Scottish ski resort closes down

The company that runs Scotland’s oldest skiing resort has decided to suspend operations this year, without giving a reason. Glencoe, which was the first commercial resort of its type in the UK, has suffered from a general lack of snow for many years – although there were heavy falls just two years ago – but last year there was almost no white stuff to speak of. And while the resort, which sits amid some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK, has been popular since the first ski lift was built in 1959, the lure of European resorts, with their regular snow and efficient lift systems, has taken its toll. The Glenshee Chairlift Company, which runs the resort, did not give any reasons for the closure, but offered the following statement: “We regret is has been necessary to mothball the Glencoe Ski Centre, and it will not be open for trading this winter.” The Independent reports that Scottish ski centres attract as many as 50,000 visitors a year, but numbers have fallen by as much as 70% in the last 15 years.