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The Scottish National Access Forum – in association with Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) and Scottish Cycling – has organised a series of workshops in order to help a sub-group tackle the problem of unauthorised mountain bike trails.
There have been an increasing number of incidents relating to unconsented, deliberately engineered mountain bike tracks in Scotland, causing issues for land managers. In an attempt to prevent the problem from escalating further, landowners and land managers are being invited alongside mountain bikers to discuss the issue for the benefit of the sub-group.
The sub-group is tasked with developing guidelines that will include model management of user-built trail construction, appropriate considerations when planning, as well as addressing environmental concerns and construction requirements.
David Henderson Howat, convenor of the Scottish National Forum, explains that “the number of trails being constructed is unsustainable and they are a serious issue due to the safety concerns for mountain bikers and other users”, but that the forum also understands that “there are positives from user-built trails including health, sport, and economic benefits”. The organisers hope that the workshops will be a “crucial step” for the sub-group to tackle the issue, and that “the guidance will help lead to a common understanding of the issues and benefits of these trails”.
Find details of the evenings below.
Monday 6th August – 7-9pm – Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland, Peel Tower, Glentress. Click here for more details.
Tuesday 7th August – 7-9pm – Birnam Arts Centre, Birnam, Perthshire. Click here for more details.
Wednesday 8th August – 7-9pm – The Barn, Banchory. Click here for more details.
