Snowdon's high tables back in business

LONDON (Reuters) - An 8.5 million pound visitor centre was opened at the top of Mount Snowdon on Friday, replacing an old cafe once dubbed "Britain's highest slum" by Prince Charles.

Perched 3,500 feet up, the granite building offers some of the best views in Britain from the peak of the highest mountain in England and Wales.

It was declared formally open by Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales.

The old cafe was built 74 years ago and became a sorry sight as the extreme weather conditions on the mountain took their toll. It eventually had to be demolished.

Construction of the new centre, called the Haford Eryri, took three years.

"All the materials and the labour had to be carried on the train and the train only operated in certain times of the year, between Easter and October," said Llinos Angharad, Communications Manager at the Snowdonian National Park Authority.

"Even then the train could not (travel) every day because of high winds," Angharad said.

Winds on Snowdon blow up to 150 miles per hour and temperatures range from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees.

Over 350,000 people visit the area every year.

(Reporting by Phakamisa Ndzamela; Editing by Steve Addison)