Black Graded Trails!!

I’m planning a solo trip to Scotland to ride the 7 Stanes, should I be worried about the Black trails on offer there? I have done the Beast and MBR at Coed y Brenin a few times with no issues! Just making some enquirers as I need to keep myself in one piece as got a long drive back to the midlands!

Case of “look before you leap” really. They are for the most part very rocky, technical and relatively slow trails and you can usually see the main features well in advance and get off if its too much.

Not really, Inners used to be red and is just jumpy & swoopy for the most part. Glentress is fine.
Kirrochtree is the only other black and there is nothing that bad on it.

Me too 😀

Should be doing Kirroughtree on Sunday, Think I’ll have to do the red and black on different days though, I’m going on a family holiday so I’ll be aimong to be back at the cottage by 9 ish

I had my first trail centre experiences in the Stanes. I thought the blacks were the same as the reds only longer.

I am pretty sure you will love it.

The Black trails in Scotland are a step up on the Welsh ones but that doesn’t make them not impossible.

Broadly speaking at Glentress the black is just longer than the red and not significantly more difficult.

At Dalbeattie and Kirroughtree as well as being longer there are some challenging sections that you may prefer to look at rather than just riding straight into at full tilt. There are usually routes around if you don’t fancy them.

Also on the subject of Kirroughtree you get onto the black at the most distant part of the red, it adds probably 1 hour maybe 90 minutes so you may as well do it all in one hit.

Further north you have the trails at Laggan Wolftrax, Golspie, Fort Wiliam, Balblair, Learnie and Morray. These again have some challenging sections and Learnie inparticular has some big surprises that really should be looked at before you ride them.

Have fun.

Pretty sure Kirroughtree black is an extension off the red rather than a trail in its own right?

**edit** D’oh! Too slow.

Thanks guys, perhaps the only bad bit will be the weather!!

Apart from the ghosts in Spooky Wood, they’re pretty straight forward.

From what I remember of CYB, it was quite flat. Glentress and Inners are both on the side of a hill so there’s more opportunity to get upto high speeds.

But the trails are smooth and technically straight forward so you won’t have any issues. The only section I’ve ever seen people struggle with is Caddon Bank at Inners as there’s a few small drop offs, one after another.

Other than Mabie and AE (which were ok), I havent ridden any of the other 7 Stanes. But GT and Inners are really good fun.

Enjoy your trip!

Sorry yeah, the Kirri black is an extension but it runs right by the main road and there is a layby next to the start of the black.

Gawd knows what we used to do before google maps. Maps I suppose.

What clanton said – if you like slow techy trialsy type features, you’ll find the black trails are gold dust.

Assuming you’re not talking about all out DH blacks, that is.

What clanton said – if you like slow techy trialsy type features, you’ll find the black trails are gold dust.

Which of the seven staines has there? McMoab a bit and maybe the 2 slabs at Dalbettie by apart from that I never found them slow and trailsy??

For Kirry black you can park at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill and start there.
Join/register with http://7stanesmountainbiking.com/Kirroughtree/Black-Craigs for downloadable maps.

Black bits on Dalbeattie are mostly rock sections off the “main” red trail with the Qualifier/Slab having a nice bypass 😆

was thinking of wolftrax, TBH.

maybe disregard my comment?

The black option at Innerleithen is pretty much all slow nadgery rocky stuff. Nothing too tough (although I found Razor Rock difficult).

Loads on youtube