HIE £300,000 investment to guarantee the white stuff at Lecht Ski Centre for snowsports fans

A £300,000 investment in the Lecht Ski Centre will help it make more snow this winter for an expected surge in skiing and boarding staycationers.

A project by the Lecht centre to support recovery in the tourism sector has secured up to £300,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

This funding will go towards advanced snow-making equipment for the centre near Tomintoul, including snow cannons and a piste machine.

The new equipment will complement existing snow-making capacity at the Lecht. The aim is to draw more visitors and safeguard the centre’s 15.5 seasonal jobs.

Interest in skiing breaks at home is expected to jump this winter amid the uncertainty over travelling to Europe.

The investment and guaranteed snow means the centre should be able to operate more slopes for its opening on December 18 and offer enhanced skiing and boarding over the three key holiday periods at Christmas, February half-term and Easter.

In 2018, HIE supported ski centres in the region to buy snow-making equipment, including an award of £208,000 for the Lecht centre to buy and install Snow Factory equipment and energy efficiency upgrades to existing lifts and tows.

This guarantees snow for its nursery slopes, regardless of the natural snow conditions. The technology has proved extremely valuable when natural snow conditions have been poor and has given the centre the confidence to make further investment.

Angie Smith, senior business development account manager with HIE in Moray, said: "The Lecht is a key part of Moray’s winter tourism offering.

"This project will enable the business to tap into the winter staycation market and support valuable employment in a rural area where they have greater proportional impact. It will also bring benefits to the local economy through more and longer visits and increased visitor spend.

"We are very pleased to be able to offer support and wish all Scotland’s ski centres a successful winter season."

Pieter du Pon, managing director of the Lecht Ski Centre, said: "We are very grateful for the ongoing support we have received in recent years from HIE and, in particular, for this major project.

"We still have a lot of work to do, aiming to crowd-fund the balance of the project. Tomorrow, October 31, we are launching a massive crowd-funding push to raise the £80,000 required and are offering rewards for individuals and businesses who support us in this way.

"Full details will appear on the website www.lecht.co.uk."

Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead said: "I’m delighted to see HIE offer this level of support to the Lecht Ski Centre and hope that this investment will go some way to increasing visitor numbers this winter.

"The ski centre is vital for the local economy in Tomintoul and for the wider tourism sector over the winter season. It’s been a tough year for the industry but this project will help the centre take advantage of people opting for staycations and having a winter break closer to home."

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