7stanes.com

Tourism Doctor 26 Main Street Dalry Castle Douglas Scotland, DG7 3UW, United Kingdom, 01644 430015, info@tourismdoctor.com

Drumlanrig Trail Information

http://www.7stanes.com

05:43 08-Sep-2010

Drumlanrig, as trail-builder and bike shop owner Rik Allsop puts it, isn't a 'stane' - it's a gem!

If you like …Natural, tight, twisty, woodsy, 'old school' singletrack. Family trails with stunning views
Highlight …Riverside trails.

drumlanrig.jpgBasically, this is where it all started! 'Way back in the day', when Kirkpatrick Macmillan put cranks and pedals onto a hobby horse and pedalled into the history books as the inventor of the bicycle. Macmillan served his time as a blacksmith at Drumlanrig and there's still a forge onsight, along with a museum honouring Macmillan and the development of the bike towards todays technical marvels. If you're gonna come and ride the trails at Drumlanrig you might want something a little lighter and more manuverable the Macmillans velocipede 'cos the trails are as challenging as cross country trails can get.drumlanrig2.jpg

There have been well used family bike trails at Drumlanrig for many years but in the aftermath of the foot & mouth epidemic Rik Allsop needed a venue for the Scottish XC series and Drumlanrig stepped in to the fold and offered the estate woodland. The tight twisty nature of the resulting trail was so popular that it was instantly waymarked up as the 'red route'. Rik and the ranger service have been busy ever since, the red route has been extended and developed every year until it is now one of the most popular venues on the Scottish and British national XC circuits.

There are eight trails at Drumlanrig, Trails 1 to 4 are green graded easy trails, 6 & 7 are more challenging blue trails, the red route is number 5 and to clear the table you have to pocket the black 8 ball. We have a really accessible wee skills loop on the parkland in front of the castle.

drumlanrig3.jpgOne off the nice things about Drumlanrig is the modular nature of the trails, Rik has designed the trails to blend into each other; so if you're a blue grade rider you can sample a little red before committing to the whole trail and likewise the black. Once you get to know your way around you can cut and paste a cracking, looping ride to suite your day around the abilities of your group.

The trails at Drumlanrig are much more natural than those at most of the Stanes, we haven't hauled in stone surfacing or made much use of mechanical excvators. This translates into a much more technical ride with plenty of roots and tight twisty turns (leave your big hit free ride bike at home). In the dry the trails rail and flow but it can get quite sketchy in the wet, it's like having a whole new skill level to enjoy.

Green Routes
 1. The Policy (3 km) - Easy
Trail: A short ride on country roads, around the policy area of Drumlanrig Castle.
Suitability: Families & novice cyclists.
Hazards: Trail on quite public roads.

2. Burnsands (13 km) - Easy
Trail: This pleasant cycle takes you through the quaint hamlet of Burnsands. You are rewarded with superb views of the Lowther Hills above the Nith Valley which sprawls out beneath you.
Suitability: Families & novice cyclists.
Hazards: Trail on quiet public roads.

3. Rocking Stone (5 km) - Easy
Trail: A gentle cycle through mixed woodlands, which will lead you past three lochs and an erratic, bolder area known as “the rocking stone”.
Suitability: Families & novice cyclists of reasonable fitness.
Hazards: Trail on bumpy forest track and quite public roads.

4. Low Gardens (8 km) - Easy
Trail: A meandering cycle past lochs, burns & rivers, heading towards the old kitchen gardens, known as “Low Gardens”.
Suitability: Families & novice cyclists of good fitness.
Hazards: Trail on bumpy forest track & quite public roads.

Red Routes
5. The Old School (20 km) - Hard
Trail: Natural single track, which is less than 40cm wide, with technical swooping trail, narrow wooden structures, drop offs, berms and roots galore.
Suitability: Experienced mountain bikers with good skills, ability and fitness.
Hazards: Narrow track with natural obstacles.
N.B. There is a halfway point bail out (but the second half lap makes a great ride).

Blue Routes
6. Copy Cat (9 km) - Moderate
Trail: This trail follows the red way-marked route on bumpy forest tracks, and also incorporates easier parts of the red route, which narrows to a 1m wide woodland trail. This is an ideal route for groups with different riding ability.
Suitability: Regular cyclists.
Hazards: Loose surface, ruts and potholes are expected. Narrow trail in places.

7. Secret Forest (11 km) - Moderate
Trail: Cycle deep into the woodland, past majestic cottages and farms, and discover the hidden secrets of these woodlands.
Suitability: Regular cyclists, low gears recommended
Hazards: Loose surface, ruts and potholes are expected. Steep climbs and long descents.

Black Route
8. Hells Cauldron (8 km) - Hard
Trail: This is an unforgiving trail with very narrow tracks, steep climbs and descents with technically challenging obstacles and terrain, testing the best of riders.
Suitability: Expert mountain bikers.
Hazards: Riders should be highly experienced, but should expect to fall off.
N.B. This route is an add-on to route 5 - please begin by following Route 5 through to Route 8.