Magic carpet is part of £1m ski plan

Almost £1 million of funding has secured the future of Britain's longest dry ski slope, it emerged yesterday.

The Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend was threatened with closure last year, after Midlothian Council refused to indefinitely fund the complex.

However, two injections of cash announced last month from sportscotland and the Scottish Government have been accepted by the authority.

Sportscotland, the national agency for sport in Scotland, offered 533,000 of funding, while the Scottish Government approved the release of 400,000 to support the use of the Hillend centre by children in the Edinburgh and Lothians area.

The local authority has discussed long-term plans for the centre, which could include a new hotel or accommodation complex.

The 533,000 funding will be used to cement Hillend's reputation as the breeding ground for tomorrow's champions.? Olympic skiers Finlay Mickel and Alain Baxter have used the slope in the past.

Other projects include the installation of a "magic carpet" - a moving walkway which will help beginners learn to ski and snowboard.