Glenshee's History of Winter Sports
Glenshee or Gleann Shith, (Gaelic for Glen of the Fairies), flanks the highest public road in Scotland which runs through the Cairnwell pass, formerly one of the main historic drove routes from the Highlands to the Lowlands.
Skiing began here in the late thirties when a few enthusiasts who had learned to ski in Europe, came here to practice their new-found sport. Following the war, some of them returned to build simple rope tows, driven off the rear wheel of tractors and in 1957, Dundee Ski Club built the first T-Bar tow on Meall Odhar.
As skiing grew in popularity, five of these pioneers reached an agreement to lease the land from Invercauld Estate and went on to form Glenshee Chairlift Company Limited, which operated the ski area until May 2004.
In December 1962, with the completion of Cairnwell Chairlift and a small café, the area opened to the public and enjoyed fantastic snow conditions. So, emboldened by success, Sunnyslope T-Bar was built in the summer of 1963.
Unfortunately, through a cruel twist of fate, that winter was a wash out and the new tow operated for just seven days.However, despite this disappointing start, the commitment to development over the years has made Glenshee the largest Ski Centre in the UK, with 21 lifts and tows running over 4 mountains and 3 valleys.
The Glenshee Chairlift Co Ltd was forced into receivership in May 2004 but a management buyout by Glenshee Ltd ensures that skiing and snowboarding continues at the Glenshee Ski Centre.
Winter Sports
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