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

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 fully closed weekdays due to tree felling operations until the end of Friday 20 December 2024 and also from Monday 6 January to the end of January 2025.
  
  
• At weekends a shortened version of the XC Trail is open  - trail is diverted at the exit of Stell Burn Climb (post 7) via Mousetrap Trail, Push Up then left along the Top Campshiel road to Angry Sheep rejoining at post 41 for the final part of the route via Cadon Bank.
  
  
• The shortened version of the XC Trail will be open 7 days/week from Saturday 21 December 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025 while tree felling stops for the Christmas Holidays.
  
  
• 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. Look out for slight reroute to trail line on turns at end of Gold Run Lower.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Other trails: Angry Sheep, Green Wing, A Salmon's Journey and Trail With No Name trails and forest road at the start of them are closed weekdays due to tree felling operations until the end of Friday 20 December 2024 and also from Monday 6 January the end of January 2025. These trails are open at weekends. From Saturday 21 December 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025 they will be open 7 days/week (while tree felling stops for the Christmas Holidays).

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

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

Car parking information

Pay by 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 Forest 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.

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