Glenshee Ski Centre
Glenshee Ski Centre is the largest ski resort in Scotland and is sometimes referred to as the Scottish three glens.[1][2][3] It is located in Aberdeenshire and to the north of Spittal of Glenshee, on the A93 road between Blairgowrie and Braemar in the southern Highlands of Scotland.[3] With 22 lifts, 36 runs and limited snowmaking capabilities, it is Britain's largest snowsports resort.[4]
Glenshee Ski Centre | |
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Coire Fionn and Glas Maol Poma, Glenshee Ski Centre, Scotland | |
Location | Aberdeenshire |
Coordinates | 56°53′N 3°25′W |
Vertical | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
Top elevation | 3,504 ft (1,070 m) |
Base elevation | 2,132 ft (650 m) |
Skiable area | 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) |
Runs | 36 : 22% easiest : 36% more difficult : 36% difficult : 6% most difficult |
Longest run | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) Glas Maol |
Lift system | 22 |
Lift capacity | 15,460 per hour |
Snowmaking | yes |
Night skiing | no |
Website | www |
The ski area is just north of the Cairnwell Pass at the head of Glen Shee on either side of the A93 road. The western sector is a bowl encompassing The Cairnwell (933 m, 3,061 ft) and Càrn Aosda (917 m, 3,009 ft) mountains. The eastern side extends via Sunnyside onto two further mountains, Meall Odhar (922 m, 3,025 ft) and Glas Maol (1,068 m, 3,504 ft). Most of the area is served by a panoramic webcam.[5] The main ski centre buildings are at an elevation of 650 metres (2,130 ft).[3] The resort's longest single run is Glas Maol which is considered to be the best skiing run in Scotland,[6] and the centre's investment in the extensive snow-making facilities allows it to remain open for longer than the other centres.[7]
The resort covers 790 hectares (2,000 acres) and has 40 kilometres (25 mi) of pisted runs graded as 8 Greens, 13 Blues, 13 Reds and 2 Blacks. There are three chairlifts, three T-bar lifts, and the remaining sixteen are button lifts, mostly of the Poma type.[7] Planning permission was granted in June 2010 for a chairlift from the ski centre carpark area to the Cairnwell Cafe,[8] this lift was commissioned in January 2012 and named the Baddoch chair, and the resort also replaced the Cairnwell Chairlift with a modern 3-seat Poma Chair. There are also plans for a modern 4-seat chairlift to replace the Cairnwell T-bar.[9]
References
- "Glenshee". Visit Cairngorms. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Glenshee Ski Area Information". OnTheSnow. Mountain News Corp. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Glenshee Ski Resort Guide". snow-forecast.com. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Ski & Snowboard Glenshee!". Glenshee and Strathardle Tourist Association. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Welcome to Glenshee". Trinum. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- Sam Haddad (2 February 2014). "Skiing in Scotland: a guide to the five ski resorts". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Glenshee Ski Centre". Visit Scotland. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Ref: APP/2010/0972". Aberdeenshire Council. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- Pauk Reoch (6 October 2017). "New chairlift for Glenshee ski centre". The Courier. Retrieved 4 March 2020.