Scotland Best for Mountain Biking
Its 7Stanes centres lead the way in trailbuilding and facilities
Scotland, where the bicycle began, is the best place on the planet for mountain biking, and that's official.
The authoritative International Mountain Biking Association gave Scotland an A+ rating in its 2006 Report Card - having already been top of the tree in 2005.
Scotland has fantastic natural trails but unpredictable weather and tough terrain give many an epic quality; what’s really won the plaudits is the tremendous development of purpose-built centres. These are now spread all over the country but leading the way is the 7Stanes network of, yes, seven centres in southern Scotland, pioneered by Forestry Commission Scotland. The quality of the trail-building here is unsurpassed.
Westernmost of the seven is Glen Trool, which has easy trails plus the 58km Big Country Ride, a non-technical but still demanding ride. It’s in the county of Dumfries and Galloway, hailed as the birthplace of the bicycle. According to legend, blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan was the first to fit cranks driving the rear wheel.
Nearby Kirroughtree is more typical of the 7Stanes, with diverse man-made trails including the sinuous singletrack of the The Twister (graded red) and Black Craigs (graded black), which features the bare granite slabs of McMoab.
Dalbeattie features sea views from its rocky trails; highlights are a white whaleback aptly named Moby Dick and the infamous, eponymous Slab.
Mabie lies close to Dumfries; its trails include the easy but scenic Big Views Loop, the classic red Endura Phoenix trail and the double-black Kona Dark Side - strictly experts only!
Closest to motorways and main-line rail is Ae, which has an uplift-assisted downhill track and the red-graded Ae Line which features 3km of near-continuous jumps.
Right by the English border, Newcastleton is more family-friendly with blue and red trails and just a little bit of black.
40 minutes from Edinburgh, the Tweed Valley is really two centres in one. Glentress has the biggest network of trails, with cross-country routes at all grades plus a couple of freeride areas. The Spooky Wood descent on the red route is a favourite with many, its berms and dropoffs rideable by most - but how fast? Nearby Innerleithen has what many consider to be the best downhill in Britain.
If you want to know more, visit the 7Stanes website. If you’ve ridden the 7Stanes, share your thoughts with us here.
