Advice about the 7 stanes please

Konalisa120
Konalisa120 Posts: 52
edited August 2010 in Routes
Morning all!

Heading up to Scotland in September and not familiar with the 7 stanes area so wondering where is best to stay which provides good access to at least two or three of the stanes. What do you all suggest?
"office jobs suck"

Comments

  • Davy-g
    Davy-g Posts: 401
    If you base yourself in or near Dumfries then you will be slap bang in the middle... 1 hour away from Kirroughtree and Glentrool, 25 mins away from Dalbeatie, 1 hour away from Glentress and Innerleithen...and 15-20 mins away from Mabie and Ae forest, Drumlanrig is a short distance away also (but it is not one of the 7Stanes)

    just a suggestion http://www.mabiehousehotel.co.uk/specia ... s-c21.html there are other deals to be found if you check online.. :wink:
  • What davy-g says

    We are biased tho, living in the West side of the Borders. I am in Dumfries, can ride out to Ae or Mabie in less than 1hr.

    Ask away.

    accom;
    http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/fore ... qmnl#Mabie
    http://www.ae7.co.uk/
    http://7stanes.com/
    http://www.marthrownofmabie.com/
    loads more
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    All good advice. And with Kirroughtree being IMO the best of the stanes, Mabie being lovely, and Drumlanrig being not a stane but fantastic, the west is a good choice. Buuuuut, I'd still say peebles and do innerleithen and glentress, just for the huge variety and scope of riding there, and for the accessibility of it all- glentress red certainly isn't the best of the 7 stanes routes but it's one you can have a blast at on the first go, and easily double back and redo sections, or switch routes a little if you fancy a shorter or longer ride... Easily accessed from Edinburgh as well if you want to do more than riding.

    TBH you won't go wrong with any of these choices, though I'm really not a fan of Ae, I don't think it meets the standards the others set.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Tel39
    Tel39 Posts: 243
    I stayed near Dumfries last year and was in easy driving distance of Kirro, Dalbeattie, Mabie and Ae. Fantastic trails with Ae being my fav out of those, the last section Omega Man with a particularly high grin factor :D
    Vis Unita Fortior
  • nomadicbry
    nomadicbry Posts: 223
    two bases
    first one Peebles for Glentress and Inners... Both are amazing (inners is more DH focussed but also has great XC trails and bike uplifts at the weekend

    then move over to Kirroughtree area and do that...the best in the 7 Stanes from all accounts mix the red and black and you'll not be disappointed MacMoab is great fun and easier than it looks. There are a few around there as mentioned by others. Also Drumlanrig isn't far either great setting and location of rhte final SXC race in September. Actually if you're up third week iN September why not enter the open event...It's a greta event and well organised Entry can be done through entrycentral or on the day

    http://www.sxc.org.uk/

    Son is in teh Juvenile race so will defintely be there
    Enough bikes to open a bike shop but always room for one more...
  • we stayed in peebles and it worked really well.

    Did Glentress and inners and the drove to kiroughtree, although about 2 hours away it was well worth the trip.

    Probably depends on how you are getting there , we flew and the hired a van from the airport . worked out really well.
    Santa Cruz Nomad.