Tweed Valley Gravel Circuit

About this route

Innerleithen sits at the hub of the Tweed Valley mountain bike scene — home to the 7stanes Traquair trail centre and host of UCI Downhill World Cups. The gravel circuit here threads a different path: using the Forestry and Land Scotland tracks above Glentress and Cardrona that the uplift-and-downhill crowd ignore, giving access to big ridge-top views over the Tweed Valley without the technical rock features of the dedicated MTB trails.

The 35km loop climbs steeply from Innerleithen into the Makeness forest block above Glentress, reaches 530m on the ridge with views south to the Tweed Valley and north to the Pentlands, then descends via Cardrona Forest to a riverside return along the Tweed. The surface on the forestry tracks is consistently excellent — the forest road network here was built to carry timber lorries and handles gravel bikes with ease. The river section is the reward: 8km of flat, fast riding with the Tweed running green and clear beside you.

Highlights

• Makeness ridge at 530m — unbroken views from the Pentlands to the Eildon Hills on a clear day
• Glentress Forest canopy — mature sitka spruce with glimpses of the downhill trail riders below
• River Tweed at Cardrona — clear pools and osprey fishing from May to August
• The Hub café at Glentress — excellent coffee and cake at the halfway point
• Innerleithen village — proper pub culture and one of Scotland's best independent bike shops

Named climbs

• Makeness Kipps forestry climb (380m)
• Lee Pen approach (280m)

Notable descents

• Glentress freeride descent to valley (500m drop)
• River Tweed vale approach

Route notes

The forest track climbs at 8–12% gradient consistently — factor in 90 minutes for the Makeness ascent. The descent to Cardrona uses a public forestry road, not an MTB trail — no jumps or technical features. The river section uses a shared path; give way to walkers. Cafe at Glentress closes at 16:30.

Seasonal conditions

The Tweed Valley is drier than most Scottish regions. April–October is excellent. The forest tracks drain well and are rideable in winter with a full-coverage mudguard. Autumn is spectacular — the mixed woodland around Cardrona turns orange–gold in October against the dark spruce.

Water sources on route

• River Tweed throughout
• Glentress Forest car park tap

Always filter or treat water from natural sources. Carry at least 1L reserve on remote sections.

OS map sheets