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pastimes. the hill by the Art School is reputedly fantastic for sledging. althOLigh sliding down into the middle
of Sauchiehall Street is something that
we certainly w0uldn't recommend . . EDINBURGH
Pentland hills Also the site for the dry ski slope so it's a dead cert as an out of town spot for sledging — and given their height. this is where you're most likely to get the sledging equivalent of the black run.
The Meadows The golf cOurse and surrounding area is good for sledging but watch out. as it's likely to be very busy.
Calton Hill One of the most central
and spectaCular spots for your sledge.
So sleep that you might easily find yourself at the bottom of Leith Walk (see Apres-Sledge section). Arthur’s Seat/Queen’s Park Edinburgh's highest point is spectaCuIar in the snow. There's a great spot on the north summit but wayward sledges can end up in the 00nd.
Corstorphine Woods Fairly out of
town but still easily accessible by bus. Open enough to get lots of snow. and in places there's the added soundtrack
of animal noises from the nearby zoo.
Enjoy a little Aprés-sledqe
Edinburgh residents are blessed when
it comes to trudging up a hill and zooming down it on a tea tray. The wide. flat apron of grass backing
Salisbury Crags cries out to be tobogganed down. So why do trust fund Jocastas and honking Hoorays from the Home Counties decarnp to Val d'lsere and Chamonix every winter? The schnapps and cheese fondue of apres ski. of course. We say bring on the apr('>s-sledge.
Arthur's Seat-botherers should descend to Duddingston Village and draw a dram by the fire at the venerable Sheep Herd Inn. or head the other way to Swedish themed Boda Bar. on Leith Walk. Here. the mountain lodge charm is complemented by a moose sausage and a glass of cider. Alternatively. there's always Beanscene on Holyrood Road. if you're desperate for one of those life enhancing. icy finger restoring hot cups of tea. Innei Glasgow boasts fewer tempting inclines than the capital. but a Winlry scoot down the slopes in Queen's Park could be followed by a cocktail in the upmarket Ivory Bar. on Camphill Avenue. Alternatively. adrenaline-ci‘a/ed inner city sledgerati could Just about steer their way down the hill from the Glasgow School of Art. along the Sauchiehall Street pavement and into the door of the CCA cafe. But make sure it's on a day when the snow's so deep. it has stopped the traffic.
Get email snow alerts
If you always want to know when it's snowrng and really don't want to risk a trek to the highlands for nothing then there are various email alert services you can sign up for
i' I.
3'"- . ' r. ” lit/ll r ‘
including a general one on www. f3kl.‘.’|f3lff3(l()f£ill(f.(2()lll conditions. and (Iil(2k on the ski centre of your choice to view the latest snow conditions. lher‘e are ‘.’£il'l()llf$ free email and WAP services designed to let you check conditions of specific areas. Try www. irevisi‘aiigecouk for Ben Nevrs. \.'-.I\.'/\.'/.g|ericoeiiiountaincom and \.'./‘.'/\.'/.lecht.co.uk for the l echt ill Aberrleenshire.
Build an igloo
If the snow is deep. and you have the energy to stamp on it hard enough. then the chances are that you can construct your own snow house. for the best instructions. go to \.*./i.*./w.pl)s.or‘g wgbh nova. deiiali extre mes survrgloolilml
Get dressed up
Headgear The 'Polar' Buff" from liso ltr'om 5'1. his a beanie that transforms into a headband. while John LO‘NIES stocks a Tibetan style hat for an impressive 5‘10 l\°/‘.‘/\‘/.]()illl|(}\.VlS.(Z()llll. fry NeVisport for a pair of
Paul Smith 100% cashmere scarf, 2125 (left); black and white Tibetan knit hat, £10 from John Lewis (bottom)
“M .
indestructible. camouflage styled ‘Bli/xard Spy goggles ($384.99.
www. i ievisport .com).
Clothing In Tiso. ladies can check out the Berghaus Extrem Siula jacket (le99) and North Face gilet ($399). For warmth. style and odOur-less wear. try Blues ‘lcebreaker' Merino wool 'Rockzip' sweater ($7.90). wwwtisocom.
Learn to ski
If you dream of skiing like Scottish downhill ace. Finlay Mickel. there are instructors at all five of Scotland's ski centres — Nevis Range. Clencoe. Glenshee. Cairngorm or The Lecht — (for more information see littp: ski.visitscotland.com) who will help you learn to carve like a pro. Have a go on a dry slope Grab some preseason practice and tone- up those thigh muscles at Glasgow Ski Centre (0141 427 4991) or Edinburgh‘s Hillend (0131 445 4433).
Buy some serious kit
Cute skis The twin-tip Salomon Teneighty Thruster skis lNevisport. 57310) will appeal to big-air freestylers and 'motorway' skiers alike. If you're taking your 2-4 year-old on to the pistes. Blues 'baby ski kit' is designed for wellies to be strapped onto a tiny pair of plastic skis. Snowed-under? Admittedly. it's an unlikely occurrence on Arthurs Seat or Glasgow Green, but all serious off- piste adventurers know an Ortovox M2 avalanche transceiver ($7225) from Nevrsport wrll help resCLiers dig you out of trouble.
Watch some ice hockey
Like curling. but with less knitwear and more Violence. ice hockey is yet to break the hold of dr‘eich afternoons at Tynecastle or Celtic Park on Scotland's sports fans. lhe UK's Elite Ice Hockey League boasts one learn from north of the border. the Edinburgh Capitals. who play at Murrayfield Ice Rink (0131 13137 (3033). At the time of writing they're. ei‘m. ninth out of nine. Meanwhile. the Capitals' 8 team finished in third place in the Scottish National League's Autumn Cup. one place above the Paisley Pirates. who play at the town's Lagoon Leisure Centre (0141 889 4000).
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