White Christmas in the Scottish Highlands? Suggestions?

[StoutMeister]

How's about this then? Glencoe..

 

[Jono]

I'd love to own that cottage. It's still uninhabited because it got vandalised (obviously), but the guy that owns it now doesn't/won't live in it.
I would. I love the 3 sisters. (those things behind the cottage) and the whole area.

 

[xdcx]

I spent the last 2 Xmas living at 180m outside Inverness and got no snow around about Xmas at all. There was a lot more snow than what everyone else living down below 100m experienced though to the point people thought you were telling lies.

My advice would be try find somewhere that is above 150m and that greatly increases your chance of a white Xmas but I seriously would not raise your expectations of getting one. You are far more likely to get a grey/wet day and even far more likely to get a full day of sunshine than a movie-like white Xmas.

Cairngorms area is good but if you are not interested in snowboarding or skiing I would avoid Aviemore like the plague. Prices are jacked up and the place is stupid busy.

If you want to be close enough to some sort of civilisation, the following places are lovely but you'll still have a Coop nearby at least:
Grantown on Spey
Tomintoul
Newtonmore/Kingussie
Ballater
Braemar
Aboyne

Up Inverness way:
Strathpeffer
Drumnadrochit (sea level)
Fort Augustus (sea level)

In the sticks West Coast (all low lying):
Torridon
Gairloch
Mallaig
Ullapool
Isle of Skye (Portree, Uig)

 

[touch]

I'd say your not much more likely to get snow in 'The Highlands' than you are in any other part of the country

In the strict definition of "White Christmas" (ie. ********** actually falling from at sky on christmas day), you're probably no more likely to get that in the Highlands than any other part of Scotland. If you just want to see snow on the ground, then there's a much higher chance of getting that in the Highlands. There's currently a small patch of snow in the Cairngorms which has been there for 11 years (although, it looks like it's going to disappear before winter this year).

 

[darknite]

Many thanks for all of the replies. I will take a look through each suggestion.

 

[Roar87]

I'd look at getting a cabin at a ski resort somewhere like France or Italy if that's affordable

 

[Nexus]

I'd look at getting a cabin at a ski resort somewhere like France or Italy if that's affordable

The problem with that is that the Christmas week is typically one of the busiest times in ski resorts globally, prices go up and you usually need to book way in advance.
If you don't ski or snowboard, there is still no guarantee of seeing snow on the ground at resort level during December in most places.

 

[d_brennen]

Any time I've been to visit my folks in Dunblane it's been raining sideways. The kind of freezing rain that feels like it's peeling you

 

[the_piper]

Tried this the last 3 years, each time the Atholl Palace in Pitlochry. Lovely hotel, breathtaking scenery... but no snow. Still had great times though

 

[bobbyspangles]

I went to Mull for a week last February hoping to see snow but there wasn't any except for on the highest peaks. Everything is closed that time of year (attractions and restaurants) and the local shops hardly have anything in . That said I really liked it. No people, amazing scenery and lots of nature.