The leading Scottish mountain biking destination is nearing the end of its upgrade works
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is set to begin work on a new skills area at Glentress in the Scottish Borders next week. The building of this skills area marks the end to the ‘Glentress Masterplan’ upgrades, which has brought new trails and overall reinvigorated the area.
We already reported on the skills area back in October, when plans were being finalised – with a focus on feature dedicated “tech zones” for jumps, rollers, drops, corners and more.
And it looks like those plans have been approved, as the statement sent out by FLS suggests the skills area will include all of the above in an effort to encourage beginners and younger riders to develop their skills before heading out to the trails.
The new skills area will have plenty for younger riders as well as novices to get their teeth stuck into
The Masterplan
Unlike the proverbial in the Oasis song, the Glentress Masterplan makes sense and has already seen success in terms of visitor numbers increasing to the region.
The skills area development is set to begin on the week commencing 23 June, and in October the FLS suggested it would take around 12 weeks to complete the works.
And once it’s finished, the skills area will mark the end of the Glentress Masterplan – something that has already added 16 kilometres worth of new trails to the area. FLS Project Manager, Paul Andrews-Garth commented on the final work on the masterplan.
“Expanding on the 72km of networked mountain biking trails that we manage here, the Masterplan has delivered over 16 kilometres of new dedicated mountain bike trails for all abilities, created accessible multi-user pathways and new routes into the forest for walkers, wheelchair users, horse riders, pony trekkers and cyclists.
“We have worked hard to make this an inclusive destination with something for families, young people, new and novice riders, adaptive riders and, of course, the wider mountain biking community. The skills area is the perfect way to round off the project.”
The Glentress Masterplan has already led to an increase in visitor numbers
A world-renowned destination?
But it’s not just new trails that have been the main focus of the Masterplan. Forest Holidays has invested millions into the development of holiday cabins situated around the forest, with the hope of attracting more tourists to come and stay in the area while they enjoy all the forest has to offer.
As the skills area is being built, FLS has asked visitors to remember not to try and ride the features until the ground works have been given time to settle. The work will be completed during the week, with the area closed at weekends.
According to FLS, the skills area will be built in an “environmentally sensitive way” and include landscaping to keep the visual impact of the new area to a minimum.
If you fancy planning a trip, make sure you read our guide to Glentress to find all the best trails.