The skiing season is here and many Scots are off to the mountains to enjoy holidays of powdered snow, glistening sun and skiing, but many, too, will come back injured and in deep debt because they forgot one crucial thing before leaving - to buy ski holiday insurance.

An accident on the slopes could mean evacuation by a helicopter and costly on-site private medical attention that could amount to many thousands of pounds. In our newly developed compensation culture, worse still would be if you crash into another skier on the hill, you could pay out millions. To prevent all of this, before you leave make sure you are covered.

There are a few important things that you must take into consideration when purchasing winter holiday insurance. Check to see that your insurance covers the loss or theft of your equipment. With equipment averaging at over a thousand pounds, having them stolen could ruin your holiday. Check that your policy covers you for personal liability if you should collide with another skier, for instance. If you are going on holiday to the United States, this is a must. Experts suggest that you should make sure that you are covered for at least £2 million for personal liability. Another point to consider is if your policy covers you if there is no snow or if there is an avalanche making it impossible to ski. Be sure you know which activities are covered in your policy. Some cover only skiing, and then only certain types of skiing. For example, some only cover off piste skiing if you are a very experienced skier. If you intend to go bobsleighing, heli-skiing or Para-skiing make sure those activities are covered in your policy.

Also, don't forget to get coverage even if you are skiing inside Scotland. The same things that could happen outside of the country could happen just as well here.

Another thing to consider when on your ski holiday is drinking and skiing. Research for Directline has discovered that 34% of all ski accidents happen after lunch between 2 and 4 pm. 1 in 10 of those reported that alcohol contributed to the accident. Most insurance policies will not pay out if the accident occurred when you were over the drink-drive limit.

When purchasing your insurance, you can usually save quite a bit if you purchase from an insurance broker as opposed to your travel agent. Also, if you take many ski holidays throughout the year, you'd be wise to buy a multi-trip policy as you'd likely save quite a bit.

Don't forget to take along your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) but don't think that this will replace your insurance. EHIC covers the basics and will not pay for helicopter evacuation or repatriation if you need it.

Make sure your ski holiday is a dream come true not a nightmare in the making by buying good ski holiday insurance before you leave.

Useful Links:
The Law Society
Easy Compensation
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