Scotland’s ski centres are improving their chair and tow lifts during a £5.5 million upgrade of facilities.
The Glenshee and Glencoe resorts will be replacing chair lifts, the Lecht and Nevis Range will spend cash on upgrading their current tow lifts and Cairngorm Mountain has already carried out work.
Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing announced Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise are providing 75% of the funding, with the remainder coming from the ski centres, during a visit to Glenshee in Aberdeenshire today.
He said: “The snowsports sector is very important for Scotland’s rural economy and is worth an estimated £30 million per year, supporting over 600 jobs.
“Our ski centres bring many tourists to Scotland and this considerable investment from HIE and Scottish Enterprise, who have worked together with the centres to identify their needs, will provide the necessary support to ensure the sector’s long-term viability.
“The outdoors is the number one reason why people visit Scotland and for every £1 spent on the hills, an additional £4 is spent in the surrounding areas which provide vital income in many rural areas. The most recent full ski season in Scotland saw over 235,000 skier days recorded and with this funding we can look forward to many more successful years.”
Glenshee and Glencoe will replace their existing chair lifts, costing £2.47 million and £1.89 million respectively. The Nevis Range and Lecht will spend £707,000 and £456,000 on upgrades to tow lifts.
Charlotte Wright, HIE business and sector development director, said: “The ski and snow sports sector is hugely important to the Highland and Scottish economy. The sector has tremendous potential for further growth and the companies operating these centres have the ambition to pursue that potential. Our role is to help them do that for the benefit of the region’s and the country’s economy.
“The investment will allow the businesses to attract more visitors and offer a better experience with enhanced facilities.”
Graham McCabe, managing director at Glenshee, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the work that we have been carrying out with Scottish Enterprise, which has culminated in this important investment in the lift infrastructure and will shortly commence.
“The new lifts will further develop Glenshee’s snowsports experience by improving access to higher altitude snowfields and will undoubtedly help retain domestic skiers on Scotland’s slopes whilst hopefully encouraging more international snowsport enthusiasts to sample what Scottish skiing has to offer.”