FORESTRY and Land Scotland (FLS) is looking to inject life into the 7Stanes mountain biking trails dotted in different rural locations in Scotland, including at Newcastleton and near Dumfries.
The ambitious project hopes to re-establish Scotland as one of the European top ten must-visit destinations once again, thanks to a bid to secure £5M of funding from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth deal.
The deal will fund work at several locations to rejuvenate the mountain biking trails as well as showcase 7Stane’s wider cycling and visitor potential in an attempt to attract even further interest and investment into the FLS.
FLS’ south region manager John Dougan stated his excitement for the deal and the future: “Mountain biking is at the heart of Scottish tourism in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and it’s taken a bit of a hit as a result of the winter’s storms.
“We’re working hard on making storm-damaged forests safe and reinstating the many trails that have been affected.
“However, we’re also seeing this point in time as an opportunity to reflect, and, with the support of the the Borderlands to come back bigger and better, with a strong focus on evolving and improving the 7stanes brand.
“This has the potential to be huge for tourism in the area and we’re looking to get as much input into our thinking on this as possible to make sure we make the most of this opportunity.”
FLS is extremely interested in hearing a range of ideas on ways to attract a wider range of people to their trails, especially those that have not yet visited.
Go to https://surveys.progressivepartnership.co.uk to give your views.
