SCOTLAND’S lucrative ski season has had a disastrous start with a severe lack of snow keeping all of the resorts closed for most of the month.

The lack of snow has been dramatically captured in an image by winter sports staff from close to the top of Cairngorm near Aviemore.

Scotland’s five ski centres have hardly mustered a few weekends of openings between them.

The mild winter and gales have hit operators badly and even when they have opened, the resorts have had very few runs.

In what was one of the earliest starts to the season CairnGorm Mountain and The Lecht welcomed a limited number of enthusiasts in November only for warming temperatures and strong winds to call an early halt to fun on the slopes.

But only on few days have the slopes been open since.

Despite the numbers using Scotland’s ski resorts going downhill last winter – with nearly 23,000 fewer hitting the slopes – the sport still generated £21 million.

Across the five resorts, the number of skier days was 207,770 compared to 230,634 for the previous winter and 235,191 in 2013/14.

There was only one resort reporting an increase in skiers and boarders last season.

Glenshee managed 59,126 – just over 600 more than last year on just 60 days skiing.

Last season did not start until mid-January, as opposed to the previous winter, when the first ski areas were open by mid-December. Again weather – particularly strong winds – affected opening.

Since the season of 2009-10, Scotland’s snowsports areas have hosted more than 1.7 million skier days which have generated over £176m for the economy.

In 2010, CairnGorm Mountain remained open until June for the first time with hundreds of skiers trekking to the snow.

Stewart Davidson, director at Glenshee Ski Centre, said it was a late start.

“We just do not have the snow at the moment. February is the peak season,” said Mr Davidson, who has been at Glenshee for 28 years.

“We have had a lot worse than this – you cannot judge the season until you get to the end. We just haven’t had any snow yet.

“In many ways this is a normal season.

“I will be worried if we don’t have enough snow in February. We need two days of decent snow to be fully operational – that’s all.

“People are not looking to ski on dry slopes here – they want to ski on snow.”

Scotland’s normally busiest winter sports resort, CairnGorm Mountain, held out little hope of skiing this weekend. “Cracking inversion this morning as we sit above the valley fog. 0.0°C at car park level and +5.0°C at the top with light winds.

“We are still offering ample beginner areas for standing classes under instructions. There is still a forecast for snow fall from Tuesday onward, fingers crossed,” said the resort.

A spokeswoman for Glencoe said it would not open for snow sports this weekend and it “was looking a bit grim.”

The Lecht was not open yesterday but hoping to get one run operational today while a spokeswoman added “there’s little snow and none forecast in the days ahead.

Nevis Range near Fort William said it was also unlikely to offer skiing and boarding.