The day of the Winterhighland Mid-Summer Slide saw rather more folk sliding on CairnGorm Mountain than the handful last year, in fact there were over 100 skiers and boarders enjoying something of a carnival atmosphere to mark the approaching Summer Solstice and the start of the long march back to winter.

With two rope tows set out in the Ptarmigan Bowl and the Funicular available to lift skiers up to the Top Basin this was a different affair to recent years, with more vertical descent than there was run length last year, almost 900ft of vertical still up for grabs in the Ciste Gully on fun spring snow.

While some pottered around the Ptarmigan Bowl, others hit the remaining kicker in the park, others headed in various directions to sample the choice of options for mid-summer sliding. There's a long run also in the Ciste Mhearaidh for those willing to do uphill leg work on the return.

The pick of the day and well worth the downward leg work was the Ciste Gully, which even improved with use through the day. A short walk from the Ptarmigan Bowl brings you onto a patch of snow in the Ciste Bowl, below which there is a short break before your back on snow and putting in turns down into the steepening pitch of the Ciste Gully proper.

A superb day out, and there's still time for one more days lift assisted sliding, CairnGorm Mountain are doing it again on Monday to mark the Summer Solstice proper.

Video from Sunday.

PS Longer ropes and these two rope tows would look quite nice up the Marquis Well next season!