Our Strategic Projects

DMBinS’s role is to advance the strategic arguments and rationale for these projects, supporting local delivery partners and helping ensure the quality of the product meets riders' expectations and aligns with global MTB market trends.

These projects include a Bike Park in the Tweed Valley, a trail centre in Aberdeenshire, implementing MTB bike plans across the Highlands, refreshing 7stanes, and supporting the Scottish Cycling Facilities Fund.

DMBinS is a key partner in driving forward the creation of the northern hemisphere’s first year-round Adventure Bike Park in the Tweed Valley.

Located next to the world’s first Mountain Bike Innovation Centre, the project is part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. £19m of public funding has been allocated to support private investment into the Bike Park, and to fund the MTB Innovation Centre and Trail Lab.

The Bike Park funding, which will facilitate the required access infrastructure, paired with private sector investment will create the much-needed bike park experience in Scotland. Featuring world-class jump lines and machine-built trails for all abilities, the Bike Park will also feature a range of narrow technical off-piste/enduro trails.

These routes will suit riders who are both new to hand-dug trails and those looking for an Enduro World Series level experience. The facility will employ its own full-time trail crew and will work alongside the local trail association to provide a sustainable model of maintenance and trail improvements across this premier riding destination.

The Tweed Valley has always had a variety of trails on offer and a bike park will include some family-friendly riding options as well as catering to elite level riders - ideal for a growing community of world-class British athletes who train in the Tweed Valley and Scotland.

The bike park would require a dedicated uplift facility for bikes which will need to offer net-zero or negative carbon when in operation. An operator will most likely offer a café, rental bikes, and adventure activities including lift-accessed hiking. This diversification for non-bikers ensures a robust business model for a larger scale park.

Combined with the impact of the MTB Innovation Centre, the Bike Park will lead to an estimated increased GVA of £141m in the South of Scotland and £511m across the UK over a 10 year period.

Our work in the Highlands is supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Through this partnership, we have taken a strategic approach to planning and development with our Bike Plan for the Highlands.

Working with internationally experienced Bike Plan Switzerland, we carried out a master planning exercise for the Highlands, focusing on the key mountain bike destinations of Lochaber, Badenoch and Strathspey, Torridon and Skye, and Sutherland.

Through the Bike Plan, we carried out extensive consultations in each area. Meeting with key stakeholders including local businesses, destination management organisations, local communities and land managers, we learned about the different areas, and the opportunities and challenges they face.

These conversations gave us the data we needed to report back to the stakeholders and make recommendations to help mountain biking sustainably progress in the Highlands.

Following this process, several of the recommendations of the Bike Plan for the Highlands are being moved forward through planning and funding:

Woodland Wheels Pumptrack

This pumptrack project was already progressing well. However, by providing the strategic support of the Bike Plan for Badenoch and Strathspey, we were able to support sportscotland’s Cycling Facilities Fund in making a £100k award, which made the build possible.

Fort William Bike Park

We recognised this important community project through the Bike Plan for Lochaber, and supported it through the Cycling Facilities Fund.

Laggan Wolftrax

Recognising their plans for a new blue trail, our Bike Plan led to us carrying out a professional trail design, and supporting the project's planning and funding.

Cairngorm Mountain

With plans to develop family bike trails on the lower mountain, through the Bike Plan, we designed the trails and continue to support them with planning and funding.

Badenoch and Strathepey Trail Association

This community group is benefitting from £100k of funding through the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project. With DMBinS as a project partner, we help to improve capercaillie conservation, while improving local mountain bike trails.

• Identify gaps in mountain bike tourism opportunities in our destinations, offering advice and grant support to businesses looking to upgrade their facilities and welcome mountain bike guests.
• Support other projects at an earlier stage of development to progress towards realisation.
• Support community volunteer trail associations across our Highland mountain bike destinations to carry out essential maintenance and development of informal mountain bike trail networks.
• Support destinations by holding mountain bike business workshops, developing marketing campaigns, and attracting important cycling events like the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and Scottish Enduro Series.

The Bike Plan for the Highlands helps us offer strategic support to mountain bike projects in the region, and we look forward to seeing it continue to make more of these developments a reality.

We are delighted that, in Aberdeenshire, a long term ambition for a major new facility has been realised. This is thanks to the amazing work by a local development group who were supported by a range of partners including DMBinS & NEAT.

Investment of c.£750,000 has been secured to begin building a new Trail Centre in Tarland with ongoing fundraising in place to finalise the project. This development is a follow-up from the hugely successful phase one project at Tarland Trails, which has become a hub of activity for riders.

The new development will include blue, red and orange graded trails to suit riders of all abilities, a trail head with parking for 100 vehicles, and environmentally-friendly toilet facilities.

This landmark investment is a key step in delivering the region’s ambition to be a destination of choice, helping grow participation and supporting clubs development.

Trail specialists CRC have been on site for a few months working hard on the construction. The opening date for the centre is not yet confirmed, but is anticipated to be early 2023.

Keep an eye on the Tarland Trails Page for progress updates.