Scottish ski resorts eye summer season

FORGET the beach barbecues. Scots could be heading to the slopes this June, with two of the country’s ski resorts predicting there will still be snow on the ground at the height of summer.

It’s grim news for those worn down by freezing temperatures, but for the operators of Scotland’s five ski centres, remaining open for a full six months would be the pinnacle of a successful season.

The second coldest March on record and a busy Easter weekend have seen snow sports enthusiasts flocking to the slopes. More than 250,000 wintersports enthusiasts have visited Scotland’s ski centres since the beginning of December.

Colin Kirkwood, marketing manager at CairngormMountain, said: “To get to June would be amazing.”

Summer ski-ing in Scotland is almost unprecedented. Cairngorm has managed it just once, in 2010.

At the Lecht, in Aberdeenshire, staff are optimistic that they are also on course for their first June opening. “Some snow fences are still out of sight so – even with the weather warming – there should still be some cover.”

However, a spokesman for Glencoe Mountain resort said: “The way it is looking we will get into May – and take it from there.”

Stewart Davidson at Glenshee, said: “We have not been into May for 20 years, as we are not as high as places like the Cairngorms or Nevis Range, but it is a possibility.”

At Nevis Range, a spokesman said the resort would assess snow cover week by week before deciding how long to stay open.