UK’s oldest snow patch about to melt

Britain's oldest snow patch is disappearing - and will likely have melted by the weekend.

The patch at Garbh Choire Mor on Braeriach in the Cairngorms in Scotland, nicknamed the Sphinx, has not melted for over a decade, something that has happened only six times in the last 300 years.

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Iain Cameron, 44, who monitors snow patches across Britain as a hobby, detailed the finding online. His reports have been published by the Royal Meteorological Society.

One a recent walk he wrote: "Atrocious weather today on the walk to Garbh Choire Mor. Pinnacles patch has melted, and Sphinx has a matter of days left. I'm displeased."

Speaking to the Metro, he said: "It's always disappointing when they do eventually melt but it's just one of those things.

"We'll just have to wait until next year to see them again."

The BBC reports that the patch is only one of two remaining bits of snow on Scotland's hills this year.

The second patch at Aonach Beag is also expected to melt away over the next few days.

Iain shared a picture of both patches on Twitter, asking followers to guess which one would melt first.

The BBC reports that Garbh Choire Mor is described as Scotland's snowiest corrie - a hollow-shaped geological feature - because of the amount of snow it can hold all year round, even during summer months.

All of the snow in Britain has melted only six times in the past 300 years – in 1933, 1953, 1959, 1996, 2003 and 2006.