Bosses at one of Scotland’s top ski centres are celebrating the best start to the season in decades.
December’s early snowfall has given a massive boost to the snow sports industry and the Glenshee Ski Centre is among those reaping the rewards.
Earlier this month hundreds of skiers took to the slopes in near perfect conditions, despite the Spittal of Glenshee road being shut.
Users had to journey down the A93 from the north side to take advantage of the early snow and enjoy some stunning downhill action.
However with the reopening of local roads, daily visitor numbers have risen into the thousands, leaving staff at the centre delighted.
The snowfall ensured a much earlier start to the season than in 2009, when users had to wait until December 22 for the runs to open.
More than that, however, there has been such a good covering of the white stuff that, even without further showers, there should be more than enough to see Glenshee through to the end of the season.
All in all it has been such a positive start that the centre is already hailing a successful season.
Director Stewart Davidson said, “This December has been just fantastic and, although I’ve been here for the past 21 years, it is certainly the best start to the season I can remember.
“We opened for business on November 26, there was good skiing right from the off, and we’ve been busy ever since.”
He added, “This past week has been particularly good as the roads have been clear and it’s coincided with the holidays, so we’ve had a huge number of visitors.”
Runs at Glenshee are complete, with a good covering of packed snow on each, and there are also ample nursery areas for beginners.
The majority of lifts are also operating.