Photo: Glencoe Mountain

The new owners of Glencoe ski resort hope to install a new lift in time for next winter - and they are looking at whether they could eventually start snowmaking as well. Either a chair or a magic carpet, the new lift would provide more efficient access to the beginner area. At the moment, Glencoe has 19 runs and seven lifts.

Andy Meldrum, a former instructor at Glenshee, who acquired the resort with members of his family last year, says:

“We have a Poma lift from the top of the main access chair but that's difficult for beginners, so we ferry them across by Land Rover. We started by looking at a chair-lift, but since then we have been told it could be done more cheaply with a magic carpet. If we get the necessary funding we hope to put one or other in by next season.”

Snowmaking would be further down the line. “It would be fairly limited in any case. There's no need for it at the top where we get plenty of snow. The main difficulty is humidity. We need to carry out weather studies before we go ahead.

“The new management has applied to become a Community Interest Company, which makes it easier for any profits to be ploughed back into development. Hopefully it means we can get access to European funding, for example”.

Plans include strengthening Glencoe's appeal as a ski mountaineering centre and as a year-round resort - partly by enhancing its appeal to mountain bikers, a catering upgrade and, further ahead, providing new accommodation. Mr Meldrum says he doubts whether Glencoe has been profitable but says with this winter's snow it should finish the season in the black.

“Two years ago it wasn't even open by now. This winter we've been open for five weeks.”

Glencoe and the surrounding villages offer accommodation, pubs and restaurants and the nearest major town, Fort William, is about 30 minutes' drive away with a lot more choice. For a list of places to stay go to the Visit Scotland website.

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