Innerleithen

The best downhill and enduro mountain-biking in the area

A 7stanes destination, Innerleithen is renowned for its four downhill trails, all of them orange-graded Bike Park Extreme. There's also some serious cross-country action on the challenging red-graded Innerleithen XC trail.

Mountain biking trails

Innerleithen 7stanes route card (PDF)

Brilliant uplift service at Innerleithen Trails! More info at: www.adrenalinuplift.co.uk.

Phytophthora Ramorum, a disease that kills larch trees, has reached Innerleithen’s Traquair Forest. Please help slow the spread of the disease by making sure your bikes, shoes, kit, dogs, horses, buggies etc., are all clean before visiting Innerleithen and other forests. Thank you. #keepitclean

Mountain Biking

Innerleithen XC (diverted)

Grade – Red: Difficult 11 ¾ miles / 19.0 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.

Not for the faint hearted, this route includes a leg-burning climb, some thrilling singletrack descents and optional black graded features. You’re on single track right out of the car park, with a switchback climb through the forest and a lung-busting climb to the summit of Minch Moor ahead of you. It’s back to singletrack on the way down, with jumps, drop-offs and optional black-grade features.

A trail notice is in effect

• Taniel Hill climb and descent closed (7days/week) for tree felling operations until the end of July 2024. Diversion from exit of Stell Burn Climb (post 7) via Mousetrap trail, Push Up and Top Campshiel forest road, ending at start of Clattering Path (post 18). A section of the Bottom Campshiel forest road below Taniel Hill trail is closed Monday - Friday for felling (no through access) but open at weekends.

• Route diverted at post 34 via forest road then Angry Sheep, ending near post 41 (Plora Craig, Oh Deer and Razor Rock closed due to storm damage).

• Look out for timber lorries on forest roads Monday - Friday

Mountain Biking

Innerleithen Downhill (diverted)

Grade – Double-black: Extreme

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.

Some of the best downhill routes in the country. The mix of 'natural' and machine-built routes drops steeply through the forest from the summit of Plora Rig. All routes are graded 'extreme', with small, medium and large features. Full face helmet, gloves, body armour and a downhill specific bike are strongly recommended for all trails. The four waymarked downhill tracks are:

• Make or Brake: 1.2 miles / 2km
• Matador: 1.2 miles / 1.9km
• Gold Run: 0.9 miles / 1.4km
• Cresta Run: 0.9 miles / 1.5km
• Double D (optional line): 0.4km

A trail notice is in effect

• Gold Run: all open.

• Cresta Run: all open. Look out for re-routes to the trail line and more support added to turns in places.

• Matador: all open except drop near the end of Matador middle - closed for maintenance with short diversion to road. Look out for re-routes to the trail line on the upper part of Matador middle.

• Make or Brake: upper and middle sections closed due to extensive storm damage. 

• Cadon Bank: open.

• Push Ups: Main Push Up path to the top of DH trails - all open. Push Up to start of Cadon Bank - open.

• Please note, the waymarking of the DH trails on the ground still shows the old orange grading signage. We'll be updating this soon to match the new black/double black grading detailed here on the webpage, route card and at the trailhead.

• Look out for timber lorries on forest roads through DH trails area Monday - Friday.

Activities

Walking

Walkers are welcome at Innerleithen, except on the mountain bike trails, where it’s unsafe to walk. We recommend walking the section of The Southern Upland Way, which passes through Traquair village and heads up on to Minch Moor.

Trails in Innerleithen:

The trails and facilities in Innerleithen make it a popular destination for mountain bikers, but there are plenty of other paths that cater for a quieter time in the forest. Find out more about how we’re working to create ideal environments for walking, mountain biking and horse riding in the Tweed Valley Forest Park.

Tweed Valley Zoning Plan (PDF 6MB)

Facilities and access

Walking

Mountain biking

Parking (charge)

Viewpoint

Picnic area

Stay the Night

The nearest public toilets and places to eat are in Innerleithen.

Car parking information

Payment options: card or RingGo

The charges to park at Innerleithen are:

• £1.50 for up to 1 hour
• £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 pass available:

Available in advance by downloading the application form and emailing to the Regional Office. Or take your completed form to the Glentress Peel Cafe. Please read our Annual Pass terms and conditions (PDF) before applying.

More parking info

Bike uplift service

Maximise your time on the trails with Adrenalin Uplift. When available, this shuttlebus service runs every 15 minutes, carrying up to 64 riders and their bikes to the top of the hill.

Visit Adrenalin Uplift to book day, weekend and season passes.

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 this car park.

There is a £7 charge to Stay the Night at all participating car parks. Payment can be made through RingGo with details of how to do this at each 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 – Yes
• Parking notes –Flat site beside river - can flood after heavy rain. Please leave a 4m gap between other motorhomes. Use car park beyond the 7stanes trailhead, behind the main car park.

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

From the main road through Innerleithen village, look for the road sign for '7stanes Trails' next to St James' Church. The car park is ½ mile along this road on the left.

Using SatNav?

EH44 6PW is the nearest postcode, a little to the south-west.

Public transport

Innerleithen village is well-served by buses. It's a ½ mile walk to the forest from the nearest bus stop. Plan your journey at Traveline Scotland.

Get directions