A SKI centre has pushed back its winter season until next year due to the effects of climate change, stating its decision isn’t about “cutting back” but about fighting for “survival”.
Nevis Range, near Fort William, has the UK's only mountain gondola and historically offers snow sports running from December to April every year.
However, the snow firm announced on Wednesday that due to “dramatic shifts” in winter weather patterns and damaging storms, it has had to take the “necessary” steps to adapt its seasonal programme.
It said it was delaying the start of its winter season until February 2025.
In a post on social media, a spokesperson for Nevis Range said over the past couple of years it had only managed to open for one or two days of skiing in January.
The post added: “Our team is as passionate as ever about skiing, but climate change is a reality that's forced us to rethink our winter operations.”
Nevis Range said delaying the season would allow it to carry out maintenance and conserve resources until further into next year.
The post went on to say the ski destination would open before February if snow conditions were “exceptional”.
“We’ll do everything we can to open early – but realistically, this delayed start is the best approach given the winter weather we’ve come to expect,” a spokesperson added.
Locals have been skiing on the mountain since the 1930s with the Nevis Range opening 35 years ago.
Nevis Range slopes are more than halfway up Britain's eighth-highest mountain, 1221m (4006ft) Aonach Mòr.
The post went on to say: “The hard reality is that we can’t sustain the ski season as we once did.”
Nevis Range’s spokesperson also said: “These changes aren't about cutting back – they're about survival.”
The statement also confirmed that the ski firm aims to build a large dry slope so people would be able to ski all year round.
“This isn’t just an idea – it’s an ambition we’re already working toward with potential investors,” a spokesperson said.
“We’re determined to create a future where skiing at Nevis Range remains accessible, but in a way that reflects the reality of our climate.”
There have been other warnings of the impact of climate change on Scotland's winter this year.
The Sphinx, a patch of snow believed to be the longest-lasting in the UK, located on Braeriach in the Cairngorms, melted for the fourth consecutive year last month.
Until 100 years ago, it had been considered a permanent feature of Scotland's mountain range.
