7stanes
Encyclopedia
The 7stanes are seven mountain biking
centres spanning the south of Scotland
, from the heart of the Scottish Borders
to Dumfries and Galloway
. They are on Forestry Commission
land and along with schemes in Wales are regarded as the benchmark by which further trails in the UK should be developed. They are known as the 7stanes because each venue features a 'stane' (Scots
for stone) somewhere along the forest trails.
The 7stanes:
with two additional categories, one called Bike Park and the other Forest Road and similar.
. Glentrool includes one 58km road-based route (the only wholly road-based route in the 7stanes) one 9km blue-graded route, and two green-graded routes (6km and 14km).Nearest bike shops are Brakehut open seasonally who hire bikes to Glentrool and Kirkcowan Cycles open year round and out of hours by appointment.
. Kirroughtree features green, blue, red and black trails as well as a skills area for practising mountain biking techniques. Winner of MBR Trail of the Year in 2010 , the trails are located within an officially designated Dark Sky Park area. Nearest bike shops are Brakehut (at trail start) open seasonally with bike hire and Kirkcowan Cycles open year round for sales and repairs.
. This rocky site features a green-grade and blue-graded trail, along with a red-graded trail with optional black-graded sections. These include The Slab, a challenging steep granite rock. Nearest bike shops are Next Level Bikes, Castle Douglas Cycle Centre and MPG Cycles in Dalbeattie
in the Scottish Borders
. Glentress is one of the best-equipped mountain biking sites in the UK, with a cafe, bike hire shop and showering/changing facilities. Trails include a green, blue, red and black route. There is also the skills loop- a green-graded area designed for those new to the sport and the Freeride Park which is graded bike park- extreme. This park is full of challenging technical features for experienced riders.
A few miles to the south-east, Innerleithen features a red-graded cross-country trail (with black-graded options), and a bike park-extreme graded downhill area. This is a particularly challenging area and riders are recommended to wear body armour and a full-face helmet. A full trail centre has recently been completed with cafe and bike shop(Alpine Bikes)
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
centres spanning the south of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, from the heart of the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
to Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
. They are on Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
land and along with schemes in Wales are regarded as the benchmark by which further trails in the UK should be developed. They are known as the 7stanes because each venue features a 'stane' (Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
for stone) somewhere along the forest trails.
The 7stanes:
- GlentroolGlentroolGlentrool is a collection of mountain biking routes through the heart of Galloway in southwest Scotland. The mountain bike routes are part of the 7Stanes project by the Forestry Commission throughout the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway....
- Kirroughtree, near Newton StewartNewton StewartNewton Stewart is a burgh town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire....
- DalbeattieDalbeattieDalbeattie is a town in Dumfries and Galloway , Scotland.Dalbeattie is situated in a wooded valley on the Urr Water east of Castle Douglas and south west of Dumfries...
- MabieMabieMabie is a collection of mountain biking routes located in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. The mountain bike routes are part of the 7Stanes project by the Forestry Commission throughout the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway....
- Forest of AeForest of AeThe Forest of Ae is located between Nithsdale and Annandale in Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland.The forest was first planted in the 1920s, primarily with Sitka spruce. It has the designation of a 'Priority Forest' for Red Squirrel conservation...
- Tweed ValleyRiver TweedThe River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
- GlentressGlentress ForestGlentress Forest is located near Peebles in the Scottish Borders, about 30 miles south of Edinburgh. Part of the Tweed Valley Forest Park along with Traquair Forest in Innerleithen, it is the home of a mountain biking centre which is one of the 7stanes mountain bike trails operated throughout...
and InnerleithenInnerleithenInnerleithen is a small town in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders.-Etymology:The name "Innerleithen" comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "confluence of the Leithen", because it is here that the river joins the Tweed. The prefix "Inner-/Inver-" is common in many Scottish... - NewcastletonNewcastletonNewcastleton, or Copshaw Holm is a village in the Scottish Borders, a few miles from the border of Scotland with England. The village is in Liddesdale and is on the Liddel Water, and is the site of Hermitage Castle.-History:...
Trail Grades
The trails use the Cyclists' Touring Club off-road trail gradesCTC off-road trail grades
A grading system for way-marked off-road cycling trails has been adopted in the UK, and is used by official bodies such as the Forestry Commission and IMBA-UK. It was originally developed by Cyclists' Touring Club employee Colin Palmer in June 1999, based on a system widely used for grading...
with two additional categories, one called Bike Park and the other Forest Road and similar.
- Green - Easy (relatively flat; suitable for beginners)
- Blue - Moderate (may be singletrack and include minor obstacles; suitable for cyclists with basic off-road skills)
- Red - Difficult (mostly singletrack, many obstacles; suitable for proficient mountain bikers)
- Black - Severe (similar to red routes, with more obstacles and large challenging area; suitable for expert riders only)
- Bike Park (Orange)- Extreme (highly challenging, includes downhill sections and unavoidable jumps; suitable for expert riders only)
- Forest road and similar - these routes can be waymarked or not. The difficulty of forest roads can vary widely and this grade indicates these trails not part of a progression on to green and blue level singletrack trails.
Glentrool
Located in GallowayGalloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
. Glentrool includes one 58km road-based route (the only wholly road-based route in the 7stanes) one 9km blue-graded route, and two green-graded routes (6km and 14km).Nearest bike shops are Brakehut open seasonally who hire bikes to Glentrool and Kirkcowan Cycles open year round and out of hours by appointment.
Kirroughtree
Located near Newton StewartNewton Stewart
Newton Stewart is a burgh town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire....
. Kirroughtree features green, blue, red and black trails as well as a skills area for practising mountain biking techniques. Winner of MBR Trail of the Year in 2010 , the trails are located within an officially designated Dark Sky Park area. Nearest bike shops are Brakehut (at trail start) open seasonally with bike hire and Kirkcowan Cycles open year round for sales and repairs.
Dalbeattie
Located near DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
. This rocky site features a green-grade and blue-graded trail, along with a red-graded trail with optional black-graded sections. These include The Slab, a challenging steep granite rock. Nearest bike shops are Next Level Bikes, Castle Douglas Cycle Centre and MPG Cycles in Dalbeattie
Mabie
Around 6.5km south of Dumfries, Mabie sports a number of trails - green, blue, red and black, as well as an ungraded 'purple' route, a mini-cross track and skills area. Numerous Cycle shops in Dumfries as well as at the trail centreAe
Located around 14km north of Dumfries. Ae features a red-grade route with optional black-graded areas and two bike park- extreme downhill routes. For less experienced riders, green and blue trails are available.Glentress and Innerleithen
Comprises two nearby sites close to PeeblesPeebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
. Glentress is one of the best-equipped mountain biking sites in the UK, with a cafe, bike hire shop and showering/changing facilities. Trails include a green, blue, red and black route. There is also the skills loop- a green-graded area designed for those new to the sport and the Freeride Park which is graded bike park- extreme. This park is full of challenging technical features for experienced riders.
A few miles to the south-east, Innerleithen features a red-graded cross-country trail (with black-graded options), and a bike park-extreme graded downhill area. This is a particularly challenging area and riders are recommended to wear body armour and a full-face helmet. A full trail centre has recently been completed with cafe and bike shop(Alpine Bikes)