By Lynn Cochrane

Copyright scotsman

Midlothian Council Leader Councillor Kelly Parry confirmed today (Monday), the coaster has welcomed 300,000 customers, 115% more than outlined in the business case. Councillor Parry said: “We said at the opening we hoped to exceed 139,000 visitors so this is a phenomenal achievement for the snowsports centre team considering it only opened on a full-time basis after the February break.” The coaster, which enjoys views across the Pentlands and down to Edinburgh, is the only one in Scotland, one of the longest in the UK at 980m (3,215ft), can reach up to 28mph (45kmph) and has a vertical drop of 170m (558ft). Customers have included Oscar winner and Hollywood actor Matt Damon and family and social media influencer Chris Lawlor, whose video of his coaster ride has been viewed more than 16 million times. The coaster is the final part of phase one of the Destination Hillend project to build a year-round attraction to improve and safeguard the future of Midlothian Snowsports Centre on the edge of Edinburgh. Phase one also included opening a new freestyle slope, building a new A702 junction, additional car parking and widening the access road to the centre for public transport drop-offs. Since Sunday 3 August, Lothian Buses’ Service 4 drops and picks up passengers from outside the Midlothian Snowsports Centre. Councillor Parry said the coaster’s success will inform plans for phase two of the project. She said: “The snowsports centre now attracts more than 400,000 visitors who come to enjoy tubing runs, the coaster, dry ski and snowboarding slopes and the café. “However, our ambitions are to expand our ‘offer’ by adding even more family-friendly outdoor attractions to encourage people to come and make a day of it. “We know what we’d like to do – and we’re hoping to share plans very soon – but we obviously need to be mindful of the public purse. “The coaster’s success and income will certainly have a bearing on what is affordable, achievable and what activities will complement what’s already on offer while aligning with our broader goals of promoting active lifestyles, enhancing local amenities and boosting sustainable tourism.” Tickets are £7 for a single ticket and £19 for a bundle of three rides and are booked online. To book the coaster visit the website.