The Lecht
Family-friendly snowsports in the Cairngorms
The Lecht is a small, family-focused ski area high on the A939 in the eastern Scottish Cairngorms, prized for its gentle learner terrain, extensive snowmaking and easygoing atmosphere.
- 581 m Base
- 776 m Top lift
- 195 m Vertical
- 11 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
The base has a café and facilities rather than nightlife; nearby villages such as Tomintoul offer traditional Highland hospitality.
The resort
The Lecht sits astride the high moorland pass between Cockbridge and Tomintoul in the eastern Cairngorms, one of Scotland's five ski centres and arguably its most approachable. It has built a reputation as a gentle, welcoming place to learn, with a spread of easy slopes, tows and a strong emphasis on families and first-timers. Investment in snowmaking helps keep the pistes running when the notoriously fickle Scottish weather is uncooperative, and the base area also runs summer activities, making it a year-round hill. Conditions are inherently variable, swinging between fine powder days and lean spells, so it rewards flexibility and a check of the forecast. When the snow comes together it is a cheerful, low-pressure day out in the hills.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
- —
Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Scottish snow is famously unpredictable; good cold snaps bring fine conditions, and snowmaking helps bridge the leaner spells, but it pays to watch the forecast.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Slopes mostly face E — 64% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Its gentle slopes and nursery tows make it one of Scotland's best places to learn.
A tidy selection of easy blues and greens for building confidence.
Limited steeper pitch, with only a few runs to stretch stronger skiers.
Not an expert's mountain; the appeal is accessible, family-oriented snowsports.
Learning to ski in the Cairngorms
With its gentle slopes, tows and family focus, The Lecht is a favourite spot for Scots to take their first turns on snow.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in The Lecht
There is no village at the slopes themselves, so visitors stay in nearby Highland settlements such as Tomintoul or further afield toward the Cairngorms towns.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
Aberdeen and Inverness airports are the practical gateways, each within a scenic drive of the ski centre across the eastern Highlands.
A drive of roughly an hour and a half to two hours from either Aberdeen or Inverness over the high A939 pass.
Best time: The Scottish winter, roughly December to April when snow allows, with the best chance of good cover in the depths of January and February.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
Cairngorm (Aviemore)
- Vertical
- 92 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 23
- Lifts
- 18
Nevis Range
- Vertical
- 556 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 39
- Lifts
- 13
Midlothian Snowsports Centre (Hillend Dry Slope)
- Vertical
- 104 m
- Lifts
- 3
Lowther Hills
- Vertical
- 160 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 5
- Lifts
- 0
Chill Factore
Getting to The Lecht
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at EDI — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.