Premature end to Cairngorm ski season due to Coronavirus
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The curtain will come down on a difficult season for Cairngorm Mountain at the end of tomorrow, it has been confirmed.
The ski resort still has some of the best conditions in recent times on offer but bosses have said they have no choice because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Prior to the Covid-19 crisis taking hold, there had been hopes of an influx of snowsports fans because of the early Easter bringing a much needed cash boost for the resort.
The Cairngorm Mountain funicular has been out of action since September 2018 and the season did not see much snowfall until the latter half of February.
But since then the snow conditions have ranked amongst some of the best to be found in Europe.
Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd interim chief executive Susan Smith said it was a difficult decision to take but the right one in the circumstances.
She said: "We would like to inform visitors that the last day of the snowsports season at Cairngorm Mountain will be Sunday.
"We feel this is the right decision in light of guidance from the NHS and Scottish Government around the outbreak of Covid-19 and as part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of our staff and visitors.
"We are grateful that weather conditions have allowed us to keep the mountain open for snowsports until now.
"We would also like to take the opportunity to thank the local community and the snowsports sector for their loyal and positive support this winter season."
The ski area and lifts will be open this weekend and tickets can be purchased at the Base Station. The maximum number of tickets that will be sold is 450.
Ski visitors will only be able to ride the T-bars on their own with the exception being parents with a child.
A CMSL spokesperson said: "Public spaces within the Day Lodge, including the Cas Bar, café and shop will remain closed, along with ski hire.
Customer toilets will be accessible from the Base Station and within the Ptarmigan building when it’s possible to open the top station.
"All areas open to the public will be deep cleaned and disinfected on an hourly basis."
Overhead conditions are forecast to be good through-out the weekend.
