Snowboarding in Scotland

seannash

So ive been snowboarding for 3 years.all that time has been in america.

want to maybe try get away for a weekend and was looking at Scotland.

anybody got opinions on Scotland as a destination for this.
also any recomendations for resorts there

Fattes

Resorts are, Caringorn,Glenco,Glenshee and Nevis Range

Just bring a board you dont care about as there are lots of rocks, last year they got a serious amount of snow and there was powder skiing a couple of weekends.

Its cheap to lift passes are not to stiff and food beer etc is all good value.

Most of the resorts are withina 4-6 hour drive from the belfast ferry

seannash

Cheers man

ive only got the one board and it wasnt exactly cheap so i think ill give it a miss.save a bit more and go somewhere better

Fattes

It is well worth going to especially if the conditions are good. But I wouldnt use my own kit if the snow was not in good nick.

It is definatley worth going to a totally diffrent ski experience

jimdev

I went to Scotland for two ski holidays last year. Where as I enjoyed the trips, my extremely strong preference would be to not go back under almost any circumstances.

The cost (total cost: travel + accom + ski pass + food + everything) for a day in Scotland is the same as for a day's skiing in any of the best resorts in Europe. I found all the driving exhausting compared to the luxury of flying and being driven in a bus. The hills are a fraction the size, the snow is rarely good (although it was spectacular for Scotland while I was there) and the weather (wind and vis) often make skiing either impossible or highly unpleasant and quite limited.

The reason I went last year is that I started a new job in november and couldn't really plan proper holidays as a result. So I went over to Scotland at New Year's and Easter in days I had off work anyway. It was no cheaper and not nearly as good. It was just incredibly flexible because I could decide to go the night before and not worry about getting screwed on flight prices.

I might go again if I find myself idle over a long weekend and some amazing snow was coming in. Things I've learned:
- stay as close to the hill as possible (there will be plenty of driving done without extending the drive up the hill in the morning)
- split the driving, get other people insured on whatever car you're using
- the equipment available for rent on the hills seems to be spectacularly poor and the queues for it are very long (when the snow is good), consider renting away from the hill (in the towns / shops on the way up)

I tried Glenshee and Cairngorm. Glenshee was not good. Cairngorm was good - they have the funicular, it's brilliant.

Certainly give it a go, one man's poison is another man's meat but I would encourage you to give the Alps a go first.