Glorious Glenbranter

This hidden singletrack treasure may be rarely used, but it certainly delivers the feelgood factor.

- Alex Corlett

TRAIL centres have done a lot to consolidate and grow the sport of mountain biking in the last 20 years. Guaranteeing a good ride in all but the worst of weathers, the car parks of the big ones are rarely empty.

In fact, the A703 to Peebles on a weekend morning feels a bit like joining a pilgrimage, with bike-racked car after car in front and behind you – all folk of a like mind heading for the Tweed Valley.

Progress on building official trails slowed to a stop in the mid to late 2000s, and little has been developed since then. Some private estates have filled in gaps in the country, like Glenlivet or Comrie – recently crowned Trail of the Year 2016 – while some far-flung tracks, like Carbisdale and Lochgilphead, are now so rarely visited they’re starting to grow over.