Bumper Scot ski season injects £14.2m into economy

SCOTLAND’S ski resorts are already boasting a bumper season – injecting £14.2 million into the economy so far this winter – with two months still to go.

Ski-Scotland, the partnership which promotes the country’s five outdoor centres, said 142,160 skiers and snowboarders had enjoyed the slopes so far, well ahead of most seasons in the last decade.

Chairwoman Heather Negus said snowsports was responsible for pumping over £14.2 million into the Scottish economy this winter.

Of this, £11.4 million will have been spent “off the hill” in local accommodation, places to eat, shops and filling stations, with the remaining £2.8 million spent at the snowsports areas themselves.

She added: “We know last season wasn’t a good one, but even so, to have beaten that total before the end of the English half term is amazing.

“We are also close to beating some of the total season figures during the last ten years – and that’s with two months of the season still to run.”

Figures are well short of season 2009-10, when almost 375,000 people enjoyed skiing or boarding in Scotland’s mountains, but are creeping up on the figures for the following season, which finished with a total of over 289,000.

She said conditions so far this week have been outstanding, with days of sunshine, almost no wind and good snow conditions - the firm morning snow softens up in the sun as the day progresses.

This is forecast to continue, with sunshine and light winds, and possibly a few clouds, for the end of the week and the weekend.

Ski-scotland is the marketing partnership which has promoted snowsports in Scotland collaboratively for more than 20 years.

It comprises the five mountain ski areas - CairnGorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, The Lecht and Nevis Range - the sport’s governing body Snowsport Scotland, indoor real-snow centre Snow Factor in Glasgow and VisitScotland, the country’s tourism agency.