Hey,

Was on a rant last night and started to fire together a map of all the Scottish trail centers on google to prove to a MTB forum that we need more trails and stick it to the forestry commission who must have been quacking in their boots!

Anyways – what I have found so far is here. Am I missing any?

I may have a plan to try ride them all this winter. 🙂

Cheers,

David.

Good map!

According to this book, you're missing:

Abriachan
Arran (not really a trail centre)
Drumlanrig (very good)
Mull of Kintyre (not good!)
Pitfichie
Jedburgh (not really trail centre, not great)

Thanks Brown.

Added Abriachan, Drumlanrig, Pitfichie.

Not added Arran and Jedburgh as you have said not trail centers – also not added Mull of Kintyre as I cant find info on it.

The stuff on Kintyre is also called the 'Wee Toon Trails' I think. They're really short and easy. Not worth it.

hasnt this kind of already been done?

http://www.singletrackworld.com/trailguide/

I didnt think anyone was updating that? Its not even got all the 7 stanes on it…

I started putting one together.

I know there's one or two missing on it, though.

Scotland needs more trail centres? You are kidding, right?

Balblair?

http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/read.php?11,62611,76621

Well gathered David – looks like the STW Trailguide mentioned above could do with some updating.

AndyF1 – I'm sure Balblair is 1/2 of the Kyle of Sutherland trail, along with Carbisdale.

Good work..

There's a very small but quite sweet trail at Glen Branter…

C E N T R E S!!

>Scotland needs more trail centres? You are kidding, right?<

No, he's deadly serious – go look at his other thread and you'll get a flavour for his rationale;-)

Quantity does not = being in the right place

Apparently there is some other riding in Scotland. Just a rumour i heard in the office.

you can also get a handy wee guide free from the tourist board which I think covers them all

http://cycling.visitscotland.com/mountain_biking/mb_reg

and I am sure Jonjon's rumour is completely unfounded!

Andy – Balblair is indeed part of the Kyle of Sutherland Trails – looks good though!

Marty – Oh thats interesting! Hard to find more info on it. All I could find was this from looking at:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:2cALTPBympkJ:www.forestresearch.gov.uk/pdf/KinlochInterpretationPlan.doc/%24FILE/KinlochInterpretationPlan.doc+Kyleakin+MTB&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

This is interesting:

Current use / audience Site visits and evidence from staff suggests relatively low use from local walkers and mountain bikers

and

The current FCS web offering is confusing and out of date.
There is scope for a greatly improved web presence for the Kyleakin & Kinloch Hills. This will be particularly useful to those planning a visit, and those who want to discover more following a visit.

Although they give the same priority in the action plan to "better promoting these trails from Kyleakin village" and "Blackbox style wind up sound station" <- a radio to play Gaelic to people in the car park.

However looking at the map the views from there would be awesome. Added to the list 🙂

Rob – thanks dude!

Jobbyheid – Added thanks – close to home that one as well!

T-P 26 – American Spell checker for the win – sorry!

Heather Bash – Yah, my first post here was meant to start as a self depricating get at myself for being a keyboard warrier. Although a custom built trail center covering the 10 miles between my house and work with sweet single track would be awesome. 🙂

JonJon – Indeed. I love Kenny Wilson's book. I have ridden a lot of the trails and found them to be very good. Also I have been lucky enough to meet Kenny and he is one of the nicest people I know. His site is here: http://www.mountainbikescotland.com/

Steve_B – interesting thanks!

What a coincidence – I'm at a cousins 30th in Kyle (of Lochalsh) on Saturday; might take the hardtail & do a little exploring on Sunday… 🙂
Had no idea about any trails at Kyleakin.

er, I just use an Ordnance Survey map. Loads of trails on any of them – it is Scotland, after all.

er, I just use an Ordnance Survey map. Loads of trails on any of them – it is Scotland, after all.
Yawn! Dull elitist claptrap. You might be too clever for trail centres, but they've introduced thousands of people to a fantastic sport/activity/hobby/pastime. Not everyone has a stunning network of trails on their doorstep. X %age of Scotland's population may live within an hour of a forest, but doesn't mean that the forest is available to them as a recreational resource. Just f+ckloads of commercial crop and a few forest roads.

From what I've seen, I think Scotland's biggest land manager has made a right arse out of things, but you can't deny that the trail centres developed over the past ten(?) years are a good thing.

Anyhoo, all bollocks really. There'll be no new meaningful singletrack built in FCS managed forests until there's a change of regime there…

It's hardly elitist to make best use of a natural resource. If everyone did that the load (and the benefits) would be spread further.

It's hardly elitist to make best use of a natural resource. If everyone did that the load (and the benefits) would be spread further.
and another one.

thought you were banned anyway?

proteus – Member
er, I just use an Ordnance Survey map. Loads of trails on any of them – it is Scotland, after all.
Yawn! Dull elitist claptrap.

Sorry Glenmore & I mistook you for a mountain biker.

y'see, that's what makes you elitist clowns what you are.

what makes you think that someone who enjoys and sees the benefits in trail centres doesn't ride out in hills too?

Oh its the attack dog again. Yap yap yap.

proteus – Member
y'see, that's what makes you elitist clowns what you are.

what makes you think that someone who enjoys and sees the benefits in trail centres doesn't ride out in hills too?

One of the nice things about riding in the hills is that we elitist clowns don't meet many nasty aggressive berks.

epicyclo – Member

er, I just use an Ordnance Survey map. Loads of trails on any of them – it is Scotland, after all.

Yeah – there are a lot. Indeed there is even a huge collection of guidebooks to show you these in areas you don't know. I've been lost on the hills with the weather closing in on a path that's fast disappearing like the rest of us… and the feeling of finding your own singletrack is great.

But sometimes I just want to ride a bit of man crafted well drained singletrack. Its like films really – I love great epic films with a strong story that makes you think and feel and cry. But sometimes all I really want is nazi zombies eating peoples brains 🙂

So can we avoid willy waving about how great people are because they don't need trail centres and point out any I have missed on the map?

>One of the nice things about riding in the hills is that we elitist clowns don't meet many nasty aggressive berks. <

LOL – an unintentional insight into the same kind of mindset that positioned the vast majority of the "trail centre initatives" where we currently have em…

David – save yourself a lot of work. There were two reports produced by TRC consultants: these identified all the current and potential mtb ( primarily forest)locations together with detailed poulation zones / travel times and a critique on access, ground conditions etc for each.

This lurked (albeit briefly) on the FCS site but was swiftly removed once it was discovered and folk started debating the real issues. Pretty sure it is or was on the Carron Valley website – have trawl through there and you'll probably find it.

IIRC the forests capable of delivering the most bang for the buck ( population wise) were Fauldhouse and surprsie surprise – Carron Valley. Aberfoyle was close behind…

The trouble was / is that all these assessments were based on accessibility within 1hr (by car) and were framed using tourism models. The social, sporting, health issues were really only touched on.

Bottom line imo is that it's clearly very much easier for those who dceide where these centres are built, to plonk them in nice fluffy places -like the Borders 😉

There were two reports produced by TRC consultants: these identified all the current and potential mtb ( primarily forest)locations together with detailed poulation zones / travel times and a critique on access, ground conditions etc for each.

I cant find this – any heads up?

Mostly I am interested in the list of current locations.

By the way this is more a map for me as I realised I had no idea where they all were and the FC sites are not all that helpful. Unless you want to ride the 7 stanes. But they dont have an agenda with that… Its not the basis for an argument with the FC about location of centres. Yet.

David.

oh found it here. Thanks!

FCS has over 100 forest cycling destinations for the visitor to choose from within Scotland which offer a cycling experience (see FCS website).

.

Wow! 100! I think I must be missing 80 odd from my map!

Yeah – there are a lot. Indeed there is even a huge collection of guidebooks to show you these in areas you don't know. I've been lost on the hills with the weather closing in on a path that's fast disappearing like the rest of us… and the feeling of finding your own singletrack is great.

But sometimes I just want to ride a bit of man crafted well drained singletrack. Its like films really – I love great epic films with a strong story that makes you think and feel and cry. But sometimes all I really want is nazi zombies eating peoples brains

So can we avoid willy waving about how great people are because they don't need trail centres and point out any I have missed on the map?

Brilliant post! Amazing how people take a simple topic / request for collaboration like this and use it to score points or fluff their own egos.

If you don't want to use the map of Scotland's trail centres that the OP has created and refined with the help of users of this forum, don't. It's that simple.

Hi, what about Sanquhar near Forres. Info here http://forrescc.bigforumpro.com/general-cycling-issues-f2/sanquhar-woods-mtb-course-opening-t100.htm

I've not been, so can't advise further.

>Wow! 100! I think I must be missing 80 odd from my map!<

Err no, you'd be confusing "forest cycling" with "mountain biking." They are different markets – oops sorry, I mean different target groups.

Forest cycling is pretty much any forest with a forest road in it – which I'd guess must be virtually all of them…

Here is my website with UK trail centres on searchable by country and riding style.

MTB Trail Time

Hi, what about Sanquhar near Forres. Info here http://forrescc.bigforumpro.com/general-cycling-issues-f2/sanquhar-woods-mtb-course-opening-t100.htm

Added – I can find a bit of chat about it on several forums and some pictures. Looks like a blue with some fun sounding red options. Thanks!

Also thanks for the support with the comment above 😉

Heather – thanks!. There is a lot in that document, what I can understand is mostly common sense stuff. I think its perhaps aimed at people with perhaps more business sense than myself. It looks like a plan for getting people out in the woods near them on bikes and building the facilities for them to enjoy it in what ever way they want to.

Nonnac – thats a great site mate!

What about Glencoe??? or, have those not been built yet?

I don't think they have been built yet? Does anyone know? Google doesn't really give me any clues.

Nonnac – thats a great site mate!

Glad you like it. Hope its of some use!

Take it you mean White Corries / aka Meall a' Bhuiridh?

Easy tiger – the place was only rescued 3 weeks ago (yes I know about the "existing track" – such as it is, and the bike hooks on the chairlift)

Ballachullish has a wee jump / pump track which Greg Minaar had a hand in 😉

Don't forget Whitehills forest now – at one time touted by a senior fcs guy as the reason not to build anything else in Central Scotland. Admittedly it does have 90 miles of trails or something crazy. Only problem being they are about 5m wide…