Forestry Commission - News - double honours for glentress mountain biking

Mountain bikers have just voted Glentress forest, near Peebles, as the best place in Britain to go mountain biking.

The Forestry Commission Scotland venue is the top tourist destination in the Borders and now receives over 250,000 visitors each year, mainly because of the excellent biking facilities in the forest.

The venue won the 'Best Trail in UK' category and the Hub Cafe, a business start up with local entrepreneurs and the Commission, also received an award for 'Best cafe'. This is the second year running that Glentress's trails have been awarded top honours in the public vote, proving that the trailbuilders are doing a great job.

Alex Maclennan, Recreation Manager for Forestry Commission Scotland in the Borders was delighted:

"There's a big team of people working hard to make Glentress a great place to go and I'm really pleased that all their efforts have been recognised once again. Firstly we need to congratulate the fantastic efforts of the trailbuilders and volunteers who have carved out some of the best trails in the world. Without these top class trails Glentress would never be as successful as it is now. Well done also to the staff running the Hub cafe as they've helped put the icing on the cake."

The awards were hosted by top mountain bike magazine and website Singletrack. Voters logged on to the website from all over Britain to vote and Glentress came out top.

Glentress is the flagship mountain bike centre of the Euro backed 7stanes project which is creating seven mountain biking centres across the south of Scotland. A new trail in Innerleithen was also short-listed for the awards, even though it had only been open for a matter of months.

For more information on the 7stanes log on to www.7stanes.gov.uk

Media enquiries: Alex Maclennan, Scottish Borders Forest District, 01750 721 120.