Glencoe Mountain Ski Resort
Moving on to Scotland’s west coast we find Glencoe Mountain Ski Resort. This was the first resort to offer skiing in Scotland, opening their doors to the public in 1956. It’s the slightly bigger of the two west coast resorts with 24km of slopes to ski on. It has a total of 19 slopes for all levels of skiers, though the majority tend to be for more beginner and intermediate levels. Their runs are comprised of 1 black, 6 red, 5 blue and 7 green slopes. This translates to a great resort for family trips, beginners standing up for the first time and even intermediate skiers and snowboarders looking to hone their skills.
In terms of services, they have a Snowsports School that offers lessons, either in group or in private. They even have a “Megadeal” which includes a lift pass and equipment hire with your lessons, £65 for adults and £55 for juniors. So if you have no clue of how to ski, after a couple of hours of lessons you can put your newfound skills to the test. They also have cheaper group and private lessons available.
Prices at Glencoe Mountain
Day passes there will set you back £27 on a weekday and £35 on the weekend. They’ve also got decent deals for a typical family of 2 & 2 ranging from £90 to £105, on weekdays and weekends, respectively.
As a bonus they offer free sledging! Great for families. As long as you have a chairlift ticket you can fly down the 75-meter hill.
Where to eat at the Glencoe Resort?
Their cafe building burnt down in 2019 and the new one isn’t expected to be up and running until 2021. Don’t be alarmed though, the good news is that, meanwhile, they have put a temporary one in place. They open from 9am and unlike the other resorts stay open until much later, 8pm. The bad news is that because of Covid-19 restrictions they only offer a takeaway service. There is however outdoor seating but those who are looking for some rest from the cold will have to jump into their cars for some shelter. Not so ideal.
But surely Scotland’s west coast has something more to offer than take away?
The closest pub is only a mile away, Kingshouse hotel, and offers all you’d expect from a solid Scottish pub. It’s definitely a better option than sitting in your car, and only 6 minutes away from Glencoe ski resort.
Glencoe village lies 13 miles from the ski resort and offers up a solid choice of options: Clachaig inn, Glencoe Cafe, The Glencoe gathering, Crafts and things, and a few more. Most offer great locally sourced food. Expect hot soups, salmon, burgers, Haggis, fish’n’chips and steaks. Loch View Restaurant has a pretty amazing view of, yes, the Loch. You can enjoy the view over some award winning food too! And even try their own whiskey too.
If that’s not enough and you fancy a further trek, 20 miles away you have Kinlochleven village. Again, all locally sourced quality produce put together in traditional Scottish and British dishes.
Where to stay near Glencoe Ski Centre?
Glencoe has on-site accommodation, including: Microlodgees, Campervan hook-ups, and a site for camping. but, let’s face it, camping in the Scottish Highlands during the winter season is a little too much for most. If you happen to own a campervan, great. Assuming most prefer the indoors in winter, there is a good selection of local inns, hotels, and Bed and Breakfasts ready to put you up.
Glencoe Mountain resort are kind enough to have compiled an extensive list: available here.
This list provides plenty of names, with decent descriptions of what they offer, as well as how far away each place is from the resort. Most of the fore-mentioned eateries also offer accommodation.
How much will it cost?
We’ve got some examples for you: Glencoe Mountain Cottages, at just over 10 mins from the Scottish ski resort, sleeps 6 and costs between £490 and £570 per week, depending on what month you book it. It’s a pretty rural option, but comes with amazing views.
For less of a self-service vibe Loch Leven Hotel has plenty of room choices. Two rooms for two adults and two children could cost between £200 – £300 per night. That adds up to between £1200-£1800 for a week’s stay.
AirBnb
A quick search on airbnb revealed around 35 places to stay in the Glencoe mountain ski resort area. Plenty of cottages, houses, and cabins, most sleeping at least 4. The prices vary a lot, with lodging available anywhere from £100 to £354 per night. A six-night stay would cost around £600 – £2,000. So there really is something for everyone.
What else is there to do around Glencoe?
A lot of what the north west of Scotland has to offer are incredible walks through the countryside. If you take a drive to Oban, about a 50-minute drive from Glencoe, there you can take the ferry across to the Isle of mull. 3 miles down the road from Glencoe, you can also do a bit of golfing beside the Ballachulish Hotel, on the Dragon’s tooth golf course. Although for some more family orientated fun there is a Segway tour, high wire jenga, land rover safari and even a powerboat ride out on Lock Leven. You can check out all Glencoe’s activities here.
How to get there?
By Car:
- The journey has a similar time as the previous destinations, if not just a little shorter. From the UK’s major cities that makes 9 hours from London, 7 hours from Birmingham, 6 hours from Manchester, and 5 hours 41mins from Leeds.
- If you’ve already gotten to or are coming from a Scottish city the journey times are: from Glasgow 2hours 20min, from Edinburgh 2hours 40mins, from Aberdeen 4hours.
By Bus or Train:
- While there aren’t really any options to get to Glencoe by train, from Glasgow it is possible to get the bus. The journey takes around 2 and a half hours and whether you go by car or by bus, the route will take you through some spectacular views as you pass through the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.
Need more information?
For more information and to contact Glencoe Mountain directly follow this link.
Before you to Glencoe Ski Centre
Check out our article about Skiing in Scotland and Covid restrictions.
