Quite literally.

Just noticed that FC appears to have purchased circa 1000 acres of farmland East of the main entrance "to enable us improve access to the Peel.

Great, more trails where no-one lives………………….

I'm all for suppourting tourism, but surely its been suppourted enough in that area?

Err, I don't think they intend to build any more trails, just spend more money to make a new road to the swanky new £9 million visitor centre. 🙄

it's obviously for the chairlift.

No one? 1/2m embra types PLUS all those within an hour and a half (all of fife, weegiestan, sterling, perthshire etc.) racks up to several million people.

Or we could plough money into the hill-free urban sprawl of the southeast where the elevation would make the Dutch happy?

I guess by no one you actually mean you?

I live there.

Accent most frequently observed in the cafe at the weekends is Geordie I believe, or somewhere from the middle bit of UK so don't forget them.

Anyway local chat is that the FCS bought heaps of land around the place to stop anybody opening a competing centre. No doubt total rubbish but a great rumor. I just nod and smile when people say these things.

I think the point here is that FC are buying up YET MORE land in this area that has no real value or purpose. Look at lot 4 and 5 on page 10 in the sale brochure. its arable pasture / hill sheep farming land FFS.

Its also a thousand acres of land – quite what level of "access" they are putting in is beyond me.

In any case I can't see how or why they need both lots, surely lot 4 is the most relevant place.

I smell a big rat made of sitka.

Anyway local chat is that the FCS bought heaps of land around the place to stop anybody opening a competing centre.

nail on head. Protectionism using taxpayers cash.

One of the estates is considering opening a centre. Having had a chat with the bloke, it seems they want to open something a bit different near Innerleithen in the land next door to the Traquair estate. Suggestion is something properly techy like Laggan black to attract those that find Inners and GT tame.

Well if they are doing it to stop Cardrona expanding then it's a service to humanity.

Spokescycles – nice rumor, I shall circulate immediately, together with the one that Evans are bidding for the bike shop contract, that one hasn't seen an airing for a while.

P.S isn't most the land around Inners on the town side owned by Traquair Estates, much of it tenanted by farmers ?

Like I say, it's only a consideration, but they've had serious discussions about what trails they want and are looking into how much it'd cost to make it viable.

If that sales brochure is the correct area of land it's on the other side of Castle Hill from the new Peel centre.

How is the improved access going to work?

@hels – your point leads back to my original question – why are FC buying farmland? and a 1000 fcukin acres of it too.

David Russell – why don't you ask them ?

Spokescycles – I have heard this one before sounded like a wind-up to me, who is involved – anybody local ? If it's Lady Traquair I might be prepared to believe you…

I've been through an FOI with the Forestry Commission before, it took 600 days to get an answer 🙂 But yeah, I will ask them actually – I have nothing pencilled in for the next 2 years that i cant afford to miss.

Incidentally, Glentress is currently approx 2500 acres, so they've just bought up almost 50% of that size again.

It's not Lady Traquair, but the estate next door.

My GF's Ex owns the land and has been chatting to me and a few of my riding mates about it. Seems times are hard for the toffs and they need some extra income.

Personally I doubt it'll ever happen as he seems a bit of a slacker but he has brought it up every time I've met him and I've not met his dad who may be a bit more driven.

Well up here it would be an FOI(S)A with the Forestry Commission Scotland slightly different regime. But why make it all FOISA ? You could always email and ask them ? In fact I'm curious now so I might ask them myself.

Ah is that the Glen thingy estate up towards Paddy Slax ? Doesn't sound very serious or imminent – we are running a massive event up there next year the weekend before World Cup Fort Bill so need to keep an eye on things in that direction.

My GF's Ex owns the land and has been chatting to me and a few of my riding mates about it. Seems times are hard for the toffs and they need some extra income.

Or are the FC just taking advantage of available/cheap(er) land, its not like they make it anymore?

hels – unfortunately even though Forestry Commission Scotland are a Scottish operation, they are a UK Government body so are governed by the UK act.

In any case, any request for information made to a public body subject to FOI legislation has to be treated as an FOI, even if it doen't refer directly to the legislation.

I've put in a request through the website and will keep you posted.

Hels- I can't remember the name of it.

b r- As far as I can tell it'd be a personal development by the estate, not the FC buying the land and building one.

I doubt it'll ever happen, but it'd be nice to have something scary to ride in the Tweed.

davidrussell – thats interesting about FCS, but whatever the English Act says nobody in public authorities treats all requests for info as made under the Act it would be impossible ! I would have to write 50 letters a day explaining where the toilets are ! Or offering to record the request for the location of the toilets.. and informing them of their right to review my response to their request for information regarding the location of the toilets etc etc

P.S and you won't get far with that request, I know the Scottish Act well and assume the English one is similar, but you can only request recorded information – so unless they have a report entitled "Why We Bought That Land Beside Glentress" it will be returned information not held. You might be better off just asking them, honest… and I am now less surprised by the 600 days it took them to answer your request. Did it go to IC for review ? Was a decision published ?

yeah, The ICO and the SICO are two different beasts altogether. I agree that in reality not all requests are treated as FOI, but they are all requests nonetheless.

The FES board meeting minutes recorded their offer to buy the place on 15 june this year so i'd expect something to have been recorded about it- agenda item 4

Unfortunately I'm well aware of the tricks of the trade of FC and others to get round avoiding publishing things – one of their all time favourites is to hold items in "draft" form as publications are only in the public domain once published. Another interesting one we've seen is writing notes on the back of documents and only copying the printed side. Sneaky….

>so unless they have a report entitled "Why We Bought That Land Beside Glentress" it will be returned information not held. <

I think he might phrase the request in a slighly more sophisticated manner 😉

Either way the response will be revealing…

Would be interesting if this involves either the Glen Estate or the Glen Sax place. I dealt with both over access for the Polaris and ACE Adventure Race in the area a couple of years ago. Fair to say that both gave me a very rough ride (thought I was going to get clobbered by the Glen Sax bloke at one point!), and neither gave me a strong impressions that they were pro-bikers (or even pro-access) in any way, shape or form.

Would be deliciously ironic if that rumour were true.

Cheers

Paul

has anyone thought about the fact that the FC are first and foremost a forestry company!! and that they might just be planning on expanding the forestry stock by planting this new land??

enduro the board minutes i linked to specifically state its for access to the peel. An area the size of beecraigs forest to improve access to a visitor centre – i smell sh!te.

FC stuffed Carron Valley up too – they are the Devil in Sheeps(er no Trees) Clothing!

Noticed there while up last week – also noticed the new building wher I preume the new hub is going to be – will kinda take away from the ethos if you ask me!

>has anyone thought about the fact that the FC are first and foremost a forestry company,

Frequently. Hence the persistant doubt they are simply making up mtb strategy as they go along…I'm not against the 7S or Glentress – far from it. However, I do now believe resources and funding are being sucked out the system in a disproportionate manner.

1/2m embra types PLUS all those within an hour and a half (all of fife, weegiestan, sterling, perthshire etc.) racks up to several million people.

If you drew a comparable circle round Cannock it's probably 10million+

If you drew a comparable circle arround Swinely it would include France*.

*exageration, but you get my point?

If it's boosted tourism, great, but why spend tens of millions more? Its like that £19million BMX center in Manchester, why does it need a £19million track when the same cash would build 40 national tracks all over the country!

This much investment in one remote corner of the UK is daft.

If you drew a comparable circle round Cannock it's probably 10million+

If you drew a comparable circle arround Swinely it would include France*.

Full of **** tho, innit?

Swinley, be serious, possibly the most overrated place I have ever ridden. The Green at Glentress has it beat, in fun and challenge.

This much investment in one remote corner of the UK is daft.

ah, but its the jewel in the crown according to the environment minister.

pity the rest of the crown is made of tin cans.

If only there was a STW member who worked in PR for FCS……

yeah, lets get the official spin on this one.