TOURISM chiefs are braced for challenging times ahead with the current spell of cold weather forecast to last throughout the Easter break, traditionally one the busiest times of the year.

As thousands of hotels, tours and attractions prepare to open their doors for the start of the holiday season, Met Office forecasters have predicted the cold snap, which has caused widespread disruption in Scotland, will continue.

The forecasting agency yesterday suggested temperatures were unlikely to recover to normal averages for the time of year until the later part of next month.

Fears have been raised that many holidaymakers have been put off heading north by TV images of snow-blocked roads and homes without power, putting the brakes on a hoped-for economic boost from tourism.

Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said his group's members had reported mixed fortunes.

He said: "It's going to be very challenging fortnight with the weather that is forecast, particularly with the camping and caravanning community. We will make the best of it but we are looking at a lot of last-minute deals. But it is a mixed picture. I was speaking to Crieff Hydro Hotel and they are heading for a busy fortnight and our ski resorts have been able to extend their season."

Eva McDiarmid, chief executive of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, said the early start to the season would usually be welcomed, but may members are concerned about people being put off by the cold. She added: "Last year was a tough year. We had one of the wettest summers on record and a really well organised Olympic Games that kept people at home watching the television.

"But the Easter break is traditionally a time for families and children want to get out and about and it is the start of the season."

Engineers were yesterday still struggling to reconnect power to properties on Arran and the Kintyre. Scottish and Southern Energy said there were around 950 customers without power, including 550 homes in the outlying areas of Campbeltown, Kintyre and 400 on Arran. The areas suffered severe weather on Friday, which cut the power to around 18,000 properties.

The effect of plunging temperatures have been felt further afield, with business leaders predicting the wider economy will suffer in the short term.

David Lonsdale, assistant director of CBI Scotland, said: "The adverse weather over recent weeks has proved disruptive and an inconvenience for some businesses, particularly in sectors such as construction, tourism and utilities, and comes at what remains a challenging time because of the economic situation. Thankfully many firms already have well-developed contingency plans in place to deal with disruptions."

James Barnes, chief executive of Dobbies garden centres, said takings were down this year.

He said: "There's no surprise that gardeners have been spending less time in their gardens this March, compared with the exceptionally mild and early start to spring we had last year.

"Easter weekend, which is generally the start of the growing season, is also falling early this year. Our message is it's still early; so there will be plenty of time in this year's gardeners' calendar to have a successful spring season."

A VisitScotland spokesman said that while it was important to get the message out that Scotland remained open for business, visitors should keep the wintery conditions in mind.

He said: We've been advised by all our partner agencies that Scotland is very much open for business, including in Arran, Dumfries and Galloway and Kintyre. We would, however, ask anyone holidaying in Scotland and concerned about their travel arrangements to contact their accommodation provider."