If you were looking for accommodation for a week or so doing the 7 Stanes which trail centres would you want to be nearest to and how far would you expect to travel?

I am doing a little light market research into a business proposition and your help and experiences would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Dogsby

Nearest – all the ones in the D&Galloway area.
Travel – 20ish miles each way.
But would also want good eateries, pub nearby where I was staying as well as bike cleaning fettling facilities if I’m staying a few days.

Nah, we know somewhere good for the D&G centres (if anyone wants details, google Greenhead Lodge – 15 minutes to Mabie, 25 to Dalbeattie, 40 to Kirroughtree and probably about 10 or 15 to Ae and Drumlanrig – and with 8 of us staying there at the end of March, its costing us a whopping £15 each for TWO nights! And its MASSIVE and has a hot room!).

Get a trip to Tyred Out at Penmachno. Thats what you want in terms of facilities. Then just copy that within a SHORT ride of Glentress.

Done…

I stayed in a great cottage type place a few years back. The details that made it work for biking were:
1. Space: plenty of it in the bedrooms and communal area for all the clutter that comes with bikes.
2. Drying room, with washing machine
3. Hosepipe and secure storage
4. Loads of parking.

It was about 15 miles from Newton Stewart, so good for access to the centres. Only downsides were lack of pubs in local area.

I’d be looking towards Peebles for Glentress & Innerliethen.
Assumign some sort of self catering (as it is for a week)
Close enough to walk to a pub and food places too if possible.
Secure for expensive bike storage
a DVD player and a collection of bike related DVD’s
Ipod dock / stereo,
4 rooms, twins in some perhaps,
beer in fridge for guests to tuck into. plus stocked with other essentials like milk, bread, tea, coffee, rice crispies, beans, bacon and eggs. That would sort any late night arrivals out.

Thanks for all of the very useful input. I am looking at cottages in the West of the Borders, probably around Dumfries. This will give me good access to all of the trails except Glentress. The journey to GT will be about 1hr 45min according to Google. The only other option is to look North of Dumfries towards Biggar but although this gets me closer to GT it puts several of the trails at about the hour mark.

The plan is to cater very much for cyclists: a secure out-building with ground anchors, an equipped workshop and wash down facilities, 2 twin rooms with the option of a sofa bed. I am looking at a location with suitable local facilities as I like a beer as much as the next man.

Thanks again for the comments and advice; several good points to think about.

Dogsby

do we get money off vouchers then?

Why of course. If I get it off the ground there will obviously be a STW discount!!

Dogsby

Someone else looked at this last year, inc Biggar.

Biggar is too out of the way,imo, maybe near Gt/Inners/Drumlanrigg etc but too far geographically from the rest/West end.

Gt from Dumfries via Moffat and the Beef Tub rd is at best onl 1.5hr(1hr12min!!)

Dumfries is really your best option, lots of pubs and eateries(not city standadrs unfortunately)

What is missing from Dumfries area is cheap bothy/bunkhouse accomodation. There is no shortage of B&Bs catering for bikers, but for groups there is only Marthrown of Mabie outside of town. Mabie house is putting in more Pods. The Pines golf centre is also moving into Pods for their clientele but will be available to bikers and anyone else.

Ther is also no shortage of camping/caravans along the Solway coast, Sandyhills, Southerness, castle Point, Kippford, Glenearly and Beeswing near Mabie.

Bunkhouse and Pods is the way to go. Getting it on a bus route(what buses?) is the hardest thing tho!!

from someone in Dumfries btw who has cruised these forums for some time!!!!

Have you tried the property centre for buildings etc?
or Smiths Gore for country dwellings?

Trekster,

That is much appreciated. The level I am aiming at is bunkhouse plus and am erring on the side of Dumfries. We are looking at facilities based firmly at bikers i.e robust and hard-wearing. I am currently looking through the DGSPC and plan to see a few properties this weekend. I have not heard of Smiths Gore but will have a look.

Thanks again

Dogsby

Having been to both the GT and the Dumfries area a number of time with differnt numbers of mates. I think….

GT Inner etc is very well catered for, places like the bike lodge and Tweed Valley Bike House offer really nice accomudation at a good price (especialy like the bike house).

Good safe storage, modern, somewhere to wasjh and dry gear if its wet (if…lol) and nice space. In a nice town with places to eat and good local bike shops.

IMO this type of place is lacking a bit in the Dumfries area, well there isn’t as much of it and the standard seems lower (hope I don’t offend anyone). A good bike shop wouldn’t go a miss round there as well.

We’ve stayed in a big house called The Mount at Sandyhills – huge garage, 5 mins from Dalbeattie and about 10 mins from Mabie. House has fantastic facilities and across the road from the beach. I’d rather be very close riding distance to one trail centre than a bit close to all of them if you know what I mean.

I would also recomend making an appointment with our fickle planning dept and talk over any proposals you may have for any property. Rob @ Ae shop is also toying with this iadea & a camp site, he

o

s in the country they suffer from the internet syndrome where people would rather buy from some “shop” anywhere if it

c

s and some in Carlisle and the Lakes.

Guid luck Dogsby.

why does that happen?? losing text!!!! 👿

just had another thought re location.

D&G has a number of golf courses, is big on huntin shootin and fishing. There is also some good lowland walking which could be developed/marketed further. All to be considered imo when looking at a location and not just bikers in particular.

Just booked into Marthrown of Mabie any stayed here, what is it like for local amenities (pubs)?

Don’t set up biker-specific accomodation that’s not actually very close to any of the Stanes (ie. in Biggar).

As a potential customer I’d want to be able to ride (or very short drive) to at least one of the centres.

Castle Douglas could be a good spot for the D&G Stanes, since it’s a nice town in itself and seems to have some tourist board cash behind it as a foodie destination.

But GT probably gets more visitors than the rest of them together, so perhaps Peebles and around is the safest option after all.