Coronavirus: Face coverings to be worn on gondola

Nevis Range, including its gondola, was shut down in March

Face coverings will have to be worn on Nevis Range's mountain gondola under plans to reopen the outdoor pursuits centre next month.

The resort near Fort William offers snowsports in its winter season and has mountain bike trails.

The site was closed in March, but bosses hope it can reopen on 15 July along with other tourism businesses.

The gondola is the only one of its kind in Britain and reaches a height of 650m (2,132ft).

It was built on the mountain Aonach Mòr originally as a way to transport skiers to the slopes, but is now used by hillwalkers and cyclists.

• Volunteers rally behind snowsports centre

Under the reopening plans, face coverings will have to be worn inside the gondola. The number of passengers will also be restricted to one or small groups that have travelled together to Nevis Range.

'Financial crisis'

Chief executive Chris O'Brien said the third phase of lockdown easing in Scotland due on 15 July was expected to include permission for the operation of gondolas and chairlifts.

He said: "However, I would stress that this official date is provisional and could change if there are any flare ups with the virus.

"As soon as Nevis Range is able to confirm an opening date, we'll get that out over all of our social media platforms."

The coronavirus pandemic created the most serious challenges to Nevis Range's survival in its 30-year history. Loss of income has included the cancellation of the Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup, which usually brings more than 20,000 visitors to Nevis Range over a weekend of competition.

Mr O'Brien said: "When we do open, due to the nature of the financial crisis that we find ourselves in, we will be operating on a Wednesday to Sunday basis, making exceptions around bank holidays, and we plan to carry on with this five-day week operation throughout the rest of the summer."