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Gigs and new ride could help ski resort through 'inconsistent' seasons

Steven McKenzieHighlands and Islands reporter
Getty Images Two snowboarders in whiteout conditions at Cairngorm Mountain. There is ski lift infrastructure in the background.Getty Images
A snowy Cairngorm Mountain in April 2016 but other snowsports seasons

A Scottish snowsports resort has sought to widen its appeal through hosting gigs and developing plans to open an almost mile long toboggan ride.

Cairngorm Mountain staged what it called the UK's highest DJ set last Friday with the event headlined by Skye's trad and electronic act Valtos.

The centre near Aviemore has also submitted documents to support its proposals for the new toboggan track.

One of the reports lodged with Highland Council said the ride would play a "critical role" in attracting visitors at a time when climate change had made snowsports seasons "increasingly short and inconsistent".

More than 300 people attended last weekend's gig, which also featured Kontrast, a DJ act from Skye and Glasgow.

The performances were held at the resort's Ptarmigan Top Station, 3,599ft (1,097m) up Cairn Gorm mountain.

The station is at the head of the snowsports centre's funicular railway.

The site's operator, Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd, said it had hosted music events before but last Friday's gig marked a new direction for the business.

A spokesperson said: "The event stands as a defining moment for Cairngorm Mountain as we continue to diversify the resort and establish the Ptarmigan Top Station as a new, unique destination for the best of Scottish music, arts, and culture to be enjoyed in years to come."

Cairngorm Mountain A crowd of people are inside the Ptarmigan Top Station, bathed in a blue light as they watch Valtos perform.Cairngorm Mountain
Valtos performed a DJ set last Friday

A toboggan run was first suggested as a potential year-round attraction in 2018 by public agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which owns the resort.

In September last year, MSPs were told that designers were due to make a site visit to help them plan the facility.

Getty Images A person rides a yellow toboggan down a metal track on a mountainside in Germany. The person's brown walking boots is all that be seen of them. The grassy slope is slightly blurred as the toboggan slides down the rail. In the distance are pine trees and mountains. Getty Images
A report said other European snowsports centres already have toboggan runs

In the new report, consultants said snowsports centres in mainland Europe and North America were already using toboggan tracks to help widen their appeal.

The report said: "This trend has partly been in response to shorter ski and winter sport seasons as a direct consequence of climate change and global warming.

"The facility is forecast to be the most popular attraction at Cairngorm Mountain and will support the wider attractions and investment in facilities to date."

The report said the track would be designed in such a way to limit its environmental impact to a "relatively light touch".

It added that the facility could also be "easily" installed and disassembled if required.

What have winter conditions been like?

In February, Scotland's mountain snowsports centres said they were enjoying their best winter in six years.

Glenshee had been open since the end of December and the resort said conditions had been "fantastic".

Glencoe Mountain said it had proved to be the best season since the Covid pandemic hit in March 2020, while Cairngorm Mountain described winter conditions as "great".

But Scotland's mountain snowsports resorts have previously endured some difficult seasons because of disappointing conditions including those in 2016-17 and 2018-19.

Nevis Range had to delay the start to its 2024-25 winter season until the arrival of more snow.