stirling

Carron Valley Forest

The central belt's closest purpose-built trail centre — 25km of blue and red XC singletrack in the Carron Valley forest on the edge of the Campsies. Limited facilities but genuinely excellent trails.

Quick facts

Trails: 25 km
Parking: free
Postcode: FK6 5JL
Mobile signal: Patchy in the forest, especially on the back loops. Good signal at the car park.
Best for: Intermediate riders who want proper flowing XC singletrack without driving to the Borders.
Not for: Beginners and families — Carron Valley is a single red-grade loop with no green/blue waymarked options on site.

Trails open· Last checked 14 May 2026

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Trails

Blue
Red

Trail	Grade	km
Runwayone-wayFast flowing freeride descent — berms, jumps, stone drop-offs, table-topsBuilt singletrack	Red	—
Cannonballone-wayFast descent with berms and table-tops; rebuilt 2024Built singletrack	Red	—
Eas Dubhone-waySteep technical "Black Waterfall" descent — tree roots, rock features, drop-offsNatural and built singletrack	Red	—

25 km total

Facilities

CafeNo cafe on-site — Fintry, Denny or Kilsyth for food
Bike wash
Bike hire
Bike shop
Uplift service
Skills area
Pump track
Toilets
Showers

Our take

Carron Valley punches well above its weight. The Red Run is one of the best purpose-built XC reds in Scotland — fast, flowing, technical in the right places, nothing wasted. Forty minutes from Glasgow or Stirling, and almost always quieter than it deserves to be because the car park is small and there's no cafe to announce itself.

Insider tips

Car park fills on weekends — come midweek or early. Nothing on site, so bring food and water. Clockwise is the only direction that makes sense.

Accommodation

Stirling (30 min) or Falkirk (20 min) for accommodation. Limited options in Carron Valley itself.

Food

Nothing on site. The Carron Valley Inn is a few miles east. Better to pack lunch.

When to ride

Pair with

Glasgow & Stirling Day

Cathkin in the morning for the Commonwealth Games legacy trails, Carron Valley afternoon for the bigger natural lines. Both within an hour of Glasgow.

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