•Glencoe Sledge Park

•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

Summer is long enough. Catch some spring turns / park action while you can on CairnGorm in the Ptarmigan Bowl! Lift assisted touring options at Glencoe and Nevis.

CairnGorm bike park is open daily, including the magic carpets at the Daylodge. Nevis Bike tracks will be closed Tue/Wed next week, then closed from Sun 10th May through Thu 21st May. Glencoe bike tracks were scheduled to open around 23rd May, but may open earlier if largely settled weather continues.

Friday sees the season move into the 7th consecutive month of lift served snowsports for the 2026 Scottish Season. The lift served season started in November on CairnGorm and will finish on CairnGorm, with the Ptarmigan Bowl the last remaining lift served snowsports on offer.

However, it may or may not be closing weekend, this will be assessed as the weekend goes on, as cooler temperatures are anticipated to progressively move in through the weekend and it looks like the Ptarmigan Bowl level could be back to sub zero by early next week, with potentially more snow incoming after the holiday Monday!

Officially lift served snowsports on CairnGorm is now limited to the Ptarmigan Bowl and the terrain park there, with the Ptarmigan Tow operating for uplift. The Polar Express trainer tow is now closed.

The White Lady is officially now closed as it is broken in a couple of places as long as a patchy run out to the mid-station. However the main bed of the Lady is still in fairly decent shape and people have been doing it at the end of the day. However, there are no longer mid station stops, so any lapping of the White Lady requires a walk out to the Base Station to catch the Funicular back up.

If you are prepared to do more leg work than walk down to the Base Station from the White Lady, then the Ciste Gully is still offering up a decent length of run. Either skin back up or, less uphill vertical is required to walk over the Windy Ridge and pick up the Windy Ridge path back to the base station, so the Funicular still does some of the uphill vertical!

The Ciste Mhearaidh over the back of the Ptarmigan Tow has been offering up some beautiful spring snow, just remember it is easy to get to, but you have to walk / skin back out! Note that the Funicular touring pass is not available currently.

There is still scope for some partially lift assisted turns in the West from the top of the Nevis Gondola and the Glencoe Access Chairlift. The snow is easier to reach on Meall a Bhuiridh, but the extra elevation means Aonach Mor can offer around 1100ft vertical descent on the Goose side vs around 800ft continuous descent at Glencoe on the Main Basin, and a bit less on the Spring Run.

If venturing beyond the Main Basin or Spring Run, beware of the Flypaper both early and once in shade for the surface quickly firming up in the dry air, plus when at its softest risk of surface sluffing. Remember the mountain is unpatrolled now and as the spring melt continues the Flypaper Bowl becomes increasingly consequential terrain!

Season Pass holders can continue to use the Access Chair and the Plateau Cafe is open daily through close on Monday 4th May, from 10am to 3pm.

All other area season pass holders can get 30% of day tickets at CairnGorm at the Base Station ticket office (remember to bring your pass).

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

The Sledge Park remains a reasonable length and decent condition, as snow making has resumed! Cooler temperatures over the weekend should help improve the sledge park further.

It is advisable to arrive before 2.45pm at the latest for sledging to get a decent amount of time on the hill. First chair up at 9am, the sledge park is always quietest before lunch time. Last chair down scheduled for 4.30pm.

:: England Club Fields

All the club fields are waiting for new snow to be able to reopen.

For both Weardale and Allenheads, you need to join the club with a season pass, these are still available for both at this time.

Please check club access rules / availability if not a club member / pass holder.

Weardale: https: //skiweardale.com/ .
Allenheads: http://ski-allenheads.co.uk/ .
Yad Moss: https: //yadmoss.co.uk/ .
Raise: https: //www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/ .

:: Mountain Weather

At 6pm in the West at Glencoe, the summit AWS on Meall a Bhuiridh (1097m) was reporting a temperature of 11.8°c, with a variable breeze at 3 gusting 12mph. At the SSC hut (850m) the temperature was +11.4°c. At Base level (366m) it was +20.0°c with the wind South at 4 gusting 12mph.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting +10.0°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South wind at 15 gusting 31mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +13.8°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +18.9°c.

In the East the Met Office summit weather station on CairnGorm reported +7.9°c, with a Southerly at a mean of 27 gusting 43mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +19.0°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported +8.0°c with a South East wind at a mean of 17 gusting 30mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Extensive high pressure that has been in control of our weather, forming an elongated band of high pressure pressure is now starting to split into two distinct areas of high pressure, with us under a col between them. Thus as we approach and head into the start of the bank holiday weekend, pressure will continue to gradually drop with a resultant change to less settled conditions.

High level cloud will gradually build through Friday, with early sunshine becoming hazy. Some spots may see afternoon showers on Friday, but many areas will stay dry. However, there is a chance somewhere could catch a heavy and possibly thundery shower on Friday afternoon. Mountains should be clear of cloud for much of the day, but after any afternoon showers, banks of cloud may linger at various elevations.

The blustery SE wind from Thursday should veer Southerly and ease for Friday, around 10 to 15 gusting 20 to 25mph, but risk of it being gustier around showers. At Munro Level temperature around 8 to 9°c near the West Coast, but NE Highlands will see Munro Level temperatures perhaps nudge 13°c in the Southerly flow.

Showers will become considerably more widespread on Saturday, particularly by afternoon. Though frontal rain is expected to stall around Central Scotland, shower activity will intensify to the North of it and the Cairngorms are more at risk of these showers merging into a longer period of afternoon rain. Risk of thunderstorms means low confidence in the expected light and variable winds lasting all day as there could be considerable local gustiness around any bigger convective cells.

Notable variation in Munro Level temperatures on Saturday, between 5 and 10°c, with possibly quite marked local variations. The highest Munro temperatures and best chance of afternoon brightness and fewer showers towards the Western coastal hills.

Sunday is expected to be largely dry, though risk some afternoon showers may bubble up. Current indications slightly favour the West Highlands for brighter spells, but there will be a fair amount of cloud around. Light and variable winds, may become blustery NW with gusts to 25 to 30mph late in the day. Cooler with the freezing level initially around the higher tops, plus 3°c at Munro Level, rising a couple of degrees. Sheltered spots that catch breaks in the cloud could push up to +7°c.

Bank Holiday Monday will feel notably colder than off late with a brisk North to NW wind, the freezing level back down to around 4000ft, later lowering towards the mid elevations. Detail somewhat uncertain, as exact wind direction will determine where gets a dry day and where is more at risk of showers. West Coastal mountains may stay dry with some brighter spells, if wind is a bit more North than NW risk wintry showers coming into the Northern Cairngorms from the Moray Firth.

Early indications for Tuesday are for a cold, but moderate NNW wind, bringing in mountain snow showers. These showers are potentially heavy and could merge together in the Northern Cairngorms, with some forecast models suggesting between 10 and 20cm of new snowfall, with Munro Level temperature around -2°c, potentially lowering -4°c overnight.

:: Webcams and Weather Stations

Lowther Hill: Leadhills webcam is online (24/7).

GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images are shortly before 5am (BST). Sledge Park camera streams overnight. Replacement Summit AWS has been installed and temperature data is available from 4 levels. Wind speed currently available at summit and base.