Funicular is broken but life goes on in the Cairngorms

Scott Fleming is involved in running businesses near CairnGorm Mountain

CairnGorm Mountain's funicular railway is out of action and could remain closed for months more, but local firms say that for them it is business as usual.

A structural problem has closed the UK's highest railway since the 1 October.

An investigation by engineers of the issue has been hampered by bad weather, delaying a report that is expected to set out how to fix it.

This is the longest period the funicular has been out of action.

• Further delay to funicular report

• HIE takes control of CairnGorm Mountain

• Funicular could remain shut for season

Built at a cost of £26m and opened in 2001, the funicular carries about 300,000 visitors each year.

An electronic sign warns of the closure of the funicular railway

It connects a base station at the CairnGorm Mountain snowsports centre near Aviemore with a restaurant 1,097m (3,599ft) up Cairn Gorm mountain.

While the snowports centre remains open as normal, and has added a snow-making factory to fill lower ski slopes with manufactured snow, the funicular is an important part of its business.

Mr Fleming's equipment hire and other businesses only opened in November

Scott Fleming, who runs a number of businesses near CairnGorm Mountain including the Pinemarten Cafe and Snowbadgers snowsports equipment rentals, said the closure of the railway was a cause of concern initially.

His business ventures were only launched in November.

"At the moment we are just trying to get through our first year," he says.

A snow-making factory has been added to the snowsports centre to guarantee snow on lower slopes

"If the train doesn't run then we will just look forward to our next year.

"But there is so much more to do round here than just relying on the funicular," he adds.

"There is cross-country skiing, ice climbing and mountain biking."

Scott Fleming said businesses are trying to be positive about the winter season

"There was a degree of negativity at first," he says about the closure.

"But people have shifted to being positive and trying to make the most of what we've got and do the best that we can.

"We have to put up with the bad to enjoy the good and we are all used to the ups and downs, whether it be times there is no snow or bad winds.

"Then you get great years for snow and the conditions are amazing."

Aviemore Business Partnership's Mike Gale said local firms have learned to adapt

Mr Fleming adds: "We are just looking at it as another year."

Another local businessman Mike Gale, who is chairman of the Aviemore Business Partnership, says the Aviemore area is "robust and very much open for business as usual".

He says: "In our history we have coped with booms and busts.

"We have had winters with no snow and we just carried on.

"We are good at adapting in Aviemore."