Forest of Ae

One of the UK's largest forests, with something for everyone

Ae Forest is the perfect place to visit, whether you want to relax with a picnic beside the river, watch woodland wildlife, stroll through the trees or burn off some serious energy on horseback or on the superb mountain bike trails.

The waymarked routes include gentle rambles beside the sparkling Water of Ae as well as longer hikes into the hills with wonderful views. Ae Forest covers an area about the size of 10,000 football pitches. Huge numbers of trees are harvested each year for timber, which is used for everything from paper to house building, and thousands of new trees are planted too.There’s a long history of forestry here: Ae village was built by the Forestry Commission in 1947 to house forest workers.

Walking trails

Forest of Ae route card (PDF)

Walking

Ae Naze Trail

A peaceful, short stroll along the waters of Ae, with a perfect opportunity for a picnic.

Wide and firm track throughout with gentle rises and occasional loose gravel.

¾ miles / 1.2 km

Allow
½ hour

More information

Watch for wildlife in the trees!

Walking

Water of Ae Riverside Trail

A delightful wander along the restful Water of Ae. As the path weaves beneath soaring Norway spruce trees, watch for wildlife in the trees and burn.

Firm gravel surface throughout. Some loose stones and a couple of short fairly steep ramps. Two cattle grids and one wide bridge. Look out for vehicles on the first section.

3 ¼ miles / 5.2 km

Allow
1½ hours

More information

Look for red squirrels in the canopy, and dippers or statuesque herons along the burn. Take advantage of the pretty picnic sites beside the Water of Ae or just cool your feet in its sparkling shallows.

Walking

Green Hill Trail (diverted)

A long route along the Water of Ae before climbing the hill. Great views from the top, across to Queensberry Hill and Harestanes Wind Farm.

Long slopes with steep sections on rough, narrow earthy path with exposed tree roots and muddy patches. One section of steps. Watch for vehicles on the first section.

5 ½ miles / 8.8 km

Allow
3½ hours

More information

Craigshields View is one of the best views in the area, taking in rolling farmland and out past Dumfries to the Solway Estuary in the far distance.

Mountain biking trails

There’s also a bike shop/hire on site as well as bike uplift.

Forest of Ae 7stanes route card (PDF)

Mountain Biking

Ae Valley Route (diverted)

Grade – Green: Easy 5 ½ miles / 9.0 km

Is this trail for you? Find the right grade for your abilities

Grade - Green: Easy  
Expect relatively flat, wide, and smooth trails. Gentle climbs, descents, rollers and berms, with easy to avoid features such as rocks and potholes. Surface might be loose, uneven or muddy at times.

A great place to try out mountain biking for the first time, and perfect for families, this trail takes you to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the Water of Ae. There are sections of easy singletrack and forest road and only one brief sharp climb. You’ll be rewarded with lovely views over the Water of Ae.

Mountain Biking

Larch Blue Route (diverted)

Grade – Blue: Moderate 8 ½ miles / 13.5 km

Is this trail for you? Find the right grade for your abilities

Grade – Blue: Moderate  
Expect a mixture of climbs and descents with moderate gradients, technical features like tree roots and rock steps; jumps and berms. Rollable features at controlled speed. Variable surfaces.

Suitable for those families looking to take in a little bit more of the forest. Delve a little deeper into the forest, on this moderate route consisting of forest road and singletrack. Enjoy good views of the Water of Ae coupled with a fun ride.

Mountain Biking

The Shredder

Grade – Red: Difficult ½ miles / 1.0 km

Is this trail for you? Find the right grade for your abilities

Grade – Red: Difficult  Expect a mixture of steep climbs, descents and / or avoidable features. Larger jumps, berms and rollable features at controlled speed. Technical features such as tree roots, drop-offs and large rocks. Very variable surfaces.

A downhill run that’s a great ice breaker for newcomers to this discipline of mountain biking. A downhill run packed with technical features. Each obstacle on The Shredder has an easier alternative so you can choose the best option for you based on your own mountain biking experience.

Mountain Biking

Ae Line Trail (diverted)

Grade – Red: Difficult 15 miles / 24.0 km

Is this trail for you? Find the right grade for your abilities

Grade – Red: Difficult  Expect a mixture of steep climbs, descents and / or avoidable features. Larger jumps, berms and rollable features at controlled speed. Technical features such as tree roots, drop-offs and large rocks. Very variable surfaces.

A rocky ride through the countryside. The highlight of the route is the final descent with its multiplicity of jumps. This cross-country trail is peppered with jumps, drop-offs and tabletops that are sure to put a smile on your face. Take the trail slowly if you want a gentler ride, or the more experience mountain biker can tackle some of the big air possibilities.

A trail notice is in effect

• Open with diversions. There is a short diversion on ‘Rab Slippy One’ that takes out the first part of the climb and rejoins ‘Rabs’ further on. 

• Due to harvesting operations, there is a diversion that takes out ‘Granny Green Luv’ and rejoins the red route at ‘The Face’. Please follow the diversion signs. This will be in place until August. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

 

Mountain Biking

Ae Downhill

Grade – Double-black: Extreme 1 miles / 1.6 km

Is this trail for you? Find the right grade for your abilities

Grade – Double-black: Extreme  Expect a very fast and steep descents. Large drop-offs, jumps and unavoidable obstacles that require high levels of skill and commitment. Extreme level of exposure or risk. Rapid rate of surface change.

A downhill challenge with seriously gnarly rocky sections and exhilarating drop-offs to satisfy the most demanding of riders. A steep and rocky start is followed by a highly testing off-camber descent on this trail designed to challenge even the most seasoned biker.

Activities

Horse riding

The trails at Ae are ideal for horse riding. There’s plenty of room for horse boxes at the Naze car park, and you can start the British Horse Society Countryside Trail from here.

Facilities and access

Walking

Mountain biking

Parking (charge)

Easy-access facilities

Wildlife hide

Viewpoint

Picnic area

Stay the Night

Time for a bite to eat?

You’ll find delicious refreshments at the Ae café on site. 

Opening hours

• The cafe is open Friday to Sunday 10am - 4pm, closed Monday to Thursday. 
• The bike shop is open 9am  - 5pm Friday to Tuesday, closed Wednesday & Thursday.   

Ae Forest Bike Shop & Cafe

Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome in the café. For our other canine visitors, there’s water available outside. The café has outdoor seating as well.

Car parking information

Payment options: coin or RingGo

The charges to park at Ae are:

• £2 for up to 1 hour
• £3 for up to 3 hours
• £4 for all day
• £14 for minibus or coach all day 

Blue badge holders park free. Please display your Blue Badge clearly.

Please park with care and consideration. In particular please park in designated parking areas only and do not block entrances or gates. Nearby car parks with free parking can be found in our local forest list without the £ symbol. 

Annual parking passes available:

Available in advance by downloading the application form and emailing to the Regional Office. Please read our Annual Pass terms and conditions (PDF) before applying.

More parking info

Stay the night

We are trialling an extension of Stay the Night to run over winter this year. This means motorhomes and campervans that are self-contained and have their own toilet facilities will be able to stay overnight at the Naze car park.

To help plan your stay, please see the details below:

• Height barrier – No
• Motorhome capacity of car park – 8
• Suitable for large vehicles/caravans – No
• Acces notes - Stay the night is only available at the Naze car park, not the car park by the bike shop and cafe. Follow the forest road for around 1/2 mile.
• Parking notes – Car park on slight slope - levelling blocks recommended. Please leave a 4m gap between other motorhomes.

Please visit our Stay the Night page for full details, participating locations, best practice, and terms and conditions of use .

Stay the night

Getting here

Turn off the A701 at Ae Bridgend, following signs to Forest of Ae. You’ll reach Ae village after about 2 miles (3km). Turn right at the Forest of Ae sign at the crossroads just beyond the village, then follow signs to the car park.

The mountain bike trails start at the Naze car park. To get there, go past the entrance to the main car park and continue along the road for about ½ mile (1km). Take the next left, signposted for 'Ae Valley car park'. There’s also parking for horse boxes here.

Using SatNav?

DG1 1QB is the nearest postcode.

Public transport

The nearest station is at Dumfries. There are regular buses between Dumfries and Moffat, stopping at Ae Bridgend and Parkgate, both about 2 miles (3 km) from Ae village. Check Traveline Scotland for details.

Get directions