Recently, due to the quite substantial amount of snow the Scottish Ski Resorts have received this year we have been taking our 2 kids, Kyle aged 15 and Erin aged 10 to Glenshee for some sledging fun.
Glenshee is the busiest ski resort in Scotland, probably because it is fairly easy to reach, ... Read review
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Advantages: Something for everyone whatever the age Disadvantages: Can often be cut off by the snow
...and Erin aged 10 to Glenshee for some sledging fun.
Glenshee is the busiest ski resort in Scotland, probably because it is fairly easy to reach, when the roads are open, and is situated in quite close proximity to 3 of Scotland's cities, Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen. We live just outside Dundee and, although Glenshee is only about 40 miles from Dundee it takes us about 1 hour to drive there due to the narrow, winding country roads and ... ...steeped in myth and legend Glenshee or the Gaelic name, Gleann Shith, The Glen of the Fairies has something to offer everyone. Glenshee is situated right in the heart of Scotland.
The skiing section of Glenshee is formed over 3 valleys and 4 mountains, with the highest point being an impressive 3504ft. The highest public use road in Britain, the A93, runs through the glen at the dizzy height of 2132 feet above sea level. Home to Britain's ... more
Recently, due to the quite substantial amount of snow the Scottish Ski Resorts have received this year we have been taking our 2 kids, Kyle aged 15 and Erin aged 10 to Glenshee for some sledging fun.
Glenshee is the busiest ski resort in Scotland, probably because it is fairly easy to reach, when the roads are open, and is situated in quite close proximity to 3 of Scotland's cities, Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen. We live just outside Dundee and, although Glenshee is only about 40 miles from Dundee it takes us about 1 hour to drive there due to the narrow, winding country roads and if snowfall has been quite good, the roads can be quite busy too.
A BIT ABOUT GLENSHEE
Wild and romantic and steeped in myth and legend Glenshee or the Gaelic name, Gleann Shith, The Glen of the Fairies has something to offer everyone. Glenshee is situated right in the heart of Scotland.
The skiing section of Glenshee is formed over 3 valleys and 4 mountains, with the highest point being an impressive 3504ft. The highest public use road in Britain, the A93, runs through the glen at the dizzy height of 2132 feet above sea level. Home to Britain's largest ski lift system there are 21 lifts and 36 runs on offer for skiers and snowboarders of all capabilities, with an abundance of area for the modest sledger! In the centre of all activities is the licensed Base Café, which serves great tasting hot food and drinks, with no airs and graces, just lots of benches and tables for the exhausted, cold and wet snow adventurer to recharge their batteries. Also situated beside the café is a shop selling a huge range of skis, snowboards, sledges, inflatable sledges, clothing and accessories. It is here that you can also hire all the equipment and clothing needed for a day on the slopes, all professionally fitted by and experienced team of people. For the more advanced skier situated at the top of one of the slopes is the licensed Cairnwell Mountain Restaurant and nestled in the middle valley is the Meall Odhar Café, needless to say I have never managed to reach either of these yet, although do plan to one day!!
Nine miles north of Glenshee is the town of Braemar with hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and gift shops. This is also where the lowest ever temperature in Britain was recorded at a very chilly -27.2 C in both 1895 and 1982!
HOW TO GET THERE
Travelling from Dundee you will reach the towns of Coupar Angus and Blairgowrie first. The roads from Dundee to Blairgowrie are fairly decent country roads, but from Blairgowrie this is where you notice a change in the road structure, they become narrower, very winding and very up and down (just like a rollercoaster!). After Blairgowrie you will pass through the picturesque village of Bridge of Cally where you will find a notice board telling you how many ski runs are open in Glenshee and what the weather condition are like and if the roads are open. There is also a good-sized hotel situated here. You can also hire skis, snowboards and other equipment here
The next beautiful village you will come to is the Spittal of Glenshee, this is where the roads will be closed if weather conditions are severe. Here you will find The Spittal of Glenshee Hotel and bunkhouse. As you drive to this point you will probably be thinking to yourself, oh what beautiful scenery, how remote and picturesque, but where is the snow? This is what we felt the first couple of time we went. It's not until this point that it's almost like driving into another world, all of a sudden the snow just seems to appear, the temperature on the car starts to drop and the road starts to climb. It's amazing how much weather conditions can change by just taking a bend in the road!
From Aberdeen the journey is slightly longer and takes approximately 1 ½ hours passing through the Royal Deeside town of Ballater.
WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT IN THE WINTER
Once you reach the ski resort you will find 2 very large parking areas, which is usually ample space but again, if there has been a good amount of snowfall, they can be very busy and also very treacherous, with many a car getting stuck, but not to worry there are always plenty people willing to help push you out again! There is always a wonderful hive of activity in Glenshee with children and adults of all ages having a great time.
When visiting Glenshee during the snow season you should always go very well prepared taking plenty or warm waterproof clothing and a dry change of clothes as well. The weather can change very, very quickly and it is always better to be safe than sorry!
WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT IN THE SUMMER
During the summer months Glenshee is still a hive of activity, maybe not as much as when the snow is there, but still busy nevertheless. Many outdoor pursuits are offered against the stunning backdrop of the mountains. Pursuits such as hill-walking, horse riding, stalking, shooting, mountain biking and fishing. There is also a hang-gliding school open in Glenshee during summer months and an 18 hole golf course in Braemar.
For the hill-walker there are a number of munros and corbetts to choose from. (A munro is a Scottish mountain over 3000ft and a Corbett is a Scottish mountain over 2500ft.)
With all these super activities to choose from, what more could the outdoor lover ask for!
ACCOMMODATION
The Spittal of Glenshee Hotel offers a good base for the area and being only 8 minutes drive from the ski slopes is great for giving you a whole day out on the slopes! The hotel has 48 rooms, 8 of which are family rooms and are all en suite. There is also a bunkhouse, which can accommodate up to 18 people. Braemar, also being fairly close to hand offers 5 or 6 hotels with a number of guesthouses and B&Bs.
There is so much to offer in this area a visit to Glenshee is a must!
...the three stars awarded to Glenshee are really three and a half – A good rating if you consider I ski mostly abroad. I recently paid my first winter visit to Glenshee and in many respects was pleasantly surprised. It certainly compared very favourably with Aviemore, a place I’ve skied at a number of times, and think return trips to Glenshee are almost a certainty. It does have bad points too, but I’ll cover them in a bit.
The first ... ...they boast proudly on the Glenshee piste map and website – 3 Valleys, 4 Mountains. While the subject of the official website is about, it’s at www.ski-glenshee.co.uk, but it isn’t very good. The piste map is still under construction, for starters, but it does have a comprehensive pricing guide.
The second thing you’ll need, if unfamiliar with piste maps, is a key. Black – Difficult runs
Red – Intermediate runs
...
jambo6 01.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Glenshee
Advantages: Large area, good choice, well looked after Disadvantages: Bit isolated, relatively low(altitude)
...near the town of Blairgowrie.
Glenshee is spread over 3 valleys, Sunnyside, Bunny Run area and Butcharts area. As far as the UK goes, the ski area is big! There are plenty of beginners runs at the top and bottom, but I would say this is also a great place for intermediates.
Blairgowrie has a good selection of shops, hotels, and guest houses; and a decent public transport link. However, the links to the slopes themselves can be a bit tricky. Stay ... ...towards the middle- care required!
Glenshee also has a couple of shops, postbox, three mountain cafes/ restaurants, and is generally quite well linked to give you a better experience. Ok, runs generally are shorter than abroad, but I do like it a lot.
We had a small wager on who would hear the klaxon first, but none of us did. If this goes, it is time to get down as soon as you can, as either conditions are not safe or bad weather is on its way!
...
skimanant 04.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Glenshee
Advantages: Great for a day trip if you are in Scotland. Disadvantages: Bad weather, low mountains, poor snow, no facilities.
Skiing Glenshee is not like skiing Europe. There will be no sunbathing at lunchtime, no après-ski session that lasts until 3am, no pain au chocolat in your pocket and no posing for photos when you get off the lifts. Instead you will need 3 sweaters under your skijacket, the ability to ride button lifts and t-bars, a disregard for the condition of the bottom of your skis and a gritty determination to ski regardless of the conditions. The attitude ... ...are several reasons why skiing Glenshee is not like skiing the Alps, and the first of them is scale. With a maximum descent of 250m, it's almost an order of magnitude smaller than the biggest resorts in the Alps, with a correspondingly smaller area and limited terrain. The piste map and all important resort information is available online along at http://www.ski-glenshee.co.uk but be warned much of the marketing material flatters to deceive. You ...
jimh1 13.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Glenshee
Advantages: Quiet, away from it all, great base for activities. Disadvantages: None
the country, which on the Braemar side passes through the Glenshee Ski Centre.
Braemar Castle was built in 1628 by John Erskine, Earl of Mar. It is open Saturday and Sundays and check web sites for up to date prices.
Walking around the town, it is strange just how quiet the place is really - mind you, I did go there in April. However, having said that the town of Braemar is pretty unassuming, to say that it in the central point for these things listed above.
But let's not forget the Highland Games? Those interested can, in September, accompany Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her kin to the great Braemar Gathering. Here one can watch such bygone games as Tossing the Caber or Throwing the Hammer and Tug of War. Or how about a bit of Highland Dancing and Piping?
The place where they play the actual Highland Games is free to enter when ...
Advantages: Friendly, pretty Disadvantages: Isolated, can be very cold
Welcome to the Lecht, probably Scotlands smallest but friendliest ski area.
The Lecht is located between Glenshee and Aviemore, useful as both the Lecht and Glenshee are relatively low and you may want to visit Aviemore to get some altitude or fresh snow. Also, you could ski out the Lecht fairly easily within a few days, so you may fancy a change of scenery!
Great for beginners- ideal in fact! The "Osprey" run has plastic matting, so is always skiiable, and this is a good run to learn on. The "goose" is also quite nice. The ski school is friendly and instruction is also fairly cheap, ski hire and all that is available on site and nearby.
Intermediates- a good selection for a few days, but not for too long! Mainly green and blue runs (easier), with some short red runs. But, do not be put off! The scenery is absolutely beautiful from ...
skimanant 03.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Lecht
Advantages: Location, history, friendly owners Disadvantages: Not open in winter
now been confirmed with historians & has quite understandably sent the value of this place into orbit.
VISITING THE AREA
Look on a Scottish map; find the city of Aberdeen on the north east coast & about 45 miles west you?ll come across the small town of Ballater.
Despite its small population of only 1650 humans, the odd dog, cat & hamster, this place pulls in tourists from all over the world.
What do they come for? The scenery is certainly stunning; Ballater is situated in the Cairngorm National Park & surrounded by outstanding natural beauty & the crystal clear waters of the River Dee.
There is plenty to do, in winter there is skiing in the nearby slopes at the Lecht & at Glenshee. You can fish (with permission) in the River Dee famous for its rich salmon, there are plenty of places to hill walk & if your into gliding there is ...
