There are currently five mountain bikewaymarked routes and a freeride park in Glentress Forest. The historic cycle trails, aimed at children and families, provide an interesting way to explore the forest and its history. The blue, red, and black mountain bike routes provide a challenge for all abilities. The red route is noted for a high-speed section with many bermed corners known as Spooky Woods. The green trail is a "skills loop", and is designed for those new to mountain biking, although there are some challenges for those wishing to practice rocky sections or raised wooden trails too.
During the 1930s, unemployed men were set to work in Glentress Forest, breaking ground, building tracks, and undertaking other heavy labour. The men lived in a work camp at Eshiels, which was one of a number of so-called Instructional Centres run by the Ministry of Labour in order to 'harden' young men who had been out of work for some time. By 1938, the Ministry was operating 35 Instructional Centres across Britain, with a total capacity of over 6,000 places. By 1939, unemployment was declining in the face of impending war, and the Ministry closed down its work camps. The forest itself was planted in the 1920s in response to the national shortage of timber brought about by the First World War. Some of the original stands of Douglas Fir still remain to this day. There are remains of an Iron Agehill fort at the top of Janet's Brae which offers a spectacular vista over the town of Peebles. A short walk will lead to the site where a reconstruction of a timber round house from the same Iron Age period used to stand until it was burnt down in 2010.
Innerleithen is a civil parish and a small town in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders. It was formerly in the historic county of Peeblesshire or Tweeddale.
Marie-Hélène Prémont is a Canadian cross-country mountain biker. She is a 6-time Canadian Champion, represented Canada twice at the Olympics, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, and from 2004 to 2008 was a regular medal winner on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross country circuit.
The Southern Uplands are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas. The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to collectively denote the various ranges of hills and mountains within this region. An overwhelmingly rural and agricultural region, the Southern Uplands are partly forested and contain many areas of open moorland - the hill names in the area are congruent with these characteristics.
The Forest of Ae is located between Nithsdale and Annandale in Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland.
A grading system for way-marked off-road cycling trails has been adopted in the UK, and is used by official bodies such as Forestry England and IMBA-UK. It was originally developed by Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC) employee Colin Palmer in June 1999, based on a system widely used for grading cross-country skiing routes.
Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina. The forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests from common headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina. There are local ranger district offices located in Pisgah Forest, Mars Hill, and Nebo.
The 7stanes are seven mountain biking centres spanning the south of Scotland, from the heart of the Scottish Borders to Dumfries and Galloway. They are all in Forestry and Land Scotland forests and are known as the 7stanes because each venue features a 'stane', created by artist Gordon Young, somewhere along the forest trails.
The Brechfa Forest is a forest in Carmarthenshire, south Wales. Brechfa Forest is the 'modern' name for part of the ancient Glyn Cothi Forest. From before records began in the 6th century the communities in the 15 villages which encircle Glyn Cothi Forest were managing it to provide employment, building materials, products, and grazing. At various times the forest has been the refuge of Welsh Princes fighting the Norman Invasion, a Royal Hunting Forest, and for two centuries was the 'Texas' of Wales, producing large quantities of oil for lamps. and was a major supplier of timber for the trenches and explosives during World War One.
Dalavich is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the western bank of Loch Awe and has a population of around 70. It is located 30 miles (50 km) from the main town and port of Oban, connected by the villages of Kilchrenan and Taynuilt.
Galloway Forest Park is a forest park operated by Forestry and Land Scotland, principally covering woodland in the historic counties of Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire in the administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway. It is claimed to be the largest forest in the UK. The park was granted Dark Sky Park status in November 2009, being the first area in the UK to be so designated.
Brechfa, situated between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, is a village that has existed since the 6th century at the top of the Cothi Valley. Brechfa village is set in countryside, as well as being located by the Brechfa Forest
Glentrool is a collection of mountain biking routes through the heart of Galloway in southwest Scotland. The mountain bike routes are part of the 7Stanes project by Forestry and Land Scotland throughout the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
Mabie is a collection of mountain biking routes located in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. The mountain bike routes are part of the 7Stanes project by Forestry and Land Scotland throughout the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
Dalby Forest is a forest located on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, England. It is maintained by Forestry England. Dalby Forest, along with Langdale Forest and Cropton Forest, forms part of the North Riding Forest Park, found within the North York Moors National Park.
Kailzie Gardens is a walled garden near Kirkburn in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the Tweed valley, 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Peebles, off the B7062.
The Cardrona Forest is a forest in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on in Tweed Valley, near Peebles. A nearby forest is Glentress Forest. The forest contains 2,000 years of Scottish history, and is home to ruins. It is popular among cyclists and hikers, for it has a network of trails, many of which have names.
Scotland is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. As of 2019 about 18.5% of the country was wooded. Although this figure is well below the European Union (EU) average of 43%, it represents a significant increase compared to the figure of 100 years previously: in 1919 it was estimated that only 5% of the country's total land area was covered in forest. The Scottish Government's Draft Climate Change Plan has set an aim of increasing coverage to 21% of Scotland by 2032, with the rate of afforestation rising to 15,000 hectares per year by 2024.
Mountain biking in the UK comprises a mix of dedicated mountain bike trail centres and other areas that have become popular with mountain bikers despite lacking dedicated facilities. The main governing body for mountain bike racing in the UK is British Cycling.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. It was formed on 1 April 2019, to take over some of the responsibilities of Forestry Commission Scotland, which was dissolved. The organisation exists alongside Scottish Forestry, also established on 1 April 2019, which is responsible for regulation, policy and support to landowners. Forestry and Land Scotland's key functions are to look after the national forest estate, including unforested land within this portfolio, and to produce and supply timber. Within this remit they are expected to enhance biodiversity, increase public access to the outdoors, encourage tourism and support the rural economy.
Tweed Valley Forest Park is forest park in the border region of Scotland. It consists of a network of eight forests managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) spread along the valley of the River Tweed, and which are managed with an emphasis on recreational facilities for visitors.
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