Balblair/Bonar Bridge trails

Hi

It seems the Balblair black trails have been closed forever, anyone know what’s going on? I know the boardwalk was a bit suspect is it closed for safety reasons rather than getting fixed?

Cheers

I was up their last September and the top board walk was a mess with big sections missing/rotten. It was possible to push/carry along it and everything else was rideable. The wood on Rock Rider had been replaced with large amounts of gravel which made it much easier and the second half fairly dull.

We were there two summers ago – it was very overgrown and holes in boardwalk up at the top.

Not a surprise to hear things are closed. 🙁

I really enjoyed it, a nice technical rocky and ‘different’ to so many of the usual trail centre trails. I hope it is resurrected one day.

Anyone know if they are planning to fix it?

I suspect not. It seems that Scottish Forestry have naff all cash, there certainly is not the investment all those years ago which saw everything from 7 Stanes, to Tweed Valley, and other places like Balblair or Fire Towwer Trail instigated.

So unless someone locally can make the argument for investment and get a Lottery grant or similar, nope.

Worth speaking to DMBIS?

I can’t see anything happening as it’s barely used. For the final blue descent Strava shows 22 people this year and less than a thousand ever. Local effort seems to go into the trails at Golspie.

Been there once about 8 years ago, really enjoyed it, and it’s one of those places ive intended to go back to but didn’t get around to it.

can’t see fls doing anything without outside help, they’re skint I believe.

The monster trails in moray are getting in poor condition, fls posted up a questionnaire regarding them but got a poor response, even with them being well used trails, so I guess that doesn’t help things either.

Just go to Golspie! Trails getting some TLC, strimmer and leaf blower in action today.

It’s the “trails far from anyone to encourage you to travel” model, in the end there’s a minimum ridership to make it worthwhile. A shame as Balblair is awesome and a great complement to Golspie.

(it doesn’t seem like it should be a high maintenance location tbh, boardwalk is pretty much the highest maintenance and highest risk trail there is but a lot of the boardwalk was basically unnecessary- added as features but there used to be absolute madness like bedrock slabs with woodwork on, which they removed and it was instantly better)

Just go to Golspie! Trails getting some TLC, strimmer and leaf blower in action today.

Good to know. We might be up in a fortnight.

Loved Balblair when i rode it a couple of years back. Was very overgrown even then and the boardwalk was falling to bits. Shame really.