IrishDH.com

Just because the summer is over doesn't mean less mountain biking, because up until December, Stenaline have teamed up with The 7 Stanes in order to offer Irish Mountain Bikers, XC and DH an opportunity to spend the day traveling to Scotland to sample a taste of the excellent mountain bike centres available in the 7 stanes area.

All riders have to do is find 4 friends who can travel together in a car, get the 7.40 ferry to Stranraer and then either the 7.50pm or 11pm ferry home ! It's that easy!

So when in Scotland - where to go!

Glentrool

Less than an hour from Stranraer, Glentrool is located in the heart of Galloway Forest Park. It's a fascinating area rich in beauty and home to the south of Scotland's highest mountain – the magnificent Merrick. With all that rugged landscape at your disposal then you'd expect a mountain bike trail to be there somewhere! Well... there will be but we've got something different in mind. We want each 7stanes centre to offer a different riding experience and Glentrool will be aimed at those who want to get out into the wild windswept places of Galloway. Don't expect mile upon mile of technical purpose-built singletrack like at some of the other centres, this trail will be using existing forest and country roads. Around 50km in total, this trail will take you out into some amazing scenery. If touring amongst brilliant landscapes is your bag then Glentrool is the one for you.

Kirroughtree

Only half an hour from Stranraer port, Kirroughtree forest is about three miles away from Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway. If you are looking for biking that caters for families through to experts then Kirroughtree is a great place to go. There are four trails to choose from in the forest. Two (blue and green routes) are easier trails aimed at novices, children and families whilst the red and black trails are best tackled by experienced mountain bikers. There are plenty of other things to do at Kirroughtree, so once you’ve finished with the bikes you can cool the legs down with a relaxing forest walk, or if you are with the family, watch the kids run round and exhaust themselves even more at the playpark! There’s plenty of accommodation nearby in Newton Stewart or if you like camping try the local site. You can get spares and repairs in the local bike shops in Castle Douglas and Newton Stewart. Try out the shops and pubs too

Dalbeattie

When you begin to ride the trails you'll get a taste for Dalbeattie's granite origins as you'll be pedalling right over it! If you are planning a visit then you'll find a warm welcome at Dalbeattie. Only 1 1/2 hours from Stranraer, the local community has taken a keen interest in the mountain bike developments in the forest and the people are eager to tell you all the other things to do in the area. There's plenty of accommodation too with B&Bs, hotels, guest houses, self catering facilities, plus caravan and campsites in the vicinity. The area also offers miles of unspoilt and varied coastline with sandy beaches and rock pools – lots of places to explore. There are masses of outdoor activities too for all ages. There's great walking all over the south west of Scotland, wildlife watching, golfing, pony trekking and fishing available in the area.

Mabie

For those of you who haven't been to Mabie it's a cracking wee forest a few miles south of Dumfries on the A710 an hour and a half from Stranraer. It's very popular with locals and there's a strong bond with the community who take a very active role in all the activities in the forest. Mabie has excellent mountain biking for all skills levels and with the arrival of G&G Cycle Centre on site all your bike hire, repairs, clothing and refreshment needs will be catered for. Staff at G&G Cycle Centre will also be very happy to offer advice on all the 7stanes trails and other activities on site, which include attractive forest walks, loads of wildlife and very importantly an amazing playpark for the kids. The main place to stay for overnight trips to Mabie would be Dumfries which is only five minutes away by car. There's also plenty to do for a good night night out – pubs, restaurants, shops and a cinema in the middle of town. There's loads of guest houses, hotels, B&B's in the surrounding area too, as well as caravan and camping sites.

Okay, a small name and a small place but the riding is big in every sense of the word. So where's Ae you ask? For those not in the know, Ae is about 20 minutes drive north of Dumfries – less than a 2 hour drive from Stranraer. Other larger towns are Moffat and Lockerbie where accommodation and traditional food can be found a plenty – ever tried Moffat toffee? Mountain biking at Ae has its origins in competition racing. There's been many a gruelling XC race at Ae and the downhill track is one of the top locations in the calendar. At Ae you've got a choice of the new Ae Line - Scottish Power Renewables Trail or the very steep and fast downhill track.

Tweed Valley

About 3 hours from Stranraer, The Tweed Valley Forest Park has a massive reputation for some of the best mountain biking in the UK and beyond. The area is famous for its rolling hills, big country views and enough singletrack to keep you challenged for days. There's also lots of pubs, B&Bs and campsites nearby so finding a friendly place to stay with good food shouldn't be a problem. Glentress near Peebles – voted best UK MTB centre 2004 by Singletrack magazine – is already a mecca for mountain bikers attracting 1,000 bikers a week. Glentress is also home to the renowned and award winning Hub Cafe and bike shop where staff are on hand to serve great food, service your bike and offer expert advice on riding technique and the 7stanes trails. Just five minutes drive away is Traquair forest in Innerleithen. This is where the famous Downhill site is based alongside the new black graded 7stanes XC route. Extreme mountain biking comes naturally to Innerleithen. On top of this you've got fantastic walking trails and lots of interesting villages to visit – the Tweed Valley Forest Park is a must for all those who love the great outdoors.

Newcastleton

Less than 2 hours from Stranraer, Newcastleton is a great biking centre for families, novices and those who enjoy a more testing time on two wheels. The centre has a short red route, two blue routes and a skills loop to learn some of the basics. There's also a black graded ridge just for experts. The Rush bike shop have teamed up with Forestry Commission Scotland and plan to open up a new bike hire centre at the Dykecroft information centre. If you've never been to Newcastleton then you'll probably not know much of its history – it's steeped in it! Newcastleton is right on the English border and was an area made famous by the Border Reivers. Their story includes rustling and feuding, violence, murder and extortion - all common place many years ago in the area. Already at the forest is a growing network of walking trails, so apart from biking you'll have other options whilst you are there. It's a friendly area and one worth visiting.

So in order to benefit from this amazing opportunity - that's less than £30 each, click here to find out more information about Sailing and other great deals from Stenaline.

A big than you to the 7 Stanes for the information provided and to find out more information about the venues listed visit their website which offers a host of information including downloads of the trails on offer.