 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
I've been sat on here for the last year or so reading up about scottish skiing so in a few weeks me and some mates are finally going to take the plunge and go for it. The snow doesn't look too great at the moment but it looks to be getting colder so will hopefully start dumping.
We are heading on thursday 14th or friday 15th of february (depending on when my mate gets off work), skiing two days then heading back on sunday 17th or monday 18th. The main question I had- does anyone know of any rockbottom accomodation going in or around aviemore, or anywhere else convenient? We are on a horribly tight budget as this is in addition to our standard ski trip to france, so anything above camping will do. I've had a look around though and can't find much at the moment. We've actually given camping some thought but are going to try and avoid it if possible...
Secondly I've already seen a few threads along these lines so don't want to bore people too much with repetition, but any two cents thrown in about which ski centre to go bearing in mind our dates is always welcome. Cairngorm looks likely as it seems to be the most snowsure, but being halfterm I'm a bit concerned about queues etc. We can be pretty flexible though.
We are always game for beers during/afterwards as well, so if anyone else is in those ends around those dates feel free to get in touch as seems to be the thing to do on here!
Cheers,
Sam
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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meribelly, you've chosen the first week-end of the main half term week (also the last week-end of the other half term week) so prices bound to harden. www.booking.com throws up some good deals sometimes... I recently got dinner, bed and breakfast in the Hilton Coylumbridge for £56.50 and that was the single room rate!
Camping at Glenmore not as bad as it sounds. A lot of people 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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you are on a budget you may be better placed hanging off booking anything til you see if there is actually sufficient snow cover? It would be a shame for your first experience of Scottish skiing was based on the current dire conditions.
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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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Stayed in aviemore syha for mtb trip in summer. Certainly budget quality. Nice location and free WiFi IIRC. Probably go back this summer too.
Edit: and one of the better hostels I've stayed in
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Should say meribelly, when skiing in Scotland I pretty much always take hillwalking gear with me too, incase of aforementioned dire conditions. Suggest you do the same.
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I don't bother going unless conditions are excellent. Between the thread in snow reports on here, winterhighland forums and public reports, the ski area websites, MWIS, met office and netweather there is all the info you require. For many reasons I prefer Nevis and Glencoe but it does depend on your level. I've stayed a few times around the ski areas and Aviemore is definitely the best for beers. The Old Bridge Inn is a great pub. Stayed at the High Range Motel in April - using laterooms cost £50 for 2, seemed worthwhile vs SYHA for £20 each plus booking fees. The shower was phenomenal and everything else was fine. It's v handy for the Old Bridge Inn and at the end of the ski road. The bunkhouse was full. There is an SYHA at Glenmore as well as in Aviemore. Unfortunately the lifts situation is terrible at Cairngorm, causing big queues and curtailing the runs on the Ciste side of the ski area. If there are good conditions elsewhere, I avoid it. I prefer skiing to standing in queues!
The west coast ski areas are actually closer (distance wise and time wise) from the south, the scenery is exceptional (from and on the drive between) and there is lots of accommodation to choose from. There is a Premier Inn - which I have stayed at for a stag do and was fine - and lots of B&Bs in Fort William. There are a few hostels and a big supermarket so you can cook at a hostel rather than eating out which saves £££. Pubs okay, the Grog & Gruel is quite good and there is a nightclub but not IME as good as Aviemore.
I've also stayed at Inchree, http://www.inchree.co.uk a few years ago. cost £50 something for 3 of us, and had a big, decently equipped kitchen as well as a pub-restaurant. The beer & atmosphere was okay, a bit quiet, more ice climbers than skiers.
At Glencoe there are new hobbit houses. Only £12.50pp/£40 for 4 to stay right by the lift. Might try it myself when they are ski in!
The skiing at Glencoe is great, all the runs and off piste from the top and middle are really interesting. The views are fab too. The food at the cafe isn't, the base is much better but it's a good excuse to save money & have a packed lunch.
Nevis is a bit small when it's just the front but dipping into the backs and traversing round is a bit exciting and if the Braveheart runs, it opens up great/mind-blowing terrain. You can see all the way to Skye on a good day.
I've never stayed near Glenshee, it's always been too close to someones house to bother. It's a pretty big area with quite a few good runs, more fences though. Not really steep but a big selection of reds and blues. Steep road up from the Spittal, beware of closure in snow.
Cold weather forecast for the foreseeable, hopefully plenty of snow too.
A few other tips for saving money:
buy petrol off the motorway. Easy cheap(er) petrol at M6 jcts 34 and 36, the rest area north of Carlisle (even though it's now on the motorway), looping through Larkhall off M74, in Milton after the Erskine Bridge (bottom of A82), big supermarket in Centre of Cumbernauld, Services off A9 on north side of Perth (cheaper and nicer than those at M90/A9 roundabout). Petrol in Aviemore is at a crazy price. Cheaper in Fort William but expensive (and infrequent) on the road up, fill up in the Central Belt.
eat in - self cater at a hostel/chalet and take a packed lunch. At Cairngorm and Glenshee you can eat in your car so you can have soup, occasionally do this at Glencoe, not at Nevis (Gondola to the ski area - I've only skied to the base once).
Don't drink  sorry that's just unrealistic 
Cairngorm is also the most expensive lift pass BTW.
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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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| Quote: |
| If you are on a budget you may be better placed hanging off booking anything til you see if there is actually sufficient snow cover? |
Snow cover will probably not be the issue - but wind could be. The golden rule is that you CANNOT guarantee any future dates for Scotland. Booking ahead is ill advised - you really need to leave it as late as possible, ideally a day or two before.
Try Hotels.com or Laterroms.com for areas within striking distance of the slopes - eg Newtonmore or Kingussie for Cairngorm or Fort William for Nevis/Glencoe. There's also now a Travelodge in Fort Wiliam.
Alternatively, spend your first night en route in a Travelodge at Dunfermline, Kinross, Perth, Glasgow Airport or Dumbarton. Or, Perth Travelodges are about an hour from Glenshee.
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This is all really helpful, thanks guys. Particularly the advice on cheap petrol! Our current plan of action then I expect will be-
Not to book anything until a few days before to make sure snow/wind conditions allow, then probably aim for the Glencoe area as it sounds like it has the most interesting terrain, plus we are a group of fairly competent skiers who don't want to stand in lift queues all day either. I'm interested by the sounds of the back corries at Nevis Range, but sounds like they are something of a rarity to get access to.
I had come across the hobbit houses at Glencoe- they look pretty cosy and an excellent budget option although presumably nightlife options are fairly limited there. If push comes to shove though we'll certainly prioritise price/skiing. Or we might look to stay at fort william and use it a base from which to travel out.
To be honest it sounds like there are lots of variables so will just have to see how it pans out! One other thing- is there ever danger of not being able to get hold of liftpasses short notice, or do you advise the same policy of waiting until the last minute then just going for it?
Also I'm a big fan of the on-piste packed lunch. Essential, regardless of weather conditions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No danger of not getting a lift pass. Vast majority of tickets are on the day. If they stop selling them, you don't want to be on that mountain! Even at Glencoe or Glenshee it's a good idea to get in the ticket queue early, like 8.15-8.30 and have cash rather than card payment. Often a quick moving cash only option.
Definitely factor the weather into where to go and decide late. Never had a problem with accommodation and have never booked anything earlier than Thursday night for a weekend. For instance after skiing to Nevis base (90m ASL, 1100m vertical) a saturday in mid-feb we tried to book a hostel in Aviemore, then Kingussie but had to settle for Newtonmore. No big deal and only £12. As we were following a snow plough in a blizzard we were glad in the end.
Glencoe keep the bar/cafe open quite late and you could walk over to the Kingshouse Hotel (about a mile) if you want nightlife.
Laterooms etc can also sell you a cheap hotel around Glasgow so you can stay in an area with better nightlife than the airport. Another option is the bunkhouse at Bridge of Orchy hotel, south of Glencoe. I think you'd have to get there for food before 9 but means you could get up an hour later.
The back corries at Nevis are often accessible, but they may not run the lift (fueling it needs a chopper and they like to be able to ski a stretcher out) so you have to traverse back round the mountain much earlier than when it is running. Not a total disaster. They have regraded all the routes as itineraries this year,rather than some being blacks and reds.
Finally, Nevis and Cairngorm are a bit easier for boarders. My mate always ends up wincing on the main basin T-bar at Glencoe by mid-afternoon. If you are both skiers, don't worry.
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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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Newtonmore or Kingussie (about 14 miles south of aviemore) could be good bases. You'll get cheaper non-deal prices than Aviemore for sure, probably also some deals to be had. It then puts you in a reasonably "central" location to strike out for 3 of the 5 centres depending on conditions. Cairngorm about 30 mins, Lecht about an hour and 10 mins, and roughly the same for Nevis (A86 main route west to Fort William bracnhes off in Newtonmore village - stunning drive accross that is too). Also gets you close to the amenities and nighttime delights of aviemore (and both villages themselves have decent food and a couple of good old pubs). Aviemore obviously has more choice and much more action.
Are you tourers or sticking to the lifts? Same suggestion applies for either really - lots of scope/alternatives within striking distance of that general location for touring/backcountry.
There are youth hostels everywhere so they could be best bet, I can think of 2 in aviemore, 1 up at glenmore at the foot of cairngorm and 1 each in Kingussie and Newtonmore
also try glenmore lodge for B&B though they're likely to be busy, but they do good b&b deals and are a 5 min car ride to the cairngorm bottom station. Very much eggs in one basket there though as its a bit of a schlep to anywhere but the Lecht from there if conditions go bad.
bring senses of humour and adventure, and it'll be a blast 
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similarly, basing yourself at Fort William gives you Nevis Range and Glencoe (30 mins) to choose from - although I aint sure that the road south out of the fort in great nick as it suffers from landslides ).
Fort William though - Vegas it aint, but in the season not too bad (awesome proper pukka seafood restaurant on the pier though - nom). Not sure about accomodation, i'd normally go on and stay in Glencoe and do it the other way - magic it is over there. Clachaig Inn (awsome pub, hotel, cabins) a few miles down the glen from ski area (on the Fort William side), theres actually a small hostel up the road from Clachaig too, food, booze and craic in there is top notch, so if you could get a deal for the clachaig or the nearby hostel you'd be well set for Glencoe or a jaunt back to Nevis
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You know it makes sense.
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Blackrock Cottage at the foot of the Glencoe ski area:
http://www.ladiesscottishclimbingclub.org/index.php/huts/blackrock
Seems to be £6pppn but I've only ever booked thru our club. A fine cosy cottage, clean and tidy but the facilities are very basic. Last time I was there you had to hand-pump your own water.
Cheap than that? Well, I've spent 2 weeks in the Sugarbowl car park on the way up to Cairngorm. That was pretty chilly in February but I wasn't the only person there. Hats off to the Aviemore police who spotted that the vehicle was there for some time and left a note under the wiper asking me to phone in to say I was okay.
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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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To echo barry, Clachaig Inn is an exceptional place to eat/drink/stay
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