Scotland's largest snowsports resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The first mechanised skiing chairlift at the Cairngorms in the Highlands opened half a century ago, an event widely considered to be the birth of Scotland's snowsports industry.

The White Lady chairlift helped to kickstart Scotland's love affair with skiing, which has flourished over the last five decades.

It is also ten years since the funicular railway first opened at the Cairngorm ski resort, ferrying thousands of passengers a day to the top of the slopes.

Some ski enthusiasts who enjoyed the slopes 50 years ago were at the Cairngorm resort on Friday to help celebrate the anniversary.

Myrtle Simpson, 81, says she is not the oldest skier at the Cairngorms.

She said: "Here was the first idea that the hoteliers got together and were impressed with the fact a lot of people wanted to ski and perhaps they could keep the hotels open in the winter and lengthen the tourist holiday.

"That's why this place started off as a professional set up and it has been ever since.

"The first thing that's changed is clothing. We wore mostly ex-army stuff or we made it ourselves and of course the wind and the rain went straight through it.

"Not many people that skied on the continent came here. It was mostly Scots and lots and lots of them because a lot had learnt about sking during the war and wanted to continue having this great outdoor experience and get their kids skiing.

"Now the equipment and the clothing is absolutely revolutionised.

"The weekends are getting back to what they were, with about 4000 people in each of the resorts. It's getting back to what it used to be, with a real good amount of people."

There are now five ski centres making the most of the Scottish snow in the Highlands and north-east - Cairngorm, Glencoe, Nevis, Glenshee and the Lecht.