Snow sports touring – where to go

Given the right conditions Scotland has a wealth of ski touring options to choose from. From the Southern uplands all the way up to the mountains in the far north of Sutherland, once the snow arrives, the landscape transforms into a winter wonderland with options to ski almost anywhere.

A personal favourite is the Ochils, which are easily accessible from the central belt as are the perennially popular Pentland Hills, that often come into their own for a few days every winter. Further north the summits surrounding Drumochter are remarkably snowsure and have the added advantage of being easily accessible and with the skiable areas visible from the road. 

Often described as the home of ski touring, Ben Lawers offers one of the longest vertical descents in Scotland with the hills surrounding it invariably seeing large numbers of skiers almost every winter. Further east, the hills around Glenshee offer some of the most snowsure conditions in the central Highlands and benefit from easy access offered by the high level A93 to Braemar. 

To the north lie the Cairngorms, undoubtedly the most popular destination for ski touring with the ski road up from Glenmore taking you to 650m frequently meaning skis can be put on from the car. Even in some of the more challenging winters of the past three years Cairngorm has continued to offer ski touring opportunities and is consequently the location where you are most unlikely to be alone!

The hills around Glen Feshie have provided many days of fantastic skiing, often come into condition early in the winter and are always quieter than the Cairngorms, as are the tremendous Monadhliath hills across the Spey to the north.

Out west, Creag Meagaidh and its satellite peaks offer a wealth of options with some tremendous high level tours as well as shorter lines for those who want to maximise their descent mileage. Given the location miles from warming seas, the snow tends to hang on longer than other venues although in thaw conditions you will need to walk to reach the snow.

The skiing options north of the Great Glen have only really been fully explored in more recent years and have provided some of the best skiing I’ve experienced in Scotland. Yes conditions are more fleeting, but when the snow arrives there are a vast range of options from the mountains around Glen Shiel, the Affric giants, the Fannich’s and Beinn Dearg all the way up to Ben Klibreck and Ben Hope. Mention must also be made of Fionn Beinn, adjacent to Achnasheen. Grassy slopes, inland & exposed to NW showers, the mountain quickly comes into condition every winter and has the added advantage of a great tearoom adjacent to the car park.

As anyone who has enjoyed a few seasons in Scotland will know, when the snow falls, drop everything, grab the touring kit & head out, if not you may regret missing out on the day of the season! 

For more information the excellent Ski Mountaineering in Scotland (2nd edition) containing a host of tour locations and recommended routes will be available in the shops from November 2025.

Finally, if you plan to set off from one of the ski centres be aware they are running a busy snow business which you should be considerate of. Please make yourself familiar with the