With snow becoming increasingly scarce and skier numbers dwindling, Scotland’s ski resorts face uncertain times. What does the future hold for skiing in this iconic winter destination?
Last winter was a tough season for Scotland’s ski industry, with snow levels disappointing and a significant drop in skier attendance. While some described the season as “challenging,” others were more blunt, calling it “dire.”
Scotland is home to five ski areas:
Cairngorm
The Lecht
Glenshee
Glencoe
The Nevis Range
The recently released statistics paint a bleak picture. Across all five resorts, there were only 55,000 skier days last season. To put that in perspective, the worst season on record, 2016-17, saw just 54,000 skier days, making last winter the second-worst on record.
PlanetSKI was in Scotland last February, experiencing firsthand the mixed results of the season. The total number of skier days for the 2022/23 season was 86,100, a sharp decline from previous years. Even the Covid-impacted 2021-22 season had more skier days, totaling 84,140.
In stark contrast, Scotland saw significantly better seasons in the past, such as 2009/10, which boasted 374,789 skier days, and 2012/13 with 290,996 skier days. These numbers raise concerns about the future viability of all five ski resorts in Scotland.
The Lecht resort has already warned that it might have to close after last winter’s dire conditions, prompting the launch of a Crowdfunder campaign to secure its future. Fortunately, the campaign was successful, reaching its target with some room to spare.
Despite the challenges, Andy Meldrum, who runs the Glencoe Mountain resort, remains cautiously optimistic. “We did alright; it wasn’t a bad season in the end,” he told The Scotsman. “We skied most of the winter, from January right through to the first week in April. Although the middle of the mountain never opened due to a lack of snow, we managed to keep the upper mountain open for a significant portion of the season.”
Meldrum’s resort had around 10,000 skier days, skiing for 62 days in total. For a year with limited snowfall, he considers it a relatively successful outcome.
At PlanetSKI, we share a deep love for skiing in Scotland—when conditions permit. The future of skiing in Scotland remains uncertain, but for now, enthusiasts and resort operators alike hold on to hope.
