The Golfie (Caberston Forest)

The Golfie (Caberston Forest)

The Golfie (Caberston Forest) is a large, steep, ungraded web of rider-built natural trails on the hillside above Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders, ridden mostly on enduro and downhill bikes by experienced riders. There is no uplift, so you climb by forest road. The Tweed Valley Trails Association (TVTA) looks after a named set of the trails under an agreement with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), who manage the forest, and the rest of the network is informal and unwaymarked. The FLS downhill and cross-country centre across the valley has its own page: Innerleithen mountain bike trails.

The Trails

The Golfie grew from years of unofficial riding. In 2019 FLS and TVTA signed a yearly pilot agreement under which TVTA took on the management and maintenance of three previously unauthorised trails, and its list of adopted trails has grown since. TVTA's adopted trails currently include 3G, Big Baw, Community Service, Feed The Pony, Final Fling, Flat White, New Wolf, Loam Wolf and Lone Wolf, New York New York and the Reservoir Climb, and the newer Lower Wolves build was approved by FLS. Adopted trails have a TVTA post at the start, put up in partnership with FLS: it names the trail as an ungraded, hand-built downhill trail, warns that conditions vary with weather and wear and that riding it carries risk, has a QR code for the trail's current status, and gives a grid reference for emergencies (dial 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue). The rest of the network is informal and unsigned, with no arrows or marker posts.

The trails are ungraded and most are black or harder by trail centre standards. First time here? Start on New York New York, then Flat White and Repeat Offender.

• New York New York (NYNY): a twisty descent that gets steeper as it goes, with roots and a few drops. TVTA restored it top to bottom, and the new lower section opened in September 2023. The usual introduction to how the Golfie rides.
• 3G: steep in places and pedally in others, a common warm up for the other lines.
• Flat White: one of the more mellow Golfie trails, though still steep by trail centre standards.
• Repeat Offender, Waterworld, Final Fling, Community Service and Big Baw: among the best known lines.
• Lower Wolves: a fast, flowy descent built with FLS approval and funded by community support, TVTA members and local sponsors.
• Nae Spleens: a steep, technical descent with roots, tight rocky constrictions and chutes. It reopened in 2026 after restoration work following forestry operations, including stone pitching and rock armouring.
• Boner and New Wolf: bigger challenges, for experienced riders.

There is no uplift: riders pedal up the forest roads, then ride down. Much of the network is unsigned, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off, and consider riding with someone who knows the hill.

The Golfie is a working forest. Felling and timber haulage close trails, sometimes for months at a time. Follow any signs and closures on site. Trails end on forest roads shared with timber lorries, horse riders and walkers, and TVTA posts at the exits say slow, so come off the trail under control.

Enduro racing uses the hill: round one of the 2026 Scottish Enduro Series, in April 2026, was centred on the Golfie trails and delivered with TVTA.

Mega Track

A large machine-built, bike park style line known as the Mega Track appeared on the hillside at Caberston in late 2025. In February 2026 Forestry and Land Scotland said it was built without permission and outside any agreed planning, design or management framework, and that it would assess the trail rather than close it immediately. TVTA and Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) said an evidence and risk based assessment will decide its future. Whether it will be formalised, restricted or removed has not been announced, so expect this to change.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

There is no uplift or shuttle on the Golfie. The uplift at the FLS downhill runs across the valley is covered on the Innerleithen mountain bike trails page. These businesses are in Innerleithen:

• Ride Innerleithen: bike shop on Traquair Road, with servicing, repairs and bike hire.
• Tweed Valley Bikes: bike shop on the High Street with demo and hire bikes, a workshop, guided rides through Tweed Valley Guides and coaching through Dirt School.
• i-cycles: bike shop and workshop at Leithen Workshops, Leithen Road, on the way up to the Golfie.

Some of these businesses publish little about the Golfie specifically, so contact them before you travel to check what they offer and when.

Local Organisations

The Tweed Valley Trails Association is a Scottish registered charity that maintains and improves the mountain bike trails in the Tweed Valley, including the adopted Golfie trails. It runs regular volunteer dig days, works with FLS, and asks anyone who wants to build to get in touch and work through the proper channels rather than building without agreement. You can support the trails by donating or becoming a supporter, or by turning up to a dig day. Find TVTA on Facebook and Instagram.

Getting Here

The Golfie starts from the same car park as the Innerleithen downhill and cross-country trails: park at Innerleithen Trails Car Park on Traquair Road (EH44 6PW), where the uplift runs from, and pay the parking charge, which goes to the upkeep of the forest and car park. There is also a car park at the start of the B709 Leithen Road in Innerleithen. The Golfie is on the hill north of the town, reached from Leithen Road.

Please keep a low profile: don't park on residential streets, don't park at the gate to the forest, which belongs to the local golf club, or on anything that looks like a private road or farm access, and don't block the B709 when the few spaces at the cauld are taken.

Innerleithen has bike shops, cafes and places to eat, so most riders sort food, hire and repairs in town before heading up.

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