Durris Forest Mountain Biking

Durris Forest is a popular mountain biking destination in Aberdeenshire, situated between Stonehaven and Banchory off the Slug Road (A957). The forest is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland and the trails are maintained by Gravitate North East, the local trail association. The network is predominantly push-up, ride-down terrain with a mix of red and black singletrack. Riding here is unsanctioned and facilities are limited to car parking and forest roads.

The Trails

• Durris Forest has 37 trails on Trailforks covering around 25 miles of riding, predominantly red and black. The character is all-mountain and enduro: push up on forest roads and fire roads, ride down on natural singletrack through conifer plantation. Storm damage and felling periodically affect trails so always check Trailforks reports before riding.
• Great Escape (black, 780m): The most popular trail in the forest, rated 4.6/5. Fast, flowing black singletrack in one direction.
• Edge of Chaos (red, 810m): Highly rated at 4.6/5. Natural red singletrack, downhill only, sometimes hard to follow in places.
• Pine Martin (red, 900m): The most-ridden trail overall. Downhill red singletrack through the plantation.
• Kowalski (black, 615m): 4/5 rated black. Predominantly downhill with some storm damage having affected sections recently.
• Brick Killed a Man (black, 950m): Long black run, 548ft of descent, popular and fast.
• Powered up PacMan (red, 809m): Popular red with some technical root sections.
• Glass Case of Emotion (black): Runs from the mast at the top to the bottom of the forest. Dark, tight and wet in places.
• Note: Durris 1 is permanently closed.

Waymarked XC Route

• There is one waymarked cross-country route covering approximately 14km around the three peaks of Cairn-mon-earn, Strathgyle and Mundernal, using forest roads and some singletrack. Waymarked with white circles. It includes an optional spur to the summit of Cairn-mon-earn with views north. This is the only formal route in the forest and is suitable for confident riders comfortable on forest road terrain.

Gravitate North East Bike Park Plans

• Gravitate North East has long-term plans to develop a purpose-built mountain bike park in Aberdeenshire. After originally identifying Durris Forest as the site, the organisation announced in early 2023 that the Durris location could not proceed due to topographical challenges and cost. A new site is being sought. No new location has been publicly confirmed. Follow Gravitate North East on Facebook for updates.

Getting Here

• Durris Forest is accessed from the A957 Slug Road between Stonehaven and Banchory, Aberdeenshire, AB31 6DG. Turn off the Slug Road at the signposted forest entrance. There are three car parks: Lower, Middle and Upper. The Middle Car Park (coordinates 57.0176, -2.3758) is the most commonly used starting point for the MTB trails.
• There are no facilities on site. The nearest towns are Stonehaven (approximately 10km south-east) and Banchory (approximately 10km north-west).

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