Glencoe Chairlift Sale Raises £36,000

Glencoe Mountain Resort sold retired chairlift seats to the public this weekend, offering each chair for £300 and raising funds to help upgrade its lifts.

Glencoe opened the sale after retiring its long‑serving Access Chairlift, putting 100 chairs on offer at a fixed price rather than by auction to meet strong public interest. The resort fitted each seat with a stainless‑steel Glencoe nameplate and gave buyers the option to purchase the heavy hanger arm with the chair, a detail that appealed to collectors and home‑decor buyers alike

Demand outstripped expectations: organisers later confirmed that 120 chairs were sold in total, raising roughly £36,000 for the resort’s lift upgrade fund, a result organisers described as a “huge success”. The extra chairs were released after organisers decided they did not want to disappoint buyers who had travelled from across the UK to take part in the sale

The chairs themselves carry a slice of Highland skiing history — many date back to 1990 — and the sale was framed as both a fundraiser and a chance for enthusiasts to own a tangible piece of the mountain’s past. Resort management said proceeds will contribute to a £200,000 refurbishment and upgrade of the new lift, underlining the practical purpose behind the nostalgic sale.

Resort managing director Andy Meldrum thanked the community and visitors for their support and said the funds will be put straight toward improving infrastructure and visitor experience on the mountain. Organisers had initially considered an auction after receiving offers ranging widely in value, but opted for a single set price to keep the process simple and fair for buyers arriving on the day. 

He said: "Thanks everyone for turning up to the chair sale today. Delighted to report we sold 120 of the 107 chairs we had available. (We didn't want to leave anyone disappointed so actually sold a few we were planning to keep for ourself). What that means for anyone who is still looking for a chair is that they are now all gone. Really sorry about that.Thanks again for all your support and I hope all off you who turned up today have managed to dry out"

Buyers were seen hauling the heavy chairs—some with hanger arms attached, others without—into vans and trailers throughout the afternoon. Each chair features a new stainless-steel Glencoe Mountain nameplate, marking its authenticity as a retired piece of the Access Chairlift that carried thousands of visitors up the slopes over the last three decades.