Scotland's Answer to Courchevel

Glenshee is a cost-effective alternative to skiing in the French Alps this reading week

“Compared to skiing in the Alps, it is not as impressive: Runs are shorter, rental gear is of worse quality, and the snow is a lot less consistent,” third-year ski enthusiast Ray Johnstone told The Saint after his visit to Glenshee, Scotland’s premier ski centre. 

Following the wave of boisterous weather at the beginning of the month, Glenshee has seen a great deal of snowfall.

“It’s frustrating, as they are closed most of the time due to not having enough snow,” said Johnstone. “Then, when there is snow, they can’t get everything open, leaving long queues at the lifts.” 

The lack of infrastructure and staffing at Glenshee means that even when conditions are ideal, as they were last week, the resort struggles to open all the runs and accommodate the spike in demand.

“Overall, getting up there was great fun, and it felt good to support a small business and Scottish skiing in general,” Johnstone reflected.

While Johnstone is a seasoned skier, the winter sport was never a primary interest of mine. Growing up in the suburbs of Edinburgh, the closest I came during childhood was trips to the nearby snow sports centre at Hillend in Midlothian for tubing, where one essentially crashes down a slide in an inflatable doughnut.

After coming to St Andrews, where there is a much more prominent ski culture, I, too, succumbed to the stereotype. I agreed to go on a ski holiday with some university friends, despite having no prior experience. After all, a week of cheese fondue and Aperol spritz did not sound too shabby.

Learning to ski on the immaculately kept pistes of the Alps proved to be a breeze. After a morning utilising what the French call the jardin d’enfants, I felt somewhat ready to haphazardly take to the slopes for the rest of the week.

After the minibreak, I reflected on what I had been missing in the skiing Scotland has to offer. Scotland has five main mountain ski centres, the most notable of which is located at Glenshee in the Cairngorm National Park. Just under a two-hour car journey from St Andrews, many ambitious students and locals are well prepared to arrive in time for the first lift at 9am.

Glenshee Ski and Snowboard Centre officially opened to the public in 1962 and will celebrate its 64th anniversary at the end of the year. The centre boasts 36 runs, ranging from beginner (green) to black (expert). During its heyday in the late 1980s, the resort saw over 200,000 visitors annually; however, with the increased attraction and accessibility of package ski holidays elsewhere on the continent, numbers have dwindled to a less impressive 25,000 visitors per year.

Public funding has proven to be another concern for the upkeep and development of the centre. Glenshee has received just over a million pounds since 2015, compared to its state-owned counterparts in the Cairngorms, which have seen a windfall of over four million since 2022.

“It felt a bit surreal skiing in Scotland, especially so close to St Andrews,” said international student Martin Thuriaux, after he visited the resort. “I was also impressed with the infrastructure in such a small place.”

The relatively close location of the centre was not the only feature of Glenshee that impressed Thuriaux: “All in all, I paid £80 for snowboard rental, a lift pass, and lunch at the café, so when it comes to skiing, it was very well priced.”

Next time you are stuck inside on a cold, dark winter afternoon at the Main Library, dreaming of a trip to the Alps for some skiing, just remember that there might be a cheaper and more accessible ski destination closer to home.

Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons