Glenshee

Glenshee Ski Resort

Glenshee is home to the most ski terrain in Scotland and when fully open to Glas Maol, it possesses some fantastically varied slopes, all served by a good lift system.

The 40km of slopes spread out on either side of the A93 and can be found in three separate valleys. On the Cairnwell side of the hill lie the principal beginner areas, long cruising descents on the race courses and the infamous Tiger, a bumpy, often icy black that rivals many Alpine runs in terms of the challenge it offers. On the other side of the road, a network of greens, blues and reds extends right out to the resort’s best area, Glas Maol. Here you can get big vertical, long sweeping runs and access to some of Scotland’s best off piste.

As with nearby Lecht, there is no accommodation on the hill, but there are a choice of food and drink stops, including the Cairnwell Café, Base Café and Meall Odhar Café. If you’re staying here for several days we’d recommend the options in Braemar to the north or one of the several campsites, B&Bs and lodges located to the south on the road towards Blairgowrie – which in itself makes for a decent option.

As with all Scottish resorts, conditions can at times be unreliable but on a good day, skiing in Scotland can rival the world’s best – and you’d be certainly hard pushed to find more spectacular scenery. For this reason stay as flexible as possible and be prepared to drop everything and dash to the mountains when conditions are good!

Our Glenshee Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Advanced ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Lift System ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Snowmaking ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Off Snow Activities ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Accessibility ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Glenshee Skiing and Snowboarding

There are two main ski sectors at Glenshee, located either side of the Base Lodge and the A93. The Cairnwell slopes to the west are home to the best beginner areas and some long, winding routes in Butchart’s Coire, as well as the infamous Tiger slope from the Cairnwell summit. On the other side of the road, lifts rise up Sunnyside to a network of greens into Meall Odhar, from which drags take you out towards the tougher, longer slopes of Coire Fionn and Glas Maol.

• Total Pistes: 40km
• Green: 22%
• Blue: 36%
• Red: 36%
• Black: 6%
• Snowmaking: 4 snow machines
• Lifts: 21
• Altitude: 650m – 1068m

The beginner slopes at Glenshee are located right next to the road and just below the Base Lodge, where there is also an artificial slope. Sadly the resort does not possess the largest snowmaking arsenal, meaning that snow reliability can suffer. However, in good conditions there is excellent progression on to the longer Claybokie drag and the Bunny Run on the Cairnwell side, and to the Sunnyside and Cluny slopes over the A93.

Glenshee is possibly Scotland’s best bet for intermediates, especially in a good winter when all of the runs are open. The race tracks of the Cairnwell t-bar and the winding blues of Carn Aosda are popular, whilst confident intermediates will enjoy the sense of travel getting all the way across to Glas Maol when conditions allow. Even if that lift isn’t open, the Coire Fionn runs are snowsure and often in great condition, whilst the rolling terrain of Caenlochan is one of the most fun areas to explore in the resort.

When the snow is right, Glenshee is home to arguably Scotland’s most formidable run – the Tiger. Yes it might not be as steep as the Flypaper at Glencoe, but big bumps often form and it certainly is not for the feint-hearted. In addition, Glas Maol turns into one big playground for advanced skiers and boarders after fresh snowfall.

Glenshee Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Glenshee Ski Pass Prices

Day tickets are the way to go (there’s no discount for multi-day tickets). A Scotland-wide season pass costs £550 and can be purchased via the Snowsport Scotland website. Glenshee only adult season passes cost £400 and child passes can be bought for £270. Note that these prices may change, so check with the resort’s website for the latest or give the Ski Club’s expert info & advice team a call on 020 8410 2009.

Season Dates

• Opening: approx. mid December
• Closing: approx. early April

Unlike some of the other Scottish resorts equipped with snowmaking, Glenshee opens as the natural snow falls and closes as it melts. The dates listed above are only indicative so for full details see the resort's website. The Ski Club’s expert info & advice team are also on hand to help – call 020 8410 2009.

Glenshee Resort

On the hill the Base Lodge acts as the focal point, but there are also on-hill food and drink offerings at the Cairnwell and Meall Odhar cafés. All accommodation is located down the hill, either to the north in Braemar or to the south between the resort and Blairgowrie.

Braemar has a lot of accommodation to choose from and also allows easy access to Lecht further north giving you another option if you’re staying for an extended period of time or if the Scottish weather is playing some tricks on you. You can even stay a little further down the River Dee Valley in one of the cottages on the Balmoral Estate, the Queen’s official summer residence.

For Families

There are good beginner facilities and the chairlifts make accessing some of the easier slopes much easier, making this a good option on the skiing front for families. Off the slopes there is not a huge amount of organised activity, but coming up to this part of the Highlands for the scenery and tranquillity more than makes up for this!

For Après

As everyone has to drive back down, there is no real action on the hill. Head down to Braemar where the Fife Arms or the Invercauld Arms Hotel bars are good spots for a post-skiing dram or two. A visit to the nearby Royal Lochnagar distillery is also well worth it.

How to get to Glenshee

Glenshee is only accessible by car, but it is very accessible from the major Scottish cities. Aberdeen is around an hour and three-quarters drive away, whilst Glasgow and Edinburgh lie two hours to the south.

• Aberdeen: 1.75 hours
• Edinburgh: 2 hours
• Glasgow: 2 hours

Glenshee Contact Details

• Website: www.ski-glenshee.co.uk
• Email: Contact via online form
• Telephone: 013397 41320
• Facebook: @GlensheeSkiCentre
• Twitter: @theglenshee