Unseasonably Warm
Ongoing series. 2022 - present. Scotland.
So simply to look on anything, such as a mountain, with the love that penetrates to its essence, is to widen the domain of being in the vastness of non-being. Man has no other reason for his existence.
Nan Shepherd
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
John Muir
Unseasonably Warm is a documentary series exploring the impact of climate change on Scotland’s skiing industry.
In mid-January 2022, in warm, low winter sun, I journeyed from my home in Nairn to two of Scotland’s iconic ski areas: the Lecht 2090 and Glenshee. The temperature that week was what meteorologists might term ‘unseasonably warm’: several degrees above zero on the mountain, double digits in the glens. Too warm to sustain the snow which had fallen over Christmas, which had seen crowds flocking to the slopes after two seasons severely shortened by Covid-19.
In February of that year, I returned to the Lecht and Glenshee, and latterly the Cairngorm Mountain, to survey the snow conditions once more. Little had changed.
In the short to medium term, all the data points to Scottish winters becoming warmer and wetter. Harsh winters of sub-zero temperatures and roads being blocked by deep snow will probably become the exception, not the norm, in our lifetime. Little wonder many of Scotland’s ski centres are already pitching themselves as ‘activity resorts’ with a new focus on all-year-round hiking and mountain biking.
This has important implications: for seasonal tourism in Scotland and the economic impact on neighbouring towns like Aviemore, Braemar and Tomintoul; for those who have based their livelihoods on skiing in Scotland having a degree of longevity; and, most crucially, for the long-established, delicate ecosystems within the landscape itself.
It’s sometimes difficult for people to understand the implications of climate change until they can physically see them. This was certainly the mildest winter I had experienced since moving to Scotland in 2016. Regular snowfall has always been a precarious conditioning factor in the success of Scotland’s ski resorts. My own experiences of skiing in Scotland in the 1980s and 1990s were of skiing on slush while dodging exposed patches of heather and mud. The industry seems to have struggled since then, and the heavily-marketed Snow Road Scenic Route is littered with the vestiges of the old booming ski tourism economy: the Struan House Hotel, the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel, the Blackwater Inn.
But this lack of snow and milder climate feels different. Decisive. It is as if the Cairngorms landscape is changing in fast time - and that what can be visibly experienced speaks of unseen changes happening within the landscape which could be equally devastating. Those less enamoured of Scottish skiing - enthusiast and detractor alike - argue that it belongs to a bygone era: “It’s had its day, let nature reclaim the mountain.” But these climate shifts impact on nature too.
The winter of 2022-23 had been declared ‘make-or-break’ for a sector worth £30m to the Scottish economy. Given the number of snow cannons dotted around the ski areas, operators had been working hard to maintain some snow cover and keep skiing going. The conditions in the winter of 2021 were said to be the best in a decade, but this seems to be an aberration rather than a cause for celebration. Moreover, due to Covid-19, none of the ski areas benefitted financially from these conditions, and most are still attempting to recover.
Few environmentalists will shed tears for the decline of an industry which has had a problematic impact on the natural beauty of the Cairngorms National Park - and perhaps the decline of skiing in Scotland presents an opportunity to rethink the landscape and rewild the ski slopes which are no longer in use. Nevertheless, in social, economic and environmental terms, the potential impact of anthropocenic climate change on this largely-forgotten industry marks a defining moment in the story of Scotland.
The A939, outside Nairn
Date: 8 February 2022. Time: 8.30am. Temperature: 8 degrees centigrade.
“The A939 'Lecht Road' connects the A96 at Nairn on the Moray Coast with the A95 Grantown on Spey, then it continues to the A93 at Ballater by way of the Grampian Mountains, passing Tomintoul and the Lecht Ski Centre. The A939 is regularly the first road in Great Britain closed due to snowfall between Cock Bridge and Tomintoul.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Craig Haulkie limestone quarry, near Tomintoul
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 9.40am. Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade.
“Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), usually in the form of calcite or aragonite. It may contain considerable amounts of magnesium carbonate (dolomite) as well; minor constituents also commonly present include clay, iron carbonate, feldspar, pyrite, and quartz.
“Limestone has long fascinated earth scientists because of its rich fossil content. Much knowledge of the Earth’s chronology and development has been derived from the study of fossils embedded in limestone and other carbonate rocks.
“Limestones enriched in phosphate by the chemical action of ocean waters constitute a principal source of raw materials for the fertilizer industry. When heated to temperatures of 900 to 1,000 °C (1,650 to 1,800 °F), limestones will dissociate calcium carbonate and yield carbon dioxide and lime, the latter having major applications in the manufacture of glass and in agriculture. Certain varieties of limestone also serve as a building stone; they are widely used for flooring, exterior and interior facings, and monuments.” (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica.)
Beginners slope, Glenshee Ski Centre
Date: 8 February 2022. Time: 12:16pm. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
“Glenshee, which takes its name from the Gaelic 'Glen of the Fairies', certainly offers one of the most magical skiing experiences in Scotland. The largest resort in the UK, it covers an area of more than 2,000 acres extending across four mountains and three valleys and boasting 21 lifts and tows.” (Source: VisitScotland.)
Sunnyside Poma Lift, Glenshee Ski Centre
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 12.20pm. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
“A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-comfort aerial lifts, such as chairlifts and gondola lifts. Today, surface lifts are most often found on beginner slopes, small ski areas, and peripheral slopes. They are also often used to access glacier ski slopes because their supports can be anchored in glacier ice due to the lower forces and realigned due to glacier movement.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time 2.30pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“The Lecht Ski Centre is an alpine ski area in the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. The ski slopes are set around the mountains Beinn a' Chruinnich, 2,552 ft (778 m) and Meikle Corr Riabhach, 2556 ft (779 m). The Lecht is the smallest ski area in Scotland in terms of area, number of runs and vertical drop and as such is the most suitable for beginners.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Penguins, The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 10.15am. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
The Lecht Mine, Moray
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 9.50am. Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade.
“Lecht Mine is a former iron and manganese mining site located in the parish of Kirkmichael, Moray, Scotland. Today only the building of the crushing plant remains. It is a listed building of Category B, HB number 8924. Iron ore was mined between 1730 and 1737, whereas, from 1841 on, manganese was mined. Due to decreasing prices, operations ceased again in 1846. At the peak, over 60 men worked at the mine. In 1983, the building was restored by Moray District Council.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Snow Owl Chairlift, The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 10.15am. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade
Cafe Interior, The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 10.35am. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
Photocollage, The Lecht
“The Lecht is the smallest of the 5 ski centres in Scotland but it still packs plenty of punch. Started in 1977 there wasn't much there before: a layby big enough for 3 cars and a cattle grid. The ability to attract and hold snow it was the ideal place, the idea was to develop an area that was more suitable for beginners.” (Source: www.lecht.co.uk/about-the-lecht)
The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 10.20am. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
Manufactured snow, The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 10.30am. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
“The Lecht has purchased a snowfactory developed by TechnoAlpin. Using innovative cooling technology along with using all the green energy from our wind turbine to power the unit, we will be producing snow so that we can open some of the slopes in early December. The TechnoAlpin factory can produce snow in all temperatures and is not weather dependant.” (Source: www.lecht.co.uk.)
Glenshee Ski Centre
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 12.20pm. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
“A snow factory creates a great base station area throughout the season.” (Source: VisitCairngorms)
The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 2.25pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
Trees Damaged by Storm Arwen, near The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 11.50am, Temperature: 7 degrees centigrade.
“Storm Arwen was a powerful extratropical cyclone that was part of the 2021–22 European windstorm season. It affected the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, bringing strong winds and snow, leaving 80,000 people without power in Scotland. It was estimated that around eight million trees in Scotland were damaged or affected by the storm.” (Source: Wikpedia)
Ruined sign for The Allargue Arms Hotel
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 2.15pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
Overlooking historic Corgarff Castle, the Allargue Arms Hotel was situated at the beginning of the ascent to the Lecht on the A939 at Cockbridge. Prior to the establishment of the Lecht in the late 1970s, a small portable ski tow, giving approximately 200 feet (60 metres) of ski run, was often set up in the fields across from the hotel. The hotel closed and now operates as a wilderness retreat for young people.
Ruined Spittal of Glenshee Hotel
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 1.45pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“The Spittal of Glenshee (Scottish Gaelic: Spideal Ghlinn Sìdh) lies at the head of Glenshee in the highlands of eastern Perth and Kinross, Scotland where the confluence of many small streams flowing south out of the Grampians form the Shee Water. For centuries, there has been a hostel or inn at the site and, in modern times, the small village has become a centre for travel, tourism and winter sports in the region, sited at a bend on the A93 trunk road which leads from Blairgowrie north past the Spittal to the Glenshee Ski Centre and on to Braemar.
The Dundee Ski Club used the Spittal Hotel as its meeting place, and pioneered improvements, setting up the first ski tows in Britain at Glenshee in December 1950. The hotel burnt down in 1959 and was rebuilt in Scandinavian style. However it was once again destroyed by fire in August 2014 and currently the site is for sale.” (Source: Wikipedia)
A93 outside Braemar
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 2.25pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“The Jacobite rising of 1715 (Scottish Gaelic: Bliadhna Sheumais [ˈpliən̪ˠə ˈheːmɪʃ]; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire, local landowner the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite standard on 27 August. Aiming to capture Stirling Castle, he was checked by the much-outnumbered Hanoverians, commanded by the Duke of Argyll, at Sheriffmuir on 13 November. There was no clear result, but the Earl appeared to believe, mistakenly, that he had won the battle, and left the field. After the Jacobite surrender at Preston (14 November), the rebellion was over.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
The A939 outside Tomintoul
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 2.52pm. Temperature: 7 degrees centigrade.
“Rewilding, or re-wilding, activities are conservation efforts aimed at restoring and protecting natural processes and wilderness areas. Rewilding is a form of ecological restoration with an emphasis on humans stepping back and leaving an area to nature, as opposed to more active forms of natural resource management. Rewilding efforts can aim to create ecosystems requiring passive management. Successful long term rewilding projects can need little ongoing human attention, as successful reintroduction of keystone species creates a self-regulatory and self-sustaining stable ecosystem, possibly with near pre-human levels of biodiversity.” (Source: Wikipedia)
Adder (Vipera Berus)
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 1.50pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“Adders are relatively small, stocky snakes which prefer woodland, heathland and moorland habitat. They are grey or reddish brown, with a darker and very distinct zig-zag pattern down their backs. Rarer black forms are also sometimes spotted. Adders hibernate from October, emerging in the first warm days of March, which is the easiest time of year to find them basking on a log or under a warm rock. They hunt lizards and small mammals, as well as ground-nesting birds such as skylark and meadow pipit.” (Source: Scottish Wildlife Trust.)
Burning heather, near The Lecht
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 1.51pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“Heather moorland is burnt to provide fresh growth for game and livestock. The standard muirburn season runs from 1 October to 15 April inclusive in Scotland. This is mainly to avoid harm to the many moorland birds that nest in spring as well as reptiles coming out of hibernation. Areas with thin soils or steep slopes, should not be burnt as this can increase the risk of soil erosion.” (Source: Nature Scotland)
Memorial Fountain, Tomintoul
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 9:36am. Temperature: 8 degrees centigrade.
“The town of Tomintoul was originally designed by the Duke of Gordon in the 18th century with a grassy square which formed a focal point in the 40 foot wide Main Street. The drinking fountain donated by Robert Gordon is number 41 from the Lion Foundry and was erected in the Square in 1915. The fountain is 12 ft 8 ins high and stands on a square stone base upon which is a square grate.
The central column is decorated with palmette and acanthus relief. Quatrefoil basins are supported by a square base with chamfered corners. Panels above each basin are decorated with floral relief divided into sections by a compass cross. The centre circle contains a lion mask with self closing tap from which water spouts. A black dedication plaque on two sides states:
Presented By / Robert Grant M.D. / To / His Native Village / As A / Memento Of His Boyhood / 1915.
The capital supports a multi-level acroter surmounted by the figure of a woman dressed in flowing robes holding an olive branch in her left hand while supporting an urn on her head with her right hand. The two cast-iron stools were originally located beneath the basins to assist children and are inscribed with the words, ‘Step Up Bairns’.”
(Source: https://memorialdrinkingfountains.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/tomintoul-fountain.)
Jesus Saves, A939
Date: 12 January 2022. Time: 3.15pm. Temperature: 9 degrees centigrade.
Derelict hotel, Carrbridge
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 10.35am. Temperature: 7 degrees centigrade.
The Struan House Hotel opened as Scotland’s first dedicated ski hotel in the mid-1950s by Karl Fuchs, a member of the 1948 Austrian Olympic team, and his wife Eileen. The Fuchs helped put the Cairngorms on the map as a ski destination in the post-war years. Vacant for more than 15 years, the hotel became a notorious local eyesore and was eventually demolished in October 2022 to make way for social housing.
Macdonald Aviemore Resort
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 1.58pm. Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade
“At Macdonald Aviemore Resort we are the perfect base near the Cairngorm Mountain for your skiing and snowboarding break in Aviemore. Our friends at Ski Norwest offer everything you need to hit the slopes from lessons and equipment hire to ski passes.”
(Source: https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/aviemore/see-and-do/activities/skiing)
Melted snowmen, Colyumbridge
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 3.46pm. Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade.
Myrtlefield Centre, Aviemore
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 4.05pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“Aviemore became one of the first skiing resorts to be established in Scotland with the opening of the chairlift in 1961. After the ski centre opened the population of the village grew. The resort has since grown into Britain's most visited ski resort during the winter months.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Old skis, Pine Marten Bar, outside Glenmore
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 2.15pm. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 2.24pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
“Cairngorm Mountain near Aviemore is the best known of the ski and snowboard areas in the National Park. It is also the highest and holds the snow well throughout the season. There is lots of variety at Cairngorm Mountain and the terrain park’s, kickers and rails (usually appearing later in the season) have attracted some of Britain’s best snowboarders and skiers to the area.” (Source: VisitCairngorms.)
Snow Factory, Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 2.35pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
“The Snowfactory at the top of the Coire Cas Carpark is 8m tall and stands sentinel to HIE’s bureaucratic mismanagement at Cairn Gorm.”
(Source: https://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2019/07/10/the-cairngorm-snowfactory-fiasco/)
Aviemore
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 4pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
Day Lodge Poma, Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 2.13pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
Coire na Ciste Car Park, Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 26 February 2022. Time: 1.27pm. Temperature: 4 degrees centigrade.
“The Coire na Ciste is one of the most stunning locations in the Cairngorms National Park. With picturesque views across Glenmore, Loch Morlich and through the epic Ryvoan Pass, the Cairngorm Campervan Site is an idyllic place to pitch up for the evening in your campervan.”
(Source: https://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/cairngorm-campervan-site/)
Andrew, liftie, Glenshee Ski Centre
“The worst season I can remember.”
Date: 5 March 2022. Time: 12.06pm. Temperature: 12 degrees centigrade.
Emergency Stop, Glenshee Ski Centre
Date: 5 March 2022. Time: 12.06pm. Temperature: 12 degrees centigrade.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it is only possible to avoid warming of 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) or 2.0 °C (3.6 °F) if massive and immediate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are made.
Braemar
Date: 5 March 2022. Time: 11.24pm. Temperature: 13 degrees centigrade.
Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around 58 miles (93 km) west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an elevation of 339 metres (1,112 ft).
Like most of the United Kingdom, Braemar experiences an oceanic climate though somewhat cooler than lowland areas, verging on a subpolar oceanic climate. Braemar is the third-coldest low-lying place in the UK after the villages of Dalwhinnie and Leadhills with an annual mean temperature of 6.8 °C (44.2 °F). Braemar has twice entered the UK weather records with a low temperature of −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F), recorded on 11 February 1895 and again on 10 January 1982. (Source: Wikipedia.)
In March 2022, the popular Braemar Lodge Hotel was completely destroyed by a devastating fire thought to have been caused by a faulty fridge.
The A939, outside Grantown-on-Spey
23 January 2023. Time: 7.47am
Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade.
“Grantown-on-Spey (Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Granndach) is a town in the Highland Council Area, historically within the county of Moray. It is located on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains, about 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Inverness (35 miles or 56 km by road).” (Source: Wikipedia.)
“January 2023 was the seventh-warmest since global record-keeping began in 1880, with unprecedentedly high temperatures across Europe and the US.”
(Source: https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/02/january-2023-earths-seventh-warmest-january-on-record/)
Dead moles, outside Tomintoul
Date: 23 January 2023. Time: 10.16am. Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade.
“Moles are small mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears, reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging.
“A molecatcher is a person who traps or kills moles in places where they are considered a nuisance to crops, lawns, sportsfields or gardens. Recently, traditional molecatching by snare has given way to the use of poison. Poison results in moles dying much more quickly and in greater numbers.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Aviemore
Date: 4 March 2023. Time: 10.29am. Temperature: 6 degrees centigrade.
“Towering mountains, sparkling lochs and dense forests surround this bustling town.” (Source: VisitScotland.)
Ski Hire Shop, The Pine Marten Bar, Glenmore
Date: 4 March 2023. Time: 12.09pm. Temperature: 5 degrees centigrade.
“Glenmore Forest Park lies at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. It’s a great place to see what makes the National Park so special: forests that have been growing for centuries form a green sea around high, rounded mountains, and lochs with sandy beaches glitter in the sun. Rare wildflowers and birds thrive among the trees – much of the forest park is a National Nature Reserve. Best of all, it’s easy to explore, with plenty of things to see and do whatever your mood.” (Source: https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/forest-parks/glenmore-forest-park.)
Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 4 March 2023. Time: 2.12pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
Opened in 2001, the Cairngorm Mountain Railway is the highest railway in the United Kingdom. The two-kilometre long funicular ascends the northern slopes of Cairn Gorm, the United Kingdom's seventh-highest mountain, and travels through the largest nature reserve in the UK.
Both the construction and the running of the funicular have been controversial. The project saw budget over-runs, allegations of conflicts of interest and questions raised about the use of public money. The construction was estimated to have cost around £19.6 million, mostly funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), a government body. A further £2.7 million was provided by the European Union.
The railway closed in October 2018 due to structural issues, after which the Scottish Government announced a further £16m of investment to reinstate the railway as part of a broader £20m project. It eventually reopened in January 2023 - before closing again for further repairs later that year. As of October 2024, the funicular remains closed.
Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 4 March 2023. Time: 3.45pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
“The mountain is home to a number of bird species, including dotterel and ring ouzel (in the spring and summer) and snow bunting and ptarmigan (also known as rock ptarmigan) (all year round). Mammals inhabiting the mountain include mountain hare, red deer and a herd of reindeer. Wildflowers found on the mountain include dwarf cornel, cloudberry and butterwort. For many of these species of flora and fauna, Cairn Gorm is one of their key strongholds.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 4 March 2023. Time: 2.12pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
“The modern J-bar and T-bar mechanism was invented in 1934 by the Swiss engineer Ernst Constam, with the first lift installed in Davos, Switzerland. J-bars were installed in the 1930s in North America and Australia, with the Ski Hoist at Charlotte Pass in Australia dating from 1938.” (Source: Wikipedia.)
Beginners slope, Cairngorm Mountain
Date: 4 March 2023. Time: 3.49pm. Temperature: 3 degrees centigrade.
“Snow conditions in the Scottish Highlands are unpredictable and Global Warming has emerged as a potential threat to the viability of the Scottish ski industry. In 2004, Adam Watson [Scottish biologist, ecologist and engineer] predicted that there would be no more than twenty years left for the industry. However recent winters have had excellent snow cover and ski conditions and winter sports usage has recovered significantly resulting in improved finances.” (Source: Wikipedia.)