So Im thinking about starting an mtb/trailbuilding club for Corstorphine Hill in Edinburgh. Ive been onto the rangers who seem quite positive about it and there are plans afoot for other trails there as well. Anyone got any advice? I need to bring money into it and Ive a fair bit of resources and labour that can be used. Its an excellant spot already and developing it responsibly would make it outstanding.

Do a search, I think it’s come up before and people have come back with some useful comments. Me, Mr Agreeable, Mugboo and various others all have experience of doing just that.

Damn. I moved away from north Edinburgh last year. Hope to move back at some point, so will keep an eye/ear out for this.

Let us know how you get on. I’d lend a hand if we were officially allowed to build some sweet ass bitchin trails!

Theres already sweet ass trails up there mate! Look on you tube under trail scotland ride corstorphine hill. Shows just a little of it.

used to ride up there in my teens but not been up recently.

Trail Scotland trail building forum

nice wee vid!

If ya want a tour let me know. Dont know if you can pm on this forum but sundays are good for me. Well worth exploring coz its ace!

Lots of Edinburgh riders here and also a fair few active trailbuilders… I’ve never managed to get in touch with the Bonaly diggers- there’s some on SDH I think- but if you can get along to a glentress trailfairies session you’ll most likely find some interest. Loads of us drive from Edinburgh to GT to dig oles so getting us up a local hill is not hard.

I don’t really understand how the various Edinburgh rangers operate but it might be worth getting in touch with 2 of them who’ve been really actively pushing bikes… Drop me an email at andrew@blackjack.f9.co.uk, if you like, I don’t really want to post people’s details on the web but I don’t think they’ll mind a personal contact.

And likewise, IMBA have an Edinburgh presence believe it or not, who I can pass your details onto, think they’re on here as a member as well.

TJ got a good start made on a pentlands hole-making crew a while back as well.

Aah capn mainwairing. I was on the ts scotland forum as chrismcg but got sick of folk saying I was lying,and doubting me. I now wont have a thing to do with that site.

Thanks Northwind! Ive been in touch with the rangers(david kyle and jenny hargreaves) and they both seem awrite. My main problem is me! Im not techy enough to run a website(or reven a facebook page) and Im not the best at dealing with awkward people either. I am good at building though and have plenty good ideas as well as resources which I already use. I am also in touch with IMBA and they seem very helpful as well.

Aah capn mainwairing. I was on the ts scotland forum as chrismcg but got sick of folk saying I was lying,and doubting me. I now wont have a thing to do with that site.

Don’t understand that at all. I don’t contribute much over there, but look at it a bit, and don’t think I’ve ever seen a cross word or arguement

So what did they say you lying about?

Ya big fat lyer! 😆

Might take you up on the offer of a tour, ill right now so won’t be for a few weeks.

Yeah no probs for a tour. Can suit it to any ability or type of riding as well. And ya get a brew upon return!

So what did they say you lying about?

Ya big fat lyer!

What were those dirty devils saying to upset you?

Got annoyed coz I laughed at a bird who had taken a tumble on the fife coastal path. Not very pc I admit and the tumble wasnt the funny bit. The fact she was having to get mountain rescue to save her was. She wasnt hurt either but must have pooped her panties. I would have. A few folk got the hump at me laffin at that. And posting pics. Shame.

That’s not really giving the whole picture is it

Hi

To many of us Corstorphine hill is not a suitable place for trail building – I very much doubt you would get permission anyway. Roz Pollak is the local imba rep and she is trying to get mountianbike trails organised in various places including Corstorphine hill but IMO corstorphine hill is simply the wrong place. I can put you in touch with her if you want.

I organised some trail repair days in the pentlands and am intending to do more for next summer. This will not be trail building in the way of making new MTB trails with jumps and berms but will concentrate on repairing existing paths in an MTB friendly way.

Corstorphine hill has a very active friends group and I beleive they would be difficult to get on side for MTB trails.

I simply think corstorphine hill is the wrong place for MTB development and trail building activity there should be discouraged apart from the two walled gardens where it is tolerated.

Im not the best at dealing with awkward people either

IME, if you’re going to try and make a success of it, then you’d better get good at it PDQ 😎

TJ – it might help if you explained why you think the hill is unsuitable as although I’ve got your opinion load and clear, the reasons behind it aren’t apparent. By explaining why it’ll often help others to understand or enable a solution to be found.

😎

Cheeky – fair enough. Its potential for conflict mainly and its about what is responsible. Until the LRA bikes had been banned on the hill for a decade IIRC

Its a very heavily used bit of green space.
The local people object to bikes there anyway.
There are badger setts in a few places
There is very little space to create trails
The ground is easily eroded

Specific bike trails with jumps and berms and so have the potential to create conflict. Under teh LRA we have to give way to walkers. its a very heavily used area so you will find it very hard to create a trail you can get a clear run at.

I think given the history of the hill and given the sensitivity of the hill that there is too much potential for conflict, space to create trails of the type many of us would like is very limited anyway even if permission would be possible

I think peoples energies would be far more usefully used in path repair in the pentlands and in trail building in other areas such as craigmiller where permission will be far easier to get.

At the moment there are two areas on corstorpohine hill that building jumps is tolerated. I think there is a risk of loosing that.

Yeah I dont understand why you think its unsuitable either. Theres trails there already and they just need proper finishing really. Theres also been a feasability study done and it is somdething being considered. Ive been in touch with the rangers and with roz and it all looks pretty positive really. As for the friends of corstorphine hill they are gonna have to realise its not gonna go their wee way all the time. As far as dealing with awkward people is concerned Ive a fella in mind to act as a liason in these trying matters. The long and short of it is if I get permission great – if not I just continue to do what I do. I lose nothing.And no capn thats not the full story – if anyone wants to put the other side over let them. The point remains the same.

Ok tj just read some of your points. 1 – its heavily used by bikes as well so proper trails would seperate walkers and bikes making it easier for all. 2. Ive encountered very few objections from local people and why should their objections outweigh the peoples who do want them? 3. Badger setts and sensitive areas are easily avoided – theres plenty space for all up there as well as several large underused areas. Where the jump park is is on the gtc land and has nothing to do with the council. The gtc position is that they are happy to have it there coz it gives the kids something worthwhile to do and puts the land to use. Theres plenty space on that hill for all and bikes have the same rights as others to use it.

Bigthunder – you do not have the right to build trails under right to roam.

There is IMO no chance of getting permission to build trails of the sort we would want. Maybe a family friendly “green” trail perhaps but even that is very doubtful. Or is that what you mean?

Your energies would be better placed elsewhere IMO.

In the past the ranger have spent a lot of time and effort removing illegally and stupidly built jumps.

Posts keep crossing.

Its about reality. Do you want to spend all your energies on attempting to get permissions when thre is a large well organised group who will object?

Its a small green area in a city – pressure on usage is huge anyway. there is no space to build significant trails

To put this in context I have been riding on the hill for 20 years and I would object to any attempt to make specific mountain bike trails on the hill.

Mountainbikers do not have any rights to build trails. None at all.

Be satisfied with the general access you have and with the small jump park bit. You risk losing that

1 – its heavily used by bikes as well so proper trails would seperate walkers and bikes making it easier for all.

No it wouldn’t – you have no right to exclusive access.

BT, if you can get official permission from the rangers and they approve your proposed trails etc then great, i’m sure you’ll get some helpers, including me. This topic comes up every 6 months on here or so (have a search).

I very much doubt anything will become official so i’d rather put my efforts into trail building that will be here to stay, not destroyed by dog walkers etc. TJ has summed up well the challenges faced.

Keep us updated though as I do hope something legit happens.

Check out what is happening at craigmiller – use your energies there. Much more space and more potential – and permission is likely

You do realise that new trails on corstorphine hill would require planning permission I think.

I find it hard to believe that someone on here would object to proper mtb trails! Foch can object all they want and I will listen but what they want is not the b all and end all of the discussion. Theres plenty space on the hill for decent trails and a feasability study has been done. I dont expect this as a right. Seperate paths are welcome to be used by all but they would be signed with thing like keep dogs on the leash and fast bikes approaching to make it safer and better for all. The jump park has nothing to do with anyone except the gtc and they are happy to have it there so how can it be lost to anyone? The simple fact is that bikes are getting ridden there,trails will be built so why not get it together and do it in a responsible manner? What does posts crossing mean?

Craigmillars funding got pulled. Ive spoken to the ranger who was organising it. Same goes for CH – no funding available.

Posts crossing – we both posted simultaneously Makes the conversation difficult to follow..

No funding? No new trails then. Put your energies into helping me get path repair in the pentlands organised please.

Please do not build on the hill. You do us all a disservice if you do. If trails are built then they are creating conflict that damages mountainbiking in Scotland.

where on earth do you think space for new trails is available on the hill? its crisscrossed with paths and its a very small area

Paul the trails and features up there now will not be getting destroyed by dog walkers. Unless they take power tools and a small labour force. And for every one they wreck then Im pretty sure another will turn up. Better built and more indestructable. For all I put in responsible trails there are plenty that dont! I hope to bring them into the fold as well – so to speak.

bigthunder – nothing you build up there is responsible unless its in the walled garden jump park bit. You do not have the right to build trails.

Its vandalism pure and simple.

No funding isnt a problem for me. I have loads of resources for trailbuilding. I disagree entirley that trail building there is doing mtb ing in scotland a disservice and to be honest find it offensive. The pentlands woulld be ok for trails but they wouldnt be mtb specific. CH is 5 mins from my doorstep so I want to build up my local spots first. All I want is to see responsible trails on CH and will continue to work towards them.

Hmm vandalism. Can see you and I will never be pals. Meet me one day and I will show ya a trail that we can ride and if you come away from that and call me a vandal I wont do another thing. Sunday am?

bigthunder – you cannot build responsible trails on the hill. You have no permission to build them it is not responsible.

Any digging on the hill is illegal. You are creating conflict and danger. Please stop

Do you understand the basis on which we have right to roam? It is a qualified right – qualified by the need to be reasonable. you have no right at all to dig trails and infact in doing so you are breaking the law.

You are doing us a huge disservice. we are trying to show we are responsible and then people like you come along and dig up nature reserves.

do you want to see bikes banned on the hill? you are making it more likely.

Yes bigthunder – vandalism – you are diggin in a nature reserve without permission.

I do not need to see your trails to know they are vandalism

Who says Ive done any digging? I havnt used a spade to dig a thing. You do need to see these to realise whats been done. Not trailbuilding but “trailoring”. I understand all these issues and have no desire to make an arse of things up there but you really should ride this before calling me a vandal.

Christ TJ, you really are crap at engaging with people. The bloke’s offered to take it off an internet forum and show you what he’s talking about but all you can do is bang on in your absolutist way about illegality etc etc.

TJ’s black-and-white-do-as-I-say-world. Man alive!

For the record, I’m not local and don’t know squat about the area in question but I have been involved in this sort of thing for ages. Take it off the forum (or at least the beration), go out, meet, put faces to names and have a look at it together without a keyboard. No one ever built a trail from behind one.

You clearly do not understand the issues if you want to create new MTB trails and new trail “features” in a nature reserve.

It illegal to do so

Cheeky monkey – I know the area well. There is no legal way of building trails on the land in question. It is absolute.