Best Places to Ski in the UK

Though the UK is seldom sunny, we do get snow from time to time. Even though it is often hard to predict how the weather in the UK will go, we’ve seen some fairly chilly winters in the previous few years – all of which strangely coincide with the financial dip and the fact many of us can’t afford to go abroad to enjoy our usual skiing. This has made skiing in the UK and especially in the most northerly part of the country a bit of a hit for those looking for cheap thrills, but without the deep pockets. So, where are the places to head whenever the snow hits and you’ll only need a UK visa to see? Yad Moss, Cumbria The Cumbrian snow has been combined with some lottery funding in recent years to see two piste bashers come to its aid. The area itself has plenty going for it, including a lively snowboarding community and some great terrain to ski on. Runs are up to 800 metres and it’s interesting to ski on – pushing it into decent ski terrain. Allensheads, Northumberland This area can be a little hit and miss in terms of snow, but for a short term, low cost solution it’s ideal and costs only £10 for a taster session. There’s around 220 metres of ascent around 250 metres and skiing of around half a kilometre in length and through meadows and wooded areas, bringing a bit of variation to the area. Lecht, Aberdeenshire, Scotland This is a Scottish entry here and one that stands over 637m above sea level, which is quite impressive – the area’s also beautiful sitting above the East Cairngorms. It’s a great resort for people who are beginning and may soon not even be in the UK. Raise Helvellyn, Cumria This is a second entry for Cumbria and has been around for a long time – since, 1936 in fact. The area has a button lift once the weekend’s busy and is generally good to go most of the winter once there is a reasonable fall of snow. Glenshee, Scotland This is the largest area for skiing in Scotland and has over 25 miles of runs over an area of four mountains. The area can be used for sledges most of the season, though is more ideal for skiing and snowboarding at a later stage of the season. Glencoe in Scotland is also another good Scottish run and offers a good cover and good skiing - so keep a look at conditions there via the website when the time comes. Staying in Britain for skiing may not offer the extravagance and the quality of heading abroad but for avid skiers who want somewhere easy, accessible and low cost to have a run on, it’s not a bad choice. Cormac Reynolds writes for UK visa company Global Visas