Mountain Biking in Scotland Receives £24 Million Investment for Trails, a Bike Park, and an Innovation Centre
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal signed by UK, Scottish, and local representatives this week will funnel about £24 million into mountain bike development in Scotland.
The deal is a partnership among several local councils, the South of Scotland Enterprise, the Edinburgh Napier University, and Scottish Cycling’s Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) program, which develops mountain bike trails and facilities, provides education, and oversees projects like the mental health pilot program.
The investment allocates £19 million for the development of the Innerleithen Mountain Bike Innovation Centre, which will provide bike industry businesses a dedicated facility for R&D, along with the Tweed Valley Bike Park and Trails Lab, which will aim to promote both tourism and product development in a rare combination that is both industry-facing and public-facing.
Another £5 million will be invested in the 7Stanes trail network.
 | The vision is for the South of Scotland to be recognised as the European leader in mountain biking and this is an important step forward. The innovation centre and adventure bike park will help grow the area’s profile and encourage sustainable business growth and development. The adventure bike park will deliver much needed investment in infrastructure to manage the growing number of visitors to the area, while protecting and adding to the already fantastic trail network and attractions to ensure visitors spend more time in the area. |
The development is projected to create more than 400 jobs and contribute £141 million in GVA (gross value added).
Edinburgh Napier University is no stranger to mountain bike endeavors, as the university that backed both the EWS injury study and the DMBinS mental health program.
| This investment will take the work of the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland to the next level, helping to drive innovation and support product research and development, whilst working with local and international companies. Together, these projects will power commercial activity, attract inward investment and deliver positive outcomes in terms of public health and supporting carbon neutral products and processes. We are also hugely excited by the potential research opportunities for Edinburgh Napier colleagues across a range of academic disciplines, including exercise science, health and wellbeing, engineering, inclusion, product design, artificial intelligence, big data and tourism. |
With clear economic and community benefits, all parties involved expressed optimism and excitement for the project to move forward.
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Scotland: Here's 24 million, now go build some cool stuff and have fun!
Would you be willing to message me the location of these trails in Eugene?
Sure this video takes place on the Isle of Skye rather than mainland Scotland but I suspect coastal Scotland (particularly the western side) is equally rugged.
www.borderlandsgrowth.com/Portals/0/Documents/Borderlands%20Inclusive%20Growth%20Deal%20summary%20March%2021.pdf?ver=2021-03-18-084444-887
If you want to know what can be built for just the cost of a few tools, have some lines to show what can be done, to make trails fit in better too the environment!
All in the chairlift that was first mooted in 2001 (by me) is dead as a dodo
Sounds about right.
singletrackworld.com/2016/06/innerleithen-mountain-bike-infrastructure-stalled-a-call-to-arms
all the money will be spunked on feasibility studies and and setting up companies to milk the scheme dry with just a couple tonne of gravel thrown down and some trail markers on existing trails
I love the 7 Stanes just wish more of the money was being given to the trail sites to really make a difference rather than this other project, R&D and research etc...
I know this, specifically, isn't about that but a full on, well thought out and researched plan for a proper Morzine/Whistler/Queenstown-esque bike park is not as fanciful as it might seem. I think it could be done, done well and would end up a world class destination....if in the right hands of course.
When they actually build infrastructure that is beneficial to riders we can comment on how great that money is.
The people in charge have decided they want all MTB to be in Tweed Valley so only focus proper attention there. 7 stanes have pretty much been forgotten about over the years as all focus is on Tweed. Forestry bought all land and properties around Glentress to ensure they had absolute control on what was done...they are looking to control from a distance.
All this news appeals to the riders as it sounds like more stuff is being done, but reading in to it, there isn't a lot directly benefiting the riders.
This should be great news but it isn't really in the grand scheme when you start looking into the details...however, it ensure focus remains on a small focal point, so if it means more riders going to ride the manicured stuff then the rest of the country will be quieter (which isn't a bad thing I suppose)...
(That turned into a proper rant...sorry!)
Glentress was the place to go when Tracy and Emma where running the place, it was an absolutely joy to spend time there until money was invested on the piss/shit Peel centre there which didn’t help the place at all.
Big shout out to adrenaline uplift on what the’re doing at Innerleithen as it feels like the old days