MTB TrailBuddy
Tarland Trails in Aberdeenshire has completed the build for the second phase of its development called Tarland Trails 2.
To complement the existing Drummy Woods trail network which consists of a family blue, technical red, big orange jump run, and a large pump track, Tarland Trails 2 include more blue, red, and orange graded trails, a trailhead with parking for 100 vehicles, as well as environmentally friendly toilet facilities.
Built on the slopes of Pressendye and Pittenderich hills, looking across the Howe of Cromar this landmark investment will of £750k help grow participation, support club development, and is a key step towards delivering the region’s ambition to be an MTB destination of choice. Leading trail construction specialists CRC are at the helm to make this happen.
Tarland Trails is ten years in the making driven by the Tarland Development Group and If I remember correctly Cycletherapy drew up the original design for Talrand Trails 2 back in 2016 as part of the process.
Funding at this scale involves a lot of parties and deserves some call-out and credit. So, 350k of the funding came from the Scottish government via the tireless work of a steering group consisting of DMBinS, North East Adventure Tourism partners, Opportunity North East, Scottish Enterprise, and VisitAberdeenshire.The impact of last winter’s storms and the increasing economic importance of adventure tourism for people and communities in the area was part of the funding rationale.
This funding then helped unlock a further £300k of National Lottery investment from the Scottish Cycling/ Sport Scotland Cycling Facilities Fund to support the project’s participation and sports development aims.
In turn, this was then complemented by existing fundraising by Tarland Development Group along with private donations.
The project will also deliver a tangible benefit as part of the wider policy objectives driving the forthcoming 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will take place in Glasgow and Scotland bringing together the 13 existing World Championship cycling disciplines into one event for the very first time.
The project is being led by the Tarland Development group who has been the driving force behind the project. The group's acting Chairperson, Chris Redmond deserves some special kudos and praise. A project long in the making and in Chris's own words:
”It is fantastic to realise our ambition of creating a trail centre in Aberdeenshire. Our first phase (Tarland Trails 1) was opened in 2015 and has been an amazing success for the area providing locals and visitors, particularly children, young people, and families, with an opportunity to ride safe, fun, and accessible trails.
“This new development will help the village sustain its business community, attract young families to the area, retain young people in this rural area, and help improve the physical and mental health of users.
“The trail centre has been realised by the commitment of our volunteer board and I would like to thank my fellow trustees as well as the landowners for their time, energy, and expertise to make this happen. I would also like to extend my thanks to those who have supported us, particularly, Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland and North East Adventure Tourism, and all the funders of the project.
Aberdeenshire is more and more becoming a major cycling destination. Check out the exciting and full Tarland Trails listing on iBikeRide and if you have ridden the trails, please be sure to leave a review or post your own pictures or videos to the listing.
Published: 04/04//2022
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