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

• XC Trail is open with two diversions:
  
  
• Trail is closed on Taniel Hill Climb (between post 9 and 10) due to storm damaged trees with short diversion to Taniel Hill Descent
  
  
• Plora Craig/Oh Deer/Razor Rock closed long term due to storm damaged trees with diversion via forest road and Angry Sheep ending near post 41. 
  
  
• Please note: signage on the XC Trail is currently being updated.  Look out for the install team working Monday - Friday
  
  
• Look out for timber lorries loading along forest road between Enduro Track exit and start of Angry Sheep (Monday - Friday).  Please stop and wait for operator to wave you through before passing. 

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

Event notice: the Muc and Mac Fest gravel event takes place from 3 to 4 May. There will be an increased number of gravel cyclists in the forest. 

Event Notice: all DH trails will be closed on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June for the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Downhill Championships.  At other times:

• Gold Run: all open
  
  
• Cresta Run: all open 
  
  
• Matador: all open except drop near the end of Matador middle - closed for maintenance with short diversion to road. Look out for re-route to the trail line on Matador Lower after the first set of jumps
  
  
• 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: signage on the DH trails is currently being updated from the old orange grading to the newer black/double black grading.  Look out for the install team working on the DH trails Monday - Friday
  
  
• Look out for timber lorries loading along road near Angry Sheep entry.  Please stop and wait for the operator to wave you through before passing
  
  
• Look out for timber lorries on forest roads through DH trails area from Monday to 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

Mountain biking

Viewpoint

Walking

Parking (charge)

Picnic area

Stay the Night

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

Car parking information

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.

Payment can be made using coins, card or RingGo.

Annual parking passes are available for this site, visit our parking page for more information.

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 Forest Search.

More about parking

Stay the Night

Our Stay the Night scheme now runs right through the year. This means self-contained motorhomes and campervans will be able to park overnight for one night in some of our car parks.

There is a £10 charge to Stay the Night at this car park. 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 – Good access from A72. Flat site with some pot holes. Site can flood after severe rain. 

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

Stay the night

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.

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