I thought I'd add a thread here for people to post and discuss old postcards and photos of the Scottish ski areas and related images.

I've managed to pick up a few nice old postcards from eBay and elsewhere and am building up a wee collection of images from the old days so I thought I'd start off by sharing a couple of these with you. I still actually buy postcards that catch my eye when I'm up in the hills but it's the old ones that fascinate and together they build up into a fascinating document of how things once were.

The first is one I've had for many years and is a large format "Spey Valley" titled postcard (15cm x 21.8cm) with a collage of images as follows (from the back of the card):

The Road to the Cairngorms
The Cairngorm Chairlift
Reinder in the Spey Valley
Ski-ing in the Cairngorms
Ptarmigan Restaurant Highest in Britain - 3600 feet (1097 Metres) above sea level
Loch Morlich

Click here to view the postcard

I guess I originally bought it in Aviemore, probably in the old centre. From the look of the photos they were taken sometime in the late 70s/early 80s and I'd guess I bought it in the early to mid 1980s.

Secondly here's one I picked up more recently of Glencoe from 1964, named on the back "Glencoe White Corries 1964":

Click here to view the postcard

If you have any comments or any scanned postcards/photos you can post please do, I'd be fascinated to see what's out there



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 23.22hrs Mon 28 Jan 08 by roga.

Awrighty I have one here, its fae the original mighty one tae..

I huvnae got a scanner here so its a pic, and the white glow in the pic is fae the flash on the cam..

Pm moi and I'll send it tae ya if ya want.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.46hrs Sat 26 Jan 08 by growwild.

Attachments: postcardCoe.JPG (501kB)  

Hey, thanks for that Growwild, I'll send you a PM

Just for you here's another from the "mighty one" for ya:

Glencoe Ski Tow

Very period that one, early 60s I'd guess.

The blurb at the back says:

"The Glencoe Ski-Tow, Argyll.

The ski tow on the N.E. slopes of Meall a' Bhuiridh in Black Mount Forest, is an important centre in the remarkable development of the sport in Scotland. A chair lift operates from road level at 1600ft. to 2200ft. The Ski-Tow then takes the skiers from 2700ft. to the summit at 3,600ft."

Interestingly the card was posted with a message on the back, the postmark is 14 Oct 1966 so not a time when there was skiing on the hill I'd guess. Anyway, the main part of the message comments on the weather:

"No sign of this kind of weather yet, no sunshine either. Had to give up today because of rain."

Plus ca change!

Now with apologies to Growwild here's some that aren't from Glencoe, Cairngorm instead...

A couple of nice old black and white ones of the Cairngorm chairlift, the originals are real photographs (says on the back) so are higher quality than the usual postcard print:

"Cairngorm Ski Lift and the White Lady Sheiling"

"Looking down the Cairngorm Chairlift"

I think both the above are quite interesting in as far as they show the early development of the chairlift, there are some interesting early colour ones below too.

A question for anyone who knows about this - I see there's a surface tow next to the chairlift (this is clearer in some of the colour piccies below). I never knew this was there, does anyone know about it, the dates when it was on the hill and what sort of installation it was?

Right, here's another black and white one, earlier than the ski development I think, showing the "Snow Clad Cairngorms from Grantown", I suspect this has actually been touched up by hand to make the snow look very alpine, see what you think:

"Snow Clad Cairngorms from view point, Grantown-on-Spey"

Here are some early colour postcards showing the undeveloped Cas with the chairlift beyond (note the surface tow I mention above in the second image below):

"Coire Cas in the Cairngorms, looking to Loch Morlich"

The above shows the Cas in more or less 'virgin' state - looks pretty excellent in that image although I feel sure that wasn't typical... or was it?

"Skiing on the Cairngorms"

Again a nice one above which shows an undeveloped Cas with what I presume is Jean's hut in the middles distance (can anyone confirm?) and the White Lady behind with both the Chair and surface tow clear to see. THe back is captioned as follows:

"Skiing on the Cairngorms, Inverness-shire

Skiers enjoying fine weather on the snow slopes of Coire Cas. The view looks towards the summit of Cairngorm (4,084). On the left is the chair lift and the White Lady ski-run."

This last one of the Cas/White Lady (below) must be later in that it shows the White Lady t-bar now in it's familiar position with the chair just visible to the top of the image and the surface lift I mention above gone it would appear.

"White Lady Ski-Tow and Ski-Run"

Here are a couple of postcards that feature a collage of images from the ski area and surrounds:

"The Lairig Ghru Pass - Glenmore Lodge - White Lady Chairlift - Loch Morlich"

The above would, I guess be from the 60s, at least judging by the vehicles at Glenmore Lodge. It includes a photos of the then 'new' Glenmore lodge, perhaps not the most photogenic of buildings but there we go!

"Greetings from the Cairngorms"

The one above is from the early 80s, postmarked 1984, I remember folk on the Gorm dressed like that, including the rugby shirts and scarves! Amusing this one has also been posted and includes the comment "Much better than Working" in large writing on the back .... it was originally sent to Finance Department of the The Scottish Sports Council in Edinburgh!

Here's one (below) of the "ski slopes near Carrbridge"! I'd guess it's from the very late 50s or early 60s. The back bears the following blurb:

"Ski-ing in Scotland

This exhilarating winter sport has become very popular in Scotland. Several centres, notably in the Cairngorm, Glencoe and Loch Tay areas, have been established largely by the efforts of hotel managements who cater very thoroughly for the devotees of the sport. This picture was taken on ski slopes near Carrbridge"

"Skiing in Scotland (Carrbridge)"

So any guesses where these slopes are/were? The Dava Moor perhaps?

A couple of spring/summer ones, but probably interesting all the same:

"Cairngorms Ski Road"

The above must have originally been bought from the ski centre itself because it has a "Cairngorm Chairlift" stamp on the back which includes the elevations of the car park (2150ft) and Top Station (3647ft).

"Loch Morlich and the Cairngorms"

The above is captioned on the back as follows:

"Loch Morlich and the Cairngorm, Inverness-shire
This charming pine-fringed loch with its sandy beach is a favourite spot in the Cairngorm area. It is best reached from Aviemore by way of Coylum Bridge""

That's me almost out of postcards now (and running out of space on the Winterhighland server) but I have a few odds and ends I'll try to fish out and then I'll get some more interesting photos up as well when I have time and have found some more photo hosting!

I believe the 'Tow' beside the chairlift was an aerial cableway used in construction of the chair, then converted to a power/comms line.

^ thanks for the clarification on that Alan, that makes sense.

Now you've said that I've noticed there's a photo in "Ski-ing in Britain" (J.Kerr Hunter & Odd Gulbrandsen, Nelson 1963) of the Chairlift near the top of The White Lady that shows the cable quite clearly.

If we knew when the construction was taken down it'd then be easy to date the images showing it - anyone know that?

Apologies if this one has been posted already, I've been meaning to put it up for ages - a cheeky one from the early 80's!







Edited 1 times. Last edit at 15.55hrs Mon 12 Oct 09 by Freeheel.

Attachments: Gorm Post Card-2.jpg (109kB)