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
- Best for
- Intermediate riders who want proper flowing XC singletrack without driving to the Borders.
Trail grades
- Blue
- Red
Facilities
- Cafe
- 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.
Drive times
- Glasgow1h 40m
- Edinburgh1h 55m
- Inverness3h 0m
- Aberdeen2h 25m