Winter in the Scottish Highlands

The winters are mild at low altitude but become snowier and colder with the higher mountains they can have up to 6 months of snow The days are shorter and the secret is to get up a wee bit earlier.

Apart from the all year round skiing thanks to a combination of five conventional ski areas, an indoor snow centre, and a dozen artificial surfaced dry land slopes, known worldwide the highlands in winter offer much, much more like the vast birch, pine and montane shrub forest, such as those in the glen Affric area, the forests are often backed by snow capped peaks, which offer the traveller if out in fresh snow an opportunity to see the track of a pine marten or a wildcat out during the night looking for food.

Weather permitting the Aurora borealis is visible on winter nights and especially at the climax of the 11 year cycle.To the east are the cairngorms,  the northwest highlands also create extreme cold that rivals the cairngorms, the trunks and branches of the trees now have nothing but lichen to shield them from winter winds the red deer are not seen in great numbers during the summer months but come winter they make their way down to the lower levels to search for food.

what ever happens remember winter in the highlands has more to offer than the skiing, wood burning stoves warm and cosy to warm the winter chill and company to while away the hours what the winter was invented for