Skiing in the UK - Skiing Areas in the UK

The village of Allenheads lays claim to be one of the highest in England at an altitude of about 1450ft (the highest is actually Flash in north Staffordshire).

Allenheads Information:

This little slope high up in the Peak District village of Elton used to be really popular back in the 1980s, when a series of long snowy winters convinced a handful of enthusiasts to set up a temporary tow rope on one of the fields next to the village. The tow hardly ran through the 90s because of the mild weather but has been running again in 2009 and 2010 as the snow returned.

Elton Information:

Yad Moss has a number of advantages over the other English ski areas, with a purpose-built ticket office and day-lodge having been built recently with lottery funding. There's also a piste-basher housed at the lodge. The Poma button lift is the longest in England and there's another refreshment hut halfway down the hill. The Yad Moss area is near Harwood Common above the B6277, about 7 miles to the south-east of Alston in Cumbria. Be warned that the area is not suitable for absolute beginners, especially the use of the tow.

Yad Moss Information

The Lecht Ski Centre was one of the first locations in the UK to offer skiing when it started operating its first drag lift back in the 1970s.

The centre is situated on the infamous A939 road between Cockbridge and Tomintoul, and the slopes rise up from either side of the day lodge and car park area. On initial views it may not look like a vast area, but the slope lengths actually total nearly 25km.

Lecht Information:

As well being the oldest ski area in the United Kingdom, Glencoe can also claim to have the steepest piste and the longest runs. It's also arguably set in the most spectacular scenery.

Glencoe's first ski lift was installed back in 1955, and since then the area has expanded to include a total of 8 lifts, made up of two chairlifts and 6 drag-lifts. One of the chairlifts is used to take skiers up from the base station and car park which is located at the end of a side road leading from the A82. From the mid point on the mountain more lifts can then be taken up to the top point, from where a number of blues and reds lead back down, as well as the black "Flypaper" run, which is the UK's steepest pisted run.

Glencoe Information:

With 22 ski-lifts and 36 different runs, Glenshee has a surprisingly good variety of runs. It's located on the A93 road between Blairgowrie and Braemar, and rises up from the car park and ski centre base at 650m to a top height of 1070m.

Glenshee Information:

The Nevis Range is Scotland's most modern ski area, having been opened in 1989. Located on the northern slopes of Aonach Mor, a gondola is used to take skiers from the valley base-station (situated by the A82 road near Fort William), up to the foot of the ski area at 650m. This area features the Snowgoose restaurant, green and blue slopes for beginners and lifts to the top of the mountain.

Nevis Range Information:

The ski area at Cairngorm, alongside the nearby resort of Aviemore, is the best known in Scotland and the UK. Although sometimes referred to as Aviemore, it's worth noting that it is actually some 10 miles from the slopes, although it is the nearest thing to a conventional ski resort in the UK. A mountain funicular railway takes skiers from the base station car park up to Scotland's highest restaurant. With 10 other lifts serving 30km of slopes, a snow-park and sledging park, the Cairngorm area has plenty on offer, and when the weather and conditions are favourable it's a great place to ski.

Cairngorms Information: