A probe into the safety of the Cairngorm funicular railway faces further delays into the winter season.
The mountain railway was forced out of action in September amid fears about the supporting structure, sparking concern for the fortunes of the ski centre over the coming months.
Specialist engineers were brought in, but have been hampered by poor weather – leaving business leaders and politicians frustrated as to when the railway will finally be repaired.
However, there was also some good news yesterday as a snow-making machine is expected to arrive on site next Tuesday – and be operational within days.
Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Bill Lobban said: “Waiting another two weeks is unfortunate and disappointing, but the weather in Cairngorm is fickle and a delay is quite understandable.
“It is important the investigation is thorough and the report is completely finished, rather than the engineers coming back with half-baked recommendations.”
But he added: “I think the roll-out of snow-making in the area is fantastic and is a very positive way forward in what has been a very difficult time for Cairngorm.”
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Mark Tate, chief executive of Cairngorm Business Partnership, added: “The uncertainty around the funicular is frustrating and the sooner we get some certainty the better.
“But businesses in the area are already adapting for the winter season and we are optimistic, particularly with the arrival of snow-making machines which will boost ski-ing in the lower part of the mountain.”
A report into the funicular structural concerns was first expected by mid-November, with hopes remedial repairs could be carried out to ensure it could operate over the winter season.
However, this was put back to December 3 after the complexity of the investigations were realised.
Contractors COWI yesterday alerted owners Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and CairnGorm Mountain Limited (CML)to a potential two-week delay.
COWI was appointed in September to carry out the investigation, which has involved excavation of some of the foundations.
But the weather, particularly strong winds and cold temperatures, have slowed their progress.
Many of the delays have been a result of high winds causing health and safety issues high on the mountain, while some of the monitoring is using cameras which have been icing up.
Susan Smith, head of business development at HIE, said: “The closure of the funicular, while necessary for safety reasons, is causing considerable concern locally among the many businesses who service the snow sports market.
“The sooner we find out the exact nature of the problem the better for everyone. We will then be able to plan for remedial work to be done to return the funicular to service as soon as possible.”
In the meantime, £1m-worth of new equipment, including a snow making machine and eight snow cannons, is due to arrive at Cairngorm on Tuesday.
The equipment should be fully operational within a week of arriving.
Snowmaking will guarantee snow on the lower beginner slopes, and enable the ski tow to take skiers to the upper slopes when conditions there are good.
