Situated 2090 feet above sea level amid the Eastern CairnGorms, ‘The Lecht’ is a natural playground for many activities. This centre is historically good for early snow either natural or man made by snow cannons, making it an ideal place to gain some early slope time before the full season begins. The gentle and rock free nursery area helps beginners gain confidence in an area as safe as possible. Many activities are available for families and those not wanting to ski, a favourite is snow tubing activities which give the experience of sliding with a safety blanket. Boarders can also enjoy more free style slope time at the on-site terrain park, which has an on-site half-pipe cutter.
Outside Scotland this is probably the least known of the five ski centres but it has excellent facilities for both beginners and intermediate skiers. There is a black run at 4% where downhill racers train. Often the slopes here have better snow than the lower slopes of the Cairngorms and novice skiers are sometimes brought here when conditions elsewhere are not so good.
The Lecht has 14 lifts of which there is 1 chair, 7 pomas and 6 trainer tows. There are 21 runs and in addition to the black already mentioned, there are 6 red, 7 blue and 7 green runs. There is a snowmaking facility with 6 cannons covering most runs.
The resort has been developed on the north-east part of the Cairngorm massif where runs are rock-free and the new 500,000 multi-activity development means that early and late in the season there are plenty of alternative activities.
Accommodation can be arranged through the Braemar Information Centre on tel: 013397 41600 or at info@lecht.co.uk
If unsure about snow sport locations or the best times to travel visit www.ski-scotland.com for information on lift passes for all centres or accommodation. Ski Scotland is the umbrella organisation made up of the five ski centres, VisitScotland and Snowsport Scotland. In 2007 the organisation launched an SMS weather alert giving an early heads up for all those enthusiasts looking for a quick getaway. Just log on to the website and sign up to receive free alerts.