Glenshee ski resort is by some measures Scotland’s biggest ski resort – it has Scotland’s most ski lifts for example. Located close to the British Queen's 'Summer residence' at Balmoral castle it is easy to reach from Aberdeen to the West, Inverness to the North and Edinburgh and Glasgow to the south. For the Queen’s ski holiday, there could be no more local ski slope for her majesty!
The Glenshee ski resort, officially known as the Glenshee Chairlift Company, has a long history, with skiing in the region since the early 1930s. It is still developing and for winter 2011-12 became the first Scottish ski resort to install a new chairlift for more than a decade.
The early Glenshee ski lifts were driven off the rear wheels of vehicles like tractors and operated by ski clubs based in nearby cities including Perth Ski Club and Aberdeen Ski Clubs. However the first Scottish T Bar at Glenshee ski resort was built by the Dundee Ski Club in the Meall Odhar sector in 1957.
Like the other Scottish ski areas development over the years has been in part dependent on the success of the winter season before and in part on the enthusiasm, or otherwise, of local politicians. One way in which Glenshee ski resort is ahead of the country’s other ski areas is that it operates several snow cannons for Scottish snow making – effective so long as the often fluctuating temperatures are low enough.