The Glentress Masterplan
The Glentress Masterplan
The aim of the Glentress Masterplan is to deliver a future for the forest as a well-integrated, multi-user destination, which specialises in mountain biking and offers a world class visitor experience. It will create new recreation opportunities and holiday accommodation which will benefit the local community, visitors from around the world, local businesses, and support regional tourism.
As part of the Masterplan works, we’re creating 16km of new mountain bike trails including an easily accessed Skills Area, network and taster trails (see below for details), and expanded capacity car parking for our busier days. We’re also facilitating a new environmentally friendly holiday cabin development within the forest, which is being built and managed by Forest Holidays.
The ongoing and planned activity will have an impact on visits to Glentress until its completion. Be sure to check what is new in the forest before you visit, and follow any signage on site. Thank you.
The details
Forest Holidays and Buzzard’s Nest area
The Buzzard’s Nest is part of the forest being transformed into a site managed by Forest Holidays with a variety of environmentally friendly cabins installed in the woods. The old freeride park has been decommissioned. In its place we have constructed Green, Blue, Red and Black taster trails, and we’re working on a Skills Area opposite the new car parks at the bottom of the hill.
Current status – September 2024
Forest Holidays are nearing completion of the construction phase of 56 in-forest cabins near to the Peel Centre. Cabins can now be booked directly with Forest Holidays for their opening in November 2024.
All trails at Buzzard's Nest are closed with diversions in place. See more on the impacts of this closure on our FAQ page, and latest forest closures and diversions on the main Glentress page.
Skills Area
The proposed Skills Area design includes features such as a mini-MTB zone, roller zone, cornering zone, drop and tech zones. They will provide riders at all levels the opportunity to practice and develop their skills before exploring further into Glentress forest and its 72km of networked mountain bike trails.
Current status – September 2024
In early September 2024 we submitted a new planning application to Scottish Borders Council to develop the Skills Area at Glentress. This follows advice from the planning authority that the final revised design, developed following consultation with local user groups, could not be accommodated in the previous planning application.
If the plans are approved, construction is likely to commence late 2024 for opening spring 2025.
Multi-user Trail
This trail connects into the existing trail network and provides almost 4km of accessible trails for walkers, cyclists and those with limited mobility to enjoy. The trail is on the east side of the valley. It ties in and crosses with several new sections of mountain bike trails and taster trails.
Current status – September 2024
This trail is now complete and opened to the public on 7 October 2023.
Mountain bike trail construction
- Green, Blue, Red and Black network trails: These trails link into the existing trail network and offer new descents ending just north of the Peel Tower. They can also be sessioned easily by several routes. The trails pass under the Multi-user Trail.
- Green, Blue, Red and Black taster trails: These short stand-alone loops begin and end at the south of the Peel Tower and provide a way to sample each grade before committing to a network trail. The shared climb gradually changes in difficulty from Green to Black grade, before splitting at various points to separate Green, Blue, Red and Black descents. These trails do not directly link into the main trail network but can be reached via the Multi-user Trail and can be completed quickly. These trails also pass under the Multi-user Trail.
Current status – September 2024
The new network trails and taster trails opened to the public on 7 October 2023.
In May and June 2023 we ran a poll to name the new trails with over 1,000 participants voting for names for the new Green, Blue, Red and Black network trails. The chosen names are:
- Apple Peel | Green: With a crisp surface as fresh as any Granny Smith, our 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, easy jumps and incredible views. Strap in for take-off.
- Smells Like Tweed Spirit | Red: Our new red trail is a must-ride trail at Glentress, building on the pioneering Spooky Wood style with a mix of features to keep you on your toes and put a smile on your face.
- Castle Black | Black: Most of our new trails run down the west side of Castle Hill, but that’s where the similarity ends. Our new black trail is a beast and like nothing else at Glentress. Enormous jumps and high speeds make this suitable for expert riders who love a bit of air time.
You can get an idea of what the new trails offer by watching the amazing video from Street Pigeon MTB below.
Glentress Masterplan document
The full Masterplan is available on the Scottish Borders Council website.
Keep up to date
You'll find previous updates to the Masterplan on our blog, and on our social media channels.
We also have a Frequently Asked Questions webpage, where we aim to answer the most common questions we receive.
Glentress Masterplan: Frequently Asked Questions
Get in touch
For any queries regarding the Masterplan project please contact Forestry and Land Scotland South Region in the first instance.