Mountain Biking
Mountain Biking in Tweed Valley
Glentress and Innerleithen — two big trail centres a short drive apart
Overview
The Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders is home to Glentress and Innerleithen, two Forestry and Land Scotland trail centres a short drive apart. Glentress has a skills area with green, blue and red zones and waymarked routes from green to black. Innerleithen is steeper and gravity-focused: one red cross-country route and extreme-graded downhill tracks served by a commercial uplift.
If you only ride one MTB destination in Scotland, make it the Tweed Valley. The combination of Glentress (waymarked routes from green to black) and Innerleithen (steep, physical, gravity-focused) covers every rider from first-timer to elite. Peebles is a proper town with good post-ride food and accommodation — this is a complete weekend package rather than just a trail day.
Grades available
Signature trails
Glentress Red Route
redAn 18km FLS red with big climbs and fast, flowing descents including Matrix. Diverted at the exit of the Cardie Hill Climb when we checked in October 2026 — see the FLS alerts page.
Innerleithen XC
redInnerleithen's 19km red cross-country route: a switchback climb towards Minch Moor and singletrack descents with jumps, drop-offs and optional black features. Diverted in October 2026, with the Cadon Bank section closed seven days a week (FLS).
Glentress skills area
greenGreen, blue and red skills zones plus taster trails at the Glentress trailhead (FLS) — the place to learn technique before committing to a full route.
Trail centres in Tweed Valley
Best for
- All abilities
- Skills progression
- Gravity riding
- Winter riding
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:16
- Sunset
- 16:37
- Civil dawn
- 06:37
- Civil dusk
- 17:16
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
- Is Glentress or Innerleithen better?
- They suit different riders. Glentress has more trail variety, a skills area and a café, toilets and showers at the trailhead — ideal for progression and first visits. Innerleithen is steeper, more physical, and gravity-oriented with uplift available — better for riders who want downhill-focused riding. Most visitors do both across a weekend.
- Do I need uplift at Innerleithen?
- Uplift (shuttle service to the top) runs seasonally at Innerleithen and significantly reduces the climbing effort — the descents are steep and the uphill is demanding. FLS names Adrenalin Uplift as the operator; check their schedule and book before a full day of Inners riding.
- Can beginners ride at the Tweed Valley?
- Yes — Glentress has green and blue routes and a skills area with green, blue and red zones. Complete beginners should start in the skills area before committing to a full route. Innerleithen has no green or blue trails.
- Where should I stay for riding the Tweed Valley?
- Peebles is the main town with good B&Bs, hotels and a campsite. The Glentress Forest Café is at the trailhead. For riders wanting to be closer to Innerleithen, the village has accommodation options. Edinburgh (50 min) makes a viable city base with good driving access.
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