We’ve been harping on about it ALL season, but now it’s official. This winter has been the best on record since 2001! And for us snowheads that’s a long time to go without conditions like this!
And the great news is that it shows no signs of stopping just yet...just last week Glencoe reported 80cm of fresh snow – the most of any winter sports resort in the WORLD! It’s not just them either – when they eventually found the road at The Lecht, they had dug deeper than their Landies! This unusually harsh winter was long overdue, and will have benefitted the Scottish resorts no end. With over 125,000 skier days already this season, they should have generated enough income for the resorts to look towards some much-needed repairs, as well as investing in some new equipment.
On top of this, Ski Scotland estimates some £25m has been brought to the Scottish economy with the increase in visitors. Good news all round. With forecasters suggesting more snow and freezing temperatures, we could be shredding up the slopes until May Day weekend!
And it gets even better...the Craigdon “End of Season” sale is on now! Check out our stores and online for some of the best deals around and make the most of the snow while it’s still here. 20%+ off skis and equipment, up to 30% off boards and up to 50% off selected clothing!
Lastly, from everyone at Craigdon we’d like to say a huge thank you to all the guys in the resorts – you’ve done a great job of keeping everything running for us to enjoy all season. With some pretty treacherous conditions and creaking equipment to deal with, it’s testament to your hard work and enthusiasm that we’ve had so many awesome days this year. Here’s to more of the same next year!
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Following the decision to cut some £18million from the Midlothian Council’s budget, it appears that the Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend near Edinburgh is under threat.
One of the largest artificial ski slopes in the world, Hillend opened almost 50 years ago and has been at the forefront of Scottish and British skiing success ever since. As a training ground for the Bell and Baxter brothers, as well as more recently, Finlay Mickel and Andy Noble who has been selected for Team GB at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver this year, the centre has always been a popular attraction and cannot be allowed to close.
Statistics show snowsports are becoming more and more popular every year – if we want to encourage more people to enjoy our sports and keep alive our history, we need Hillend to nurture the skills of the next generation.
If you’re as passionate as we are about the future of this fantastic place, you can join the Facebook campaign and/or sign the online petition. Let’s get together and keep this great facility open!
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Location:
Kirrie Hill
Kirriemuir, Angus.
OS Grid Reference NO 392546
Access:
From Aberdeen, follow signs for Dundee on A90, take the Kirriemuir junction before the Forfar turnoff. Follow signs for Kirriemuir and park as for the camera obscura, then a two minute walk down the hill to the climbing.
Overview:
Lots of high quality, sandstone sport climbs from F3+ to F7a+/b, with most of the routes between F5+ and F6b+; quite a rarity for Scotland! Most of the routes are well bolted with double bolt belays, making it a fantastic crag for people looking to progress from indoor to outdoor climbing. It is a good idea to wear a helmet as the sandstone is a little fragile near the top of some of the routes.
The crag has a pleasant sunny aspect, so would be a nice sun-trap all year round. During the summer months, nettles can be prevalent at the bottom of some of the routes, so it’s a good idea to wear trousers.
There are toilet facilities at the car park, but bring some toilet roll as there never seems to any there whenever needed!
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