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Glentress Mountain Bike Trails
Avg 4.69
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup
Number of Reviews (88)

*You can claim this trail if you are the trail owner

  • Information:
  • Type: Purpose Built Centre
  • Grades: Green,Blue,Red,Black,Orange,Accesible
  • Riding: Cross Country,Skills Area
  • Facilities: Car Park,Toilets,Visitors Centre,Cafe,Bike Wash,Bike Hire,Bike Shop,Showers,Uplift
  • Distance(s): Under 5km, 5-10km, 11-20km, 21- 30km
  • Country: Scotland
  • County: Borders
  • Website: Glentress
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Trail Network & Rider Segments

Trail network status from Trailforks and recent rider segments from Strava (see full mapped routes and details in the Tracks tab).

Trail Status

status via Trailforks.com

Tracks Nearby

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Description

Glentress mountain bike trail center is part of the 7stanes MTB network in the Scottish Borders. It consists of black, red, blue, and green trails as well an area of Green, Blue, Red and Black 'taster trails'.

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Skills Loop

  • The skills loop at Glentress lets you practice and develop your skills before heading out onto the trails. There are timber and rock features and obstacles. It has separate sections graded green, blue and red to aid skill progression across all technical levels. 

Skills Area

  • mini MTB zone
  • roller zone
  • cornering zone
  • drop and tech zones

Green routes

  • The Glentress green trails range from 3.5 to 4.5km in length. they cater for family and beginners. One starts from the Buzzards Nest car park and the other from the Glentress Peel visitors centre. 

Blue route 

  • The blue route at Glentress is made up of an 8km lower (recommended) and an 8km upper loop. You can do them separately or tie them together for the full 16km! Some of the best swooping and flowing sections are Electric Blue, Betty Blue, Blue Velvet and the latest Berm Baby Berm.

Red route

  • The 18km red trail at Glentress is the most popular of all the trails here. Some of the sections of note are Pennels Vennel which is a quick blast of single track, Spooky Wood with kickers, sweeping berms followed by small jumps and flowing tabletops, Super G section with berm after berm and jump after jump, Hit Squad section the most rooty, twisty, technical section of the trail, Pie Run and Magic Mushroom. Look out for the 298-meter red MTB descent called Mild Peril. Like all the trails at Glentress, it is constantly being developed and having sections added. 

Black Trail

  • The 29km black is graded black/severe. This is a challenging, long, and technical epic ride, taking in some of the remoter parts of Glentress Forest, and should only be attempted by experienced riders with expert technical skills.

Glentress Masterplan Trails

  • The Glentress Masterplan trails (Green, Blue, Red and Black Network trails) opened in October 2023 and link into the existing trail network and offer new descents ending just north of the Peel Tower. They can also be sessioned easily by a number of methods from joining the main trail network to using forest roads. The trails pass under the Multi-User Path and constitute 16km of new build.
  • Apple Peel | Green:  The new green graded trail runs along to the Peel building and is ideal for a gentle cruise or anyone starting out in mountain biking.
  • Turn and Burn | Blue: The new blue trail runs very near the Eshiels Burn, and features a considerable number of turns. This one is all about fun with big berms and easy jumps.
  • Smells Like Tweed Spirit | Red: Building on the pioneering Spooky Wood style with a mix of features.
  • Castle Black | Black: Most of our new trails run down the west side of Castle Hill. The new black trail has large jumps and fast for expert riders

Glentress Masterplan Taster Trails

  • Green, Blue, Red and Black Taster trails: These short stand-alone loops begin and end to the south of the Peel Tower and provide a way to sample each grade before committing to a network trail. The shared climb gradually change in difficulty from Green to Black grade as the climb goes on, before splitting at various points to separate Green, Blue, Red, and Black descents.
  • These trails do not link into the main trail network, but can be reached via a Multi-User Path, and can be sessioned easily. These trails also pass under the Multi-User Path.
  • Multi-user Trail: 2.2km Accessible path around Glentress. The Multi-user Trail connects the Glentress Gateway to the café, bike shop, skills area, taster trails and the start of all walking and mountain biking routes. Expect wide, firm gravel path with gentle slopes and various resting points. One section of minor road crossing with a fairly steep side slope. Moderate slope for access between Gateway and café/bike shop. Suitable for Adaptive bikes.

Off-Piste

    • Like most trail centres in the UK as riders skills progress and communities mature there is a network of unsanctioned off-piste trails in the region. These are unofficial. Ride at your own risk.

Volunteer Community

Other Stuff

    • Buzzard's Nest Freeride Bike Park closed permanently in Spring 2023 as part of the Glentress Masterplan but 16km of new trails were built as part of the Masterplan project which opened in October 2023 and built by On Track.

Share

    • If you have ridden any of the mountain bike trails at Glentress then please share your experience with us and the community by posting pictures, videos, and reviews to the listing.
Angela Hart:
Avg 4.19
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

I could have spent a week there

I only rode the blue and the free ride area, both are brilliant

What do you like?

Free ride area, good descents, parking, camping, cafe

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

19/11/2017 - about 8 years ago

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1
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Don Leet:
Avg 5.00
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Glentress

If you need a ride Glenntress almost always delivers no matter the weather!

What do you like?

Everything is easy to access. Great for rainy days, bike wash is great. I like the food and the feeling of the cafe.

What could be improved?

I wish the cafe had views of the area. Big windows, no view. Big mistake when they built that building. More black level natural trails.

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

28/10/2017 - over 8 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

0
^
Adam:
Avg 4.66
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Fun

You go up, you come down smiling. Simple as that. Good facilities and the cafe is very nice. Wasn't busy at all when we went on weekday end of april.

What do you like?

Fun downhill. Great facilities

What could be improved?

Lots of uphill. Lacks a bit of xc

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

22/10/2017 - over 8 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
^
Ronnie:
Avg 3.66
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Mechanics in bike hire shop

I just want to say me and three mates drove up from Manchester for the weekend had a top ride till my back brake died on me ? l called in the bike hire shop and thanks to a TOP Mechanic called ANDY who fitted and Loaned me a spare brake lever for FREE my weekend was not ruined. What a brilliant guy ? lf anybody gets a chance go and say hello ??

What do you like?

The weather was superb for the last weekend in September, did the black route - very good ?

What could be improved?

My back brake !

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

03/10/2017 - over 8 years ago

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2
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Jeff adam:
Avg 5.00
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Insane in the 7Stanes

I'm only 45 minutes from Glentress so it's my back garden if you like.

What do you like?

Glentress and Innerleithen is where I ride .It's all good at Glentress trails for skill levels and young and old you just have to get out there day or even at night which is sheer magic . There are wigwams you can book at Glentress sorry don't know the price. £5 you can park all day in any of the three car parks . at Alpine bikes you can hire full suspension or hard tail and they will have all your mtb needs .bike wash,toilets and showers facilities available take £10 in £1 coins with you that will be enough . then once your all cleaned up there is the Peel cafe for some great food the rest is up to you if you do go have a great time. Also be prepared for some aches and pains especially around the face area because you will be smiling from the start to the very end of your day at Glentress . Almost forgot about GoApe where you can get up in the trees.

What could be improved?

None.

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

15/10/2016 - over 9 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

3
^
Conrad:
Avg 5.00
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Greatest of the Stanes

Great place, first of the stanes u visited and always come back to it!

What do you like?

Great routes, especially the red. Long enough to be difficult, short enough not to nacker those who aren't exactly athletes. Excellent cafe too for a post-ride munch!

What could be improved?

None

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

15/10/2016 - over 9 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
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