Work on a 600-metre Alpine Coaster on the outskirts of Edinburgh is to begin in the coming months, with construction concluding in October.
As part of the re-development of the Midlothian Snowsports Centre near Hillend, plans for the coaster, which carries individuals down a slope and in a huge loop, were drawn up years ago.
Recently published papers by Midlothian Council reveal that the project is on track to start within months, and the coaster is set to be the first phase of the development completed.
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As well as the rollercoaster-like addition, the UK's fastest zip wire is also set to be installed at the Midlothian Snowsports Centre, reaching speeds of up to 50 kilometres an hour and routed over a new building.
Taking to Twitter to announce that the plan to build the ride aimed at thrill-seekers, Councillor and Transport Convener Scott Arthur said the 650-metre alpine coaster will officially launch in October.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, he added that the addition of the coaster will be great for visitors, despite the questionable time of the year in which it will be made available to use.
He said: "It looks quite good, it'll go down to the east of the ski slops and will go from side to side and in a horizontal loop and ends in the car park. They reckon it'll be 650 metres long.
"Work starts on re-developing the ski slope facility within about a month and the first thing they'll do after installing the traffic lights at the junction is build a new car park and then the alpine coaster which will be up and running by October.
"Over the next year after that work will be carried out to re-develop the rest of the site. It will limit speed and you won't be able to get closer than 20 metres within another person to avoid an accident so there is a bit of technology involved.
"You'll start at the car park and be towed up the hill, it's a little like a rollercoaster. I think it'll be quite good. I think it is something associated with the summer time instead of the winter with people coming down with their gloves on."
Midlothian Council’s cabinet member for economic development, Councillor Douglas Bowen said: “We’re hugely excited to reach another key stage in this project to turn the snowsports centre into a national, if not international, tourist attraction and to safeguard the future of a facility already well-loved by everyone from Olympians to novice snowboarders.
“We make no apology for the scale of our ambitions – we’re confident the project’s unique location in the Pentlands and the quality and breadth of what will be on offer will push visitor figures up from around 139,000 a year to an estimated 485,000.
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