First snow marks an early start to winter in the Highlands

The first snow of the winter season fell in Cairngorm yesterday.

The snowfall delighted visitors and staff alike at Cairngorm Mountain.

But a north westerly wind gusting to 34mph made the zero degree temperature feel more like minus eight degrees.

The early snowfall came three weeks before the launch of the winter season at the winter sports resort which officially gets underway at Cairngorm with a visit from Santa and his reindeer on Saturday, November 5.

Chloe Winski,7, from Dunfermline who was on holiday with her parents mum and dad and enjoyed herself throwing snowballs.

Chloe said: “We don’t get much snow in Dunfermline so it’s great fun here. My mum says you don’t usually get to make snowballs in the October school holidays.”

For Graham Smith who works at Cairngorm Mountain it was a welcome sign of things to come.

He said:” I always know winter is on its way when I have to brush the snow from the picnic tables outside the restaurant. I have worked here for years and this year the snow is a bit late as we usually fresh snowfall at the start of October. The visitors are loving it. We’ve had some great weather recently.”

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