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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Alasdair Ferguson

Scotland's only indoor ice climbing centre to reopen under ambitious plans

SCOTLAND’S only indoor ice climbing centre could reopen next year after bold plans to reopen the facility have emerged. 

The Ice Factor in Kinlochleven, Highlands, closed in 2023 following a dispute over unpaid rent.

The huge ice walls were housed within a 130-year-old former Victorian smelter, with the facility once regarded as one of the largest of its kind in the world when it opened in the village in 2003. 

Now, a new community interest company, Point Five, has been set up and aims to reopen the indoor ice climbing centre in late 2026.

In a statement on the group's website, they explain that the Point Five centre will be more than an ice climbing venue and “will be a place where people come together to move, connect, and experience the Highlands in a whole new way”.

Named after the Point Five Gully on Ben Nevis, an area popular for outdoor ice climbing, the centre will be turned into a hub for four disciplines of climbing, ice, bouldering, sport and dry tooling.

(Image: Google Maps)

Lochaber-based climber Dave MacLeod and mountaineer Anna Wells have both been named ambassadors to help lead the project.

MacLeod is renowned among Scotland’s climbing community for establishing new routes up sea cliffs in the Western Isles and mountains in the Highlands.

Meanwhile, Wells is also a notorious climber as she became the first woman to reach the top of all of Scotland's 282 Munros in one winter season last year, a feat she completed in just 83 days. 

Plans for the centre include bouldering, sport and ice climbing all under one roof, alongside a café, soft play, and community spaces.

“Whether you’re dreaming of your next climb, planning a family day out, or simply curious about what’s coming, we’d love you to follow the journey and maybe be part of shaping what comes next,” the Point Five website read.

The smelter in Kinlochleven was opened in 1909 and powered by hydroelectricity.

At the height of production, the smelter had more than 800 employees but was closed in 2000.

The former Ice Factor was one of the largest indoor ice climbing facilities in Europe.

Over the 20 years it was in operation, its large walls within the building were covered in thick ice, with the main wall being about 1200 sq m (12,916 sq ft).

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