XSite Braehead: Indoor ski slope to close permanently

Snow Factor in Renfrew went into administration in November 2021

Scotland's only indoor ski slope is to close permanently.

Snow Factor at XSite Braehead, in Renfrewshire, was closed in 2022 amid legal proceedings after its former operator went into liquidation.

Now Braehead Leisure Partnership has taken the decision to close the site permanently over financial, safety and environmental concerns.

The rest of the site will remain open as work begins to remove the slope in late autumn.

• Snowsports centre closes as liquidator appointed

• 'We are essentially running a massive freezer'

The announcement follows the closure of a popular ice rink in Ayrshire over the weekend.

It had been hoped a new offer could keep Ayr Ice Rink open but owners Ayrshire Curlers Ltd have now entered liquidation.

In a statement on its website, the company said rising energy costs were the reason it could no longer continue to operate its building.

Matt Beddow, representing XSite Braehead said closing the ski slope had been a very difficult decision to make.

"The poor condition and age of the facility, combined with the dramatically increased running costs of this 17-year-old installation, make it unviable for us to support the slope as a commercial operation going forward," he said.

"Moreover, the underlying environmental impact of keeping eight million litres of snow and ice - equivalent to three Olympic-sized swimming pools - at low temperatures is a significant sustainability concern for us all."

Snow Factor was Scotland's only indoor real-snow slope

A statement released by the firm stated that maintaining the temperature of the ski slope uses the same energy as more than 6,000 fridge freezers per day and produces over 500 tonnes of CO2e a year.

The cost of meeting the slopes energy requirements has increased by 500% since 2021. On average, it takes 5,900 kwh per day to run.

There were also safety concerns due to the age and condition of the slope, with testing on the site which found it necessary to remove all of the existing snow and ice as soon as possible.

"We must now focus on the future. We are working on options to reopen this amazing space as a new and thrilling attraction with a broad appeal," Mr Beddow said.

"I look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks and of course we will keep XSite's visitors, and the local community fully updated on this journey."