Talk About Trails Evenings – Workshops around Scotland to discuss unauthorised mountain bike trails

Mountain biking has enjoyed a growth in popularity and while the vast majority of riders who access rural land do so responsibly, there are increasing incidents where landowners and land managers are experiencing problems relating to unauthorised trail building, with the discovery of deliberately engineered (as opposed to created through use) tracks and structure, developed without consent.

A National Access Forum sub-group on mountain biking & enduro activity has been established to identify potential solutions to the growth in unauthorised mountain bike trails, which continue to present a number of serious issues for land managers.

The sub-group is tasked with developing guidance which includes the development of a spectrum of models for managing user-built trail construction, appropriate planning considerations, addressing environmental concerns and construction essentials. The sub-group is keen to hear from mountain bikers and landowners together to contribute to its work and to discuss the content and structure of the draft guidance at a series of workshops on 6th, 7th and 8th August at Glentress, Birnam and Banchory.

Attendees will be sent the draft guidance in advance of the meeting.