The re-opening of the funicular railway at Cairngorm Mountain in the Scottish Highlands has been delayed until late 2022. This will leave the ski area above Aviemore without its main lift for a fourth successive ski season.
The funicular opened in 2001 but was taken out of service in 2018 after an engineers’ inspection identified structural defects that raised safety concerns.
The current phase of engineering works to strengthen the 1.9km viaduct that supports the railway track began in April 2021. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) which owns the land and the centre’s operating company expected the funicular to be back in service early next year, however, a recent statement confirmed the necessary work would continue into the second half of 2022.
Progress on the repairs has been affected by Covid and by extreme weather conditions in the spring. Vital construction materials, currently in short supply across the UK, also have to be sourced.
Cairngorm will still operate, as it has done in recent winters when not closed by covid restrictions, with skiers and snowboarders able to access the slopes using nine ski tows.
Nevis Range £4m base plan includes new base, hotel, and bunkhouse
Nevis Range ski area near Fort William, which currently does not have accommodation facilities, is to build a 22-bedroom hotel and a 24 berth bunkhouse as part of a £4m investment in new facilities at its base.
There will also be a bar and restaurant, bike shop, children’s activity centre, childcare facilities and a covered courtyard with an event space.
The investment in year-round facilities is good news after the centre was closed last winter due to the pandemic which resulted in a large operating loss.
Work on the new facilities is being supported with an £800,000 contribution from government development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
The work at Nevis Range is already underway and is expected to take 12 months to build with a planned opening in late November 2022. 50 jobs are expected to be created as a direct result of the new buildings.
Chris O’Brien, MD of Nevis Range, said: “I’m incredibly excited about the addition of a third restaurant to the Nevis Range site. The Pinemarten Café and the Snowgoose have been designed to operate at high volumes providing a speedy service to get people back out on to the hill as quickly as possible.
The new restaurant will be serving Scottish Highland Tapas, all locally sourced, and a huge selection of Scottish drinks showcasing some of the incredible local suppliers that we’re so fortunate to have based here in Lochaber.”
He added: “Net Zero and climate change are at the top of our agenda as we continue to develop. EV charge points, Hydro power and a locally sourced produce strategy are just the beginning for us. We are currently engaged in a carbon footprint analysis study that will help us roadmap the best way for us to achieve Net Zero status.”
Hillend unveils plans for multi sports and all weather leisure facility
Skiers and snowboarder who use Hillend Snowsports Centre near Edinburgh were given a glimpse into the future when plans to redevelop the site were revealed recently.
The proposal to turn Midlothian Snowsport Centre at Hillend Country Park, into a multi-sports and activity, all-weather leisure facility were first announced in 2019.
They then received funding approval with a nearly £24.5m budget, from Midlothian Council in January 2021.
The centre, which had one of the world’s original dry ski slopes when it opened nearly 60 years ago, and still has the longest dry ski slope in the UK, will add the country’s highest zip wire as well as a new activity dome, soft play, high rope activity and an alpine coaster to its list of attractions.
A new attraction has already opened on the site. The new 130m long Hillend Fun Slope was designed by snowsports firm Briton Engineering, the company behind Snowflex, and includes three different type of pitches, jumps and other features to appeal to everyone from beginners to elite athletes.
Besides the new activities there’ll also be a new hotel, a glamping site with wigwams, and shopping and food retail areas. The main building in the new development will also be carbon neutral.
The timetable for the redevelopment has not been published, however work on improving the access road is scheduled to start in spring next year.
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