aberdeenshire
Pitfichie Forest
A Forestry and Land Scotland network in central Aberdeenshire with purpose-built blue, red and black XC singletrack on the slopes of Pitfichie Hill. The closest real trail centre to Aberdeen.
Quick facts
- Trails
- 20 km
- Parking
- free
- Postcode
- AB51 7HJ
- Best for
- Intermediate and advanced riders in Aberdeenshire looking for purpose-built singletrack.
- Not for
- Riders wanting a serviced trail centre with cafe and bike wash — Pitfichie is bring-your-own-everything; nearest facilities are Monymusk or Alford.
Trails open· Last checked 14 May 2026
Check operator alerts →Trails
- Blue
- Red
- Black
| Trail | Grade | km |
|---|---|---|
| Granite Top TrailOfficial FLS red; technical climbs and descentsFast singletrack with granite rock features | Red | 6.4 km |
| Pitfichie Downhillone-wayFLS-graded extreme — championship DH track; expert onlyGranite slabs, jumps, drops | Freeride | 1.6 km |
| Devil's Staircaseone-waySwitchbacks, drops, berms, rollers — bridges blue-to-red progression (108m descent)Natural singletrack | Red | 2 km |
| Cairn William linkone-wayClimb used to link routes (~11mi access loop)Forest road | Blue | — |
| Macchiatoone-wayCommunity-built red on the Aberdeenshire Trail Association networkNatural singletrack | Red | — |
| Baby Yodaone-wayTechnical community-built blackNatural singletrack | Black | — |
| Resurrectionone-waySteep technical community-built blackSteep natural singletrack | Black | — |
| SDA Championship Downhillone-wayScottish Downhill Association championship line — ~150m descentDH race track | Freeride | 0.6 km |
Facilities
- CafeMonymusk village or Alford
- Bike wash
- Bike hire
- Bike shop
- Uplift service
- Skills area
- Pump track
- ToiletsNot on-site — nearest in Alford
- Showers
Our take
Pitfichie is the north-east's flagship local trail centre. The red loop has genuine flow and several properly technical rock sections, and the black adds drops and steeper chutes. It's not at the scale of Glentress but for a day's riding from Aberdeen it's the obvious choice and consistently underrated.
Insider tips
No facilities at the car park. The red climb is stiff — pace yourself. Monymusk village has a good cafe for post-ride.
Accommodation
Inverurie or Aberdeen for accommodation. Monymusk village has a couple of B&Bs.
Food
Nothing on site. Grant Arms in Monymusk (5 min) for post-ride food.
When to ride
Drive times
- Glasgow3h 20m
- Edinburgh3h 10m
- Inverness2h 10m
- Aberdeen1h 35m
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:25
- Sunset
- 21:51
- Civil dawn
- 03:22
- Civil dusk
- 22:54
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 May 2026
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