A week of cold temperatures and snowfall has led to the early opening of Cairngorm ski area above Aviemore, with Glencoe also reporting snowmaking underway and offering lift service snowsports on its dry slope.
Cairngorm opened unexpectedly on Thursday after recording around 20cm fresh snow during the day. Thanks to the funicular returning to service the centre currently has a marked run from Ptarmigan Top Station down to the funicular middle station via the Traverse, 105 and Zig Zags with uplift via the Funicular Railway only, opening from 10am. At the top the Polar Express Poma serving limited beginner terrain is also open.
Due to the limited terrain available a reduced-rate Snowsports Day Pass is available a £27 Adults / £17 Juniors but it's advance online booking only with 100 passes available each day. There's no equipment hire open yet either.
The Lecht has had plenty of snowfall too and was briefly cut off on both sides by snowfall earlier in the week but says it needs more to open. Glenshee plans to open in the latter half of December and Nevis range has not really offered snowsports for the past few years but said a year ago it will open lifts and trails if conditions justify doing so.
It's the only one of Scotland's five ski areas that doesn't have an all-weather snowmaking system.