Delay for opening of new Mountain Bike skills area at Winding Walks, Fochabers

Atrocious weather across the north east has put paid to the early opening of a new Mtb skills facility at Winding Walks, Fochabers.

Forest Enterprise Scotland, which is behind the new £60,000 facility, had urged local riders to hold-off visiting until 12 January to allow the trails and features need time to bed down and stabilise.

Now, riders are being urged to be a little more patient.

Calum Murray for the FES team in Aberdeenshire said;

“We really appreciate the cooperation we’ve had from mountain bikers in letting the trails settle. It’s helped ensure that everything will be as good as it can be when the facility is up and running.

“Unfortunately, the unprecedented levels of rainfall have thrown a spanner in the works and we’re going to hold off opening the trails until 1 March. This will hopefully give the ground a chance to dry out a bit and compact down.

“We appreciate that this will be frustrating for people but we hope they will understand that a further short delay will result in a fantastic, fit for-purpose resource that will draw visitors to the area.”

Forest Enterprise Scotland has invested £100,000 in developing and upgrading the Moray Monster Trails this year and the skills loop is the final piece in this programme of works.

Providing mountain bikers of all ages with a focal point for their sport, the facility has been designed to offer something for everyone. It includes a pump track - an area of small rolling bumps and banked corners (berms) in an area roughly the size of a tennis court – and three main downhills gauged to beginner, intermediate and expert ability levels.

Funded through the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund, the facility has been built to blend into the woodland with minimal tree loss.