Tickets to give access to Scotland and Iceland ski slopes

Snowsports enthusiasts buying season tickets from any of Scotland's mountain ski centres will also be able to ski or snowboard for free in Iceland.

The deal agreed at this year's North Atlantic Ski Areas' Association conference is thought to be a world first.

It involves Scotland's CairnGorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, Nevis Range and The Lecht ski centres.

All nine of Iceland's snowsports centres are involved.

Earlier this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding between VisitScotland and the Icelandic Tourist Board.

The agreement between the Scottish and the Icelandic tourism boards will see them share information and advice on areas such as quality development and sustainability.

'New terrain'

The deal with Iceland is believed to be a world first

Heather Negus, chairwoman of Ski-Scotland, said the snowsports deal was ground-breaking.

She said: "We believe this is the first international agreement between all snowsports areas in two countries.

"While there is cross-border co-operation between individual ski areas elsewhere, what makes this unique is that it includes absolutely every lift at every resort in both Scotland and Iceland.

"With daily flights linking Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh with Reykjavik, we believe many of our customers will see this as a wonderful opportunity to ski or snowboard on new terrain and enjoy the culture of a new country.

"And of course, we also look forward to welcoming Icelandic skiers and boarders to Scotland's mountain resorts."

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: "Both Scotland and Iceland are small countries that punch well above their weight on the global tourism stage.

"VisitScotland and the Icelandic Tourist Board have built a strong and mutually beneficial relationship over the past three years, culminating in the recently announced formal agreement between the two organisations.

"This historic collaboration will see the sharing of information and best practice on areas such as quality development, information provision and sustainability."