Nevis Range Mountain Experience, located near Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, announced its plans for resort upgrades, the biggest of which is a new chairlift for reaching the resort’s upper terrain. The plans, made official by an announcement on the resort’s website, hope to modernize the resort and increase access to its best terrain.
The proposed plan will add a four-seat bubble chair to protect skiers from the high winds present on Aonach Mòr, the resort’s home mountain. The chairlift’s proposed top station will reach an elevation of 1,050 meters (3,445 feet), and the lift will be approximately 850 meters (2,790 feet) long.
Nevis Range is already home to Scotland’s only four-seat chairlift. The addition of a second quad chair will further the resort’s commitment to modernizing its infrastructure and providing access to its higher-elevation terrain.
This past season, Nevis Range only opened for a short period with limited terrain. The issue? Much of the snow coverage occurred high on the mountain without the means to access it. An issue with the gondola’s gearbox forced Nevis Range to shut down its snow sports operations for multiple days, adding to the difficulties reaching its upper terrain. With the new chairlift, Nevis Range can make accessing its snow-covered areas more consistent and reliable.
“The strongest and most reliable snow conditions are increasingly found higher on the mountain, within the main snowsports area. Much of the lower mountain infrastructure was designed for a different era, different winters and different snow lines,” the resort wrote.
The new chairlift will make it significantly easier to access Nevis Range’s summit area. Designed to handle the Scottish Highlands’ harsh winds, the new lift will give skiers consistent access to the resort’s best snow conditions. The chair will also connect to the resort’s existing gondola, shortening the hiking distance to reach the new lift.
Nevis Range had initially tried to implement “large-scale snowmaking” for its skiers, but found that it was too expensive and inefficient. It quickly changed focus to “improving access to where the snow actually is.” It was then that the idea for an upper-terrain chairlift was born.
In addition to adding a new chairlift, Nevis Range plans to add a jump line for mountain bikers. Mountain biking has long been a centerpiece at Nevis Range, and it is one of the United Kingdom’s most recognized riding destinations. Adding a jump line is “designed to bring more progression, more energy and more excitement to the mountain.”
Over the past few years, Nevis Range has dealt with a multitude of challenges, including Brexit, COVID, and economic challenges. Despite this, the resort has continued to invest in its infrastructure and development to increase tourism. Partnerships with international tourism organizations have helped generate interest in the Scottish Highlands and Nevis Range.
This summer, Nevis Range hopes to build upon its number of visitors and bring in new investors. While the upgrade plans are still in advanced talks and require significant funding, these new plans are a step forward as Nevis Range looks to become a “true year-round mountain destination.”
