Glenshee Ski Center

Glenshee spreads across a group of hills and glens either side of the A93 at the Cairnwell Pass, high in the Grampian Highlands between Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. It is the largest ski area in Britain, its lifts and runs fanning out over several summits and valleys to give a genuinely wide-ranging spread of terrain when the snow falls. As with all Scottish skiing, that snow is the great variable: conditions are natural, changeable and driven by Highland weather, so the experience swings from excellent to threadbare depending on the day and the season. There is no slopeside village; Glenshee is a day resort, reached by road over one of Britain's highest passes, with a base lodge and car parks rather than hotels. On a good snow day, however, it offers scale, variety and open Highland scenery unmatched elsewhere in the country.

Go for the biggest and most varied lift-served skiing in Britain, a genuine day out in the Highlands when the snow arrives. It suits British-based skiers, beginners through to confident intermediates, and anyone wanting to ski at home without travelling abroad. The scale across several glens and the wild Grampian setting are its distinctive appeal, weather permitting.

Glenshee's character is dictated by Scotland's maritime Highland weather: snow comes and goes with the storms, and wind can be as much a factor as snowfall, closing exposed upper tows on wilder days. The terrain spreads across several aspects, so there is usually a sheltered side holding snow when others are scoured, and the season is short and variable, at its best in the depths of a cold winter. Flexibility and watching the forecast are essential to catching it in good form.