Urgent cash appeal as ski centre struggles for snow

The owners of a popular ski venue in the north east of Scotland say it may have to shut down due to a lack of snow.

The Lecht Ski Centre was established in the 1970s.

It sits on the A939 between Cockbridge and Tomintoul, on the eastern side of the Cairngorms, on the Aberdeenshire and Moray border.

Its operators say a "dire" season means they are launching a crowdfunding appeal to raise £35,000 through lift pass sales so the centre can open for 2025.

Chairman Pieter du Pon made the appeal on an online crowdfunding page.

"We'd like to be able to continue for many years to come but we need to ask for your support to do this," he wrote.

"As you know 2024 has been a tough winter season with little natural snow. During the winter season of 2021 we saw some of the best snow we have had for a long time, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic we were forced to stay closed.

"Each season is different, so we are very disappointed for both our customers, their families as well as us, that we could not enjoy a lot of snow this winter and offer the winter experience you deserve," he added.

Scotland's ski resorts enjoyed a strong start to the previous season (2022/2023) while resorts elsewhere in Europe struggled for snow.

Relatively warm conditions across the continent impacted resorts in countries such as France and Switzerland.

However at venues such as the Lecht, business was said to be booming.

Good skiing conditions on 2 January last year saw the centre so busy they had to stop selling tickets for only the second time in 45 years.

However, 2023/2024 has been a different story.

Mr du Pon said that for the last 47 winters the Lecht has been able to manage snowsport activities in good and bad seasons but this season has been especially difficult.

"Even in this dire season, using the advances in modern snow making technology we have still managed to put over 6,500 children onto our slopes to enjoy the experience that snowsports has to offer," he explained.

"We do not want to be forced to shut down the centre and so I would like to ask if you could help by just buying one lift pass, or more, as a donation, so we can continue into 2025.

"By purchasing just one more lift pass you will help secure the future of the Lecht," he said.