No skiing today on Cairngorm Mountain. Photo: Roy and Susan

One of Scotland’s busiest ski centres has had to close – because there is too much snow.

The Cairngorm Mountain centre announced today’s closure after two days of blizzards blocked the access road. The access road to the centre, near Coylumbridge, is also used by winter mountaineers heading for Cairn Gorm’s northern corries, but has seen drifts up to 5m deep.

No staff are at the site, but assessors from the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service have been out on the mountain to gather snowpack information.

A statement from Cairngorm Mountain said: “The mountain and all facilities, access roads and car parks will be closed today, Friday, to allow digging out after major drifting during the storm.

“We have come in this morning and it feels like Groundhog Day – all our work yesterday has been filled in again. We’re at it again with two 23-tonne Caterpillar diggers, our own ploughs and the piste machines which are also moving snow down banks so the diggers have somewhere to put the dug-out snow.”

The resort’s controversial funicular railway is also blocked and many of the ski-tow towers are covered in snow.

Avalanche risk on the northern aspects of the mountain’s slopes remains high today above 500m, with natural and human-induced snowslides likely.