Description
Rocks & Wheels Pump Track in Dalbeattie is a national-level, floodlit pump track with a separate beginner loop, forming part of the wider Rocks & Wheels activity centre and gateway to the 7 Stanes trails and Solway Coast.
Rocks & Wheels regenerates Dalbeattie’s former primary school into a major hub for cycling and bouldering. The centre will feature a national-level pump track built by Velosolutions UK and an indoor bouldering wall by Rockworks. A 52-bed accommodation building, flexible community spaces for hire, wet and drying rooms, exhibition and meeting spaces, and a café/refectory with indoor and outdoor seating are planned.
The facility is expected to open in Summer 2026 and will serve as a gateway to the 7 Stanes trail network and Solway Coast, offering visitors a place to stay, ride and socialise across a range of activities.
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Pump track
- The pump track will be a floodlit, competition-standard circuit built by Velosolutions UK and described as South Scotland’s largest pump track.
- The main track is planned at around 250m and will include rollers, triples, quads, step-ups, step-downs, S-turns and a split-line option, giving riders multiple ways to link sections together and build speed, flow and control.
- The layout is intended to work both section by section and as full laps, making it suitable for shorter practice sessions as well as longer runs.
- Alongside the main track, a separate beginner pump track with scaled-down features is planned to help newer riders build confidence before moving onto the larger circuit.
- With floodlights for year-round use and space for events around the track, the overall setup is intended to support a wide range of riders, from first-timers through to more experienced racers.
- Examples of similar national-level pump tracks include those at Bellshill, Hawick and Boat of Garten. The ambition is for Dalbeattie’s pump track to host British Pumptrack Series rounds or future UCI-level events, giving local riders a path from grassroots to international competition.
Community project
The Rocks & Wheels development is a community-led regeneration of the former Dalbeattie Primary School, which has been vacant since 2017. Driven by the Dalbeattie Community Initiative, the £7.8 million project will restore the grade C-listed 1876 granite buildings and create new employment and training opportunities for local people.
Construction by Ashleigh (Scotland) began in December 2024 on a 54-week programme, with the centre expected to open in 2026, coinciding with the school’s 150th anniversary. Funding comes from a partnership of public bodies and charities including Dumfries & Galloway Council, the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, the Scottish Government’s Place-Based Investment Programme, SOSE, sportscotland, The Holywood Trust and the National Lottery. Profits from Rocks & Wheels will be reinvested into the Initiative’s projects to continue supporting the community.
📍 UK MTB Trail of the Year 2026
