed at Inchree (south of FW so 20mins NR, 25mins GC) for £53 for 3 of us for Sat night last winter. Nice enough, decent beds and kitchen. Good beer at Pub. What more do you need?
Presume the hostel is even cheaper.
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| what...snow wrote: |
| But the skiing at Nevis Range is a superior experience to CairnGorm. |
For who ? For the Back Coire, maybe the OP or his nephew might feel uncomfortable dropping off a cornice onto a 45 degree slope with a 30 degree runout to access the Braveheart. On the front of the mountain, Nid Ridge is steep and intimidating for skiers who aren't sure of themselves on 35 degrees with a narrow entry point & the rest of Aonach Mor's skiing on the front of the hill although more family friendly is more limited in its extent to Cairngorm's.
| what...snow wrote: |
| CairnGorm is busy at weekends & the lifts are slow & in the wrong places. Queue for Bus then queue for Funicular isn't an appealing uplift option! |
Can't argue with that. It makes me mad at times.
| what...snow wrote: |
| I've barely seen queues at Nevis and it's much the best ski area when the Braveheart is running. |
Mostly true, but when the Braveheart is running, to access the Back Coire, you are competing with people wanting to play on the summit park via the top poma queue which can build to 2 lines of 50 deep.
| what...snow wrote: |
| Glencoe seems (to me) to have at least as much lift-accessible interesting terrain as CairnGorm and is hours less driving, and quieter again. |
Dead right. Glencoe is a place of beauty made by people passionate about skiing for people passionate about skiing.
| what...snow wrote: |
| Glenshee has enough reasonable runs to make me question if the better snow, longer vertical and steeper terrain at Cairngorm are worth the extra driving and queueing. Generally, I'd say no. Unless you are touring. |
If travelling with children (and I don't know if the OP's nephew is 10 or 30), like the other centres, Glenshee is best shared over a 2 dayer with somewhere that you can do something in the evening (cinema, pizza etc). Aviemore ticks the boxes there.
| what...snow wrote: |
| Aviemore is the best winter sports resort in Scotland but is that enough to justify recommending staying there and skiing CairnGorm? |
And who knows the secret of the Black Magic box eh ? However, staying in Aviemore doesn't preclude you skiing at Nevis, Glenshee or Glencoe on any other day over a long weekend.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Scooby1, while i agree with what...snow that Aviemore is Scotlands best winter resort, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Fort William. If you are planning a weekend skiing, then i would say head anywhere OTHER than Cairngorm. If the snow is good, it'll be far too busy.
Glenshee is my local Ski Area of choice, the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel is under new ownership for this Winter, think they do B&B for about £25. Only 10 mins drive from Ski Area car park too. If the snow is good and the whole area is open and busy, the queue's are spread out over the whole area so not nearly as bad as Cairngorm.
As above, if your confined to the weekend, and all areas have good snow cover and conditions, i would head for Glenshee, Nevis Range or Glencoe before Aviemore. They all have enough terrain on and off-piste to keep you happy.
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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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Backcountryboarder, if the road is open.
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I said "skiing-aside" for cairngorm so dont flame me for suggesting SKIING ASIDE that aviemore might be best to stay round - considering he's dragging the nephew along.
(glencoe is my fave even though cairngorm is my local). In fact if I were coming from down south for a jaunt and all things were equal (and i had no wean in tow), I'd stay in Glencoe (Clachaig Inn - my favourite pub in all the world - and that's saying something!) and ski both the Coe and Aonach Mor in the one trip.
The age of the nephew could be the clincher as others have said (west coast not necessarily the relative best suited to little uns / beginners)
hard work imparting years of local experience sometimes 
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You know it makes sense.
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Cairngorm is busy on good snow days, but it's easy enough to set the alarm earlier and get somewhere near the head of the queue. Last winter, we were leaving the central belt at just before 6am and were quite regularly in the first 10 or 20 cars.
Also, if you're able to ski midweek, then you won't face any of the problems you can encounter at the weekends.
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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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Loads of B & Bs on the road into Fort William from the south. Usually no need to book in Winter. Also a couple of nice Hotels if that is what you want. Very nice, small, fish restaurant on the sea front called Crannog (langoustine are good).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Conditions and weather forecasts can be very different in the East and the West. There is rarely any difficulty outside of school holidays getting accommodation. The best way of increasing your chances of getting good conditions is to wait and see where the snow is good and go there.
Don't think either Aveimore or Ft Wm are exactly amongst Scotlands loveliest towns though both have lovely countryside nearby and plenty of smaller villages that are rather more appealing places to stay.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For any one who prefers sliding downwards at their own pace to shuffling sideways in a queue! Yes, the front side of Nevis isn't the most interesting skiing but at least it's got a nice view down Loch Eil towards Skye.
Not flaming you Barry. I think we all agree but are just putting our own spin on things. I bow to your expertise in children!
T Bar makes a good point about the conditions - ALWAYS worth considering those when picking where to go.
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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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I get time off during the week of occasion and am thinking about a trip to sample skiing where everyone speaks english (Other than france on half term week). It's a pain in the backside to drive up for 2 days skiing from South England so my preferred choice of travel is the sleeper train from London. How feasible is it to ski in scotland using public transport?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sky_High30, pretty straight forward. You can get the train from Euston to Crianlarach and stay in their hotel. Last season they ran a free shuttle to Glencoe and back each day (about 20 minutes away). Not sure about timings...
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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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sky_High30, also worth considering the Stewart Hotel Appin which is being run by the same bloke who was at Crianlarich last season, he's also doing a similar deal at another hotel, IIRC the Balavil in Newtonmore, which is closer to Aviemore/Cairngorm. I believe the Crianlarich has put it's prices up about 50% (and is charging for transfers) whereas the Stewart is priced the same as the Crianlarich was last year with free transfers and it's about equidistant from Glencoe and Nevis.
Not sure when you plan to head up but be aware that at the moment the only place open is Cairngorm (and double check weekday opening too). I'd expect the others to be open around Xmas/New Year although given the amount of snow already on the slopes and the probable forecast we could see them open early.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Actually Nevis Range isn't good for absolute beginners or for those who can't manage an easy red. OK if you're between these and can struggle down an easy blue - at least you'll get to rest on a Chairlift on the way back up!
My knowledge of the Crianlarich Hotel is entirely from the thread on Winterhighland so if your considering that option, go and read there.
Sleeper also goes to FW for NR (6mi) & Aviemore for CG (7mi). Reputedly expensive if booked late, hence the common driving theme.
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Just found some links:
Balavail ski breaks
Nothing yet about the ski breaks at the Stewart but here's a link to their site anyway
As a general aside I find it interesting to see more of these deals popping up, could it be be that after a few successful seasons, and during a recession, more people are starting to view Scottish skiing as a decent option again, at least for short breaks, and the market is responding - I sure hope so
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| what...snow wrote: |
| For any one who prefers sliding downwards at their own pace to shuffling sideways in a queue! Yes, the front side of Nevis isn't the most interesting skiing but at least it's got a nice view down Loch Eil towards Skye. |
what...snow, for your same reasons above, for lift accessed day trips in Scotland, Glencoe usually gets my skiing £££'s anyway not least because it's nearest but also because of its 'real mountain' feel and the way that you can always find a challenge there with it being a natural terrain park. You don't have to rely on snow actually filling out the Coire face and Rob Roy's return like you do at Nevis, nor sufficient snow cover beyond Sunnyside at Glenshee to get over to Glas Maol or enough base for the drag lift to operate to pull you back out of the Ciste at Cairngorm. Granted, the Fly Paper is often closed at Glencoe too but that still leaves plenty of other interest (Springs, Haggis Traps, Canyons, Walls, Ridges, Glades etc etc). But without those connections being fulfilled at Nevis, Glenshee and Cairngorm, none of them serve up the same level of interest by ski lift for the more adventurous.
From the lack of information given by and the lack of knowledge of Scotland's ski centres displayed by the (conspicuously absent) OP in their question though, I just questioned why they wanted to ski on 'Nevis' and think that they'd maybe be better to commit themselves to Aviemore as a base rather than to Fort Bill. Yes, there are horrendous problems there sometimes at weekends because of skier numbers and I just avoid weekends there between January and early March but if they can chose their dates and intend staying overnight and doing two days or more at the same place (which seemed like their intent), it just seems to make a better 'weekend away' proposition.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Thu 18-11-10 22:47; edited 1 time 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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Cairngorm is rubbish.
Lecht is rubbish.
Glenshee is rubbish.
Glencoe is very good.
Nevis Range is best.
Stay in Fort William.
Use Laterooms.com.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Whitegold, are you scooby1 too ?
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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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Hi there - I am pondering taking DD (6) up home during English half term in February and would be in Kirkintilloch, just north of Glasgow (hence the name). If we were to plan to go to a resort midweek, which one would you recommend for us? DD has skied one week - can control her snowplough turns - and is booked into lessons at Hemel during Christmas holidays. Thanks.
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brian
brian
Guest
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CaurnieBred, Ca' canny but ca' awa' to Cairngorm or Glenshee (if the snow's good, check Snow Reports on here at the time). Lecht would be fine too, but it's a long drive from Kirkie.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks Brian
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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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Easy for you. Simply go the back road via Lernzie to miss out the cumbernauld roadworks. Glaeshee in 100mins
Cairngorm in 150mins.
Glencoe via milngavie and clydebank in 2 hours
Easy peasy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks GC too
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Although I like the West coast resorts best it is true that there is often more snow in the East. Also beginners and early intermediates are probably better off in the East.
My preference is largely because I like the steep Back Corries at Nevis, but though the back tends to get more snow than the front, I gather they need a fair amount of snow to cover the rocks. Also Braveheart is only open occasionally, so though you can ski back around to the front you can only do the off piste (and the bottom of Braveheart) if you accept a 10 - 15 minute walk back up from the bottom of Braveheart.
If you take the overnight train to Fort William you miss the first part of the morning skiing. You might consider the alternative of EasyJet to Glasgow and hiring a car. You could catch an 8pm (or so) flight back after a full day skiing.
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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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Hi folks,many thanx for all the replies and appologies for not being online for some time.....pc down AGAIN!!
My nephew is 16 and rather a good skiier.Never been skiing in scotland and just like the idea of putting my gear in the car and heading off without the hastle of airports etc,also hopeing to find a cheaper way of skiing with my nephew although the price of the lift passas do seem more expensive than the likes of Bulgaria!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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scooby1, most of the resorts will do some kind of multiday deals and occasional special offers so keep your eyes peeled - the more flex you can be with days the better options you'll have (while yes, still a bit pricey relatively speaking)
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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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Some offers and cheap tickets here
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The Permier Inn in Fort William. Not very alpine like or much apres ski but from £29 a night you cant really complain !
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I never stayed there, but last time we climbed Ben Nevis we parked opposite the YHA:
http://www.glennevishostel.co.uk.
Its the wrong side of the Mountain, but you have more chance than you do at the Travel Inn!
Strax
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