Mountain Biking
Mountain Biking in Black Isle — Learnie Red Rocks
A compact, well-built trail network on the Black Isle
Overview
Learnie Red Rocks is a Forestry and Land Scotland trail network on the A832 between Rosemarkie and Cromarty on the Black Isle. Short green, blue, red and black trails through Learnie Forest, with proper flow features and technical sections. Small compared with the central belt centres, and easily combined with a dolphin watch at Chanonry Point.
Learnie Red Rocks is easy to overlook and worth knowing about if you are based in Inverness. The trails are built rather than rough natural tracks — berms, technical features and flow — and short enough to session. Note that FLS has the Callachy Red Rocks and Callachy blue climb closed for felling until the end of February 2027, so check before you go. A short drive back towards Fortrose gets you to Chanonry Point for the dolphins.
Grades available
Signature trails
Callachy Red Rocks
redA 1.2km FLS red with large jumps, berms, drop-offs and optional black-graded table-tops. Closed for felling from 21 September 2026 until the end of February 2027 (FLS).
Firth View Blue
blueA 2km blue through spruce and pine linking the trail networks, with moderate gradients (FLS).
Learnie Hill Trail
blackA 3.6km black with rock climbs, drop-offs and a relentless downhill finale. FLS listed it as closed in October 2026.
Trail centres in Black Isle — Learnie Red Rocks
Best for
- Red/black progression
- Inverness-area riding
- Combined wildlife trip (Chanonry dolphins)
- Quick half-day session
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:26
- Sunset
- 16:34
- Civil dawn
- 06:45
- Civil dusk
- 17:16
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get to Learnie Red Rock from Inverness?
- From Inverness, cross the Kessock Bridge to the Black Isle and follow the A832 to Fortrose (30 min). From Rosemarkie, follow the A832 towards Cromarty; the car park is on the right about 4.8km after Rosemarkie (FLS: grid reference NH 736 614, nearest postcode IV10 8SL).
- Can I see dolphins near Learnie Red Rock?
- Yes — Chanonry Point, a short drive back towards Fortrose, is a well-known bottlenose dolphin-watching spot. The Moray Firth bottlenose dolphin population is resident year-round but most active and visible May–September around the incoming tide at Chanonry Point. Combining a morning ride with an afternoon dolphin watch is highly recommended.
- Is Learnie Red Rock suitable for beginners?
- Learnie has a short green, the Learnie Home Run (0.5km), and several blues for competent beginners. Complete novices may still prefer a bigger venue with more beginner trails, such as Glentress or Laggan. The red and black need confident riding.
- What is the best time to ride Learnie Red Rock?
- April to October gives the best conditions. The forest trails drain reasonably well but can be muddy after prolonged rain. Summer gives longer daylight for evening sessions from Inverness. Combining with dolphin-watching at Chanonry Point works best May–September on incoming tide.
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