Moray Monster Trails

Welcome

to Moray Contact details: GET OUT AND RIDE THE Forestry and Land Scotland, East Region Tel: 0300 067 6380 Monster Email: [email protected]

Trails For more ideas of great days out in the forest, visit our website:

1 Crown copyright and database right [2012]. All rights Crown copyright and database right [2012]. All rights © reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number [100021242]. North East Enjoyed Monster Trails? Try these MTB trails next: 1. Laggan Wolftrax Join the pack at this fabulous trail centre. Great flowing single track, Easy to Extreme. Fine views. Fantastic single-track mountain 2. Kirkhill & Tyrebagger Close to Aberdeen, a small but perfectly formed bike routes for beginners through bike park and some great trail riding.

to experts. There’s something here 3. Learnie Red Rocks to feed the monster in everyone! The bike jewel of the Black Isle by Inverness. Trails of

Written and designed by Design & Visitor Planning, Forestry and Land Scotland - D&VP/25K/JTCP/March 2018 (edition 3). Photographs by Forestry Commission Picture Library. great character and varied too - flowing to technical.

For information on public transport services contact: Traveline Scotland, 0871 2002233 or www.travelinescotland.com

Where should I start? Join it up? A great underpass under the A96 now links the Easy forest cycling instead? trail areas together so why not make a day of it and keep Monster Trails are mountain bike routes but if that’s There are two main start riding! Monster Trails are all waymarked and signed so you can not for you – try the coastal forests: Roseisle, Lossie just enjoy riding. points in Fochabers: and Culbin. We recommend Cloddymoss as a good starting point for an easy day out cycling with the Be prepared family – please pick up our Culbin leaflet.Remember – Forestry Commission Scotland forests are your forests; Winding Walks Car Park - Test your skills - Read the grading keep exploring! on our Monster Skills area: Blue, Red and Orange information below to find graded trails as well as a fun Pump Track. Red out which grade is for you Public Transport and Extreme graded Monster Trails routes also before you go. If in doubt, start here. From the Fochabers roundabout on the check ahead before Stagecoach service 10 takes bikes (if there’s space - A96, take the A98 (towards Buckie) for ½ mile. you ride. there usually is). Hourly, running along A96 Inverness to Aberdeen. Just get off at Fochabers. - Make sure you always wear a helmet and gloves at least. Bike Hire (incl. helmet etc): Ordiequish Car Park - Start here if you’re For the red, black and orange Outfit Moray, Lossiemouth: looking for routes everyone can enjoy, as well trails you should consider 01343 549571. www.outfitmoray.com as the infamous Gully Monster. The blue grade elbow and kneepads too. routes are great for younger riders and mixed - The trails are designed to Trail problems? ability groups. Turn off Fochabers High Street by be ridden one way only - You’re out there so if you see the chip shop and continue along East Street. follow the direction of the any problems that need fixing Stay on the Ordiequish Road for ½ mile to the car arrows shown on the – please leave a message with park. There is limited parking space at Ordiquish. map inside. our staff (0300 067 6200).

Is this for you? Find the right grade for your abilities Forest roads and bike parks

Suitable for: Suitable for: Suitable for: Suitable for: Suitable for: Suitable for: Beginners in Riders in good Proficient Expert mountain Cyclists in good Extreme good health health with mountain bikers bikers with high health. Map level riders with basic basic off-road with good off- level of fitness. reading useful with expert bike skills. riding skills. road riding skills Quality off-road (routes not technical skills Most types Basic mountain & fitness. Good mountain bikes. always marked.) & good fitness. of bike. bikes. mountain bikes. Most bikes. Technical bike Trail: Greater skills important. Trail: Trail: Some Trail: Challenging. challenge Trail: Gradients Extreme Jumping ability Relatively “single-track” Climbs, tricky & difficulty. can vary. Surfaces

Easy Green: obligatory. flat & wide. sections & Red: Difficult descents & Expect large & may be uneven small obstacles technical features unavoidable or potholed in Trail: Extreme Black: Severe

Mountain biking is a Blue: Moderate of root & rock. such as drop-offs features. places. Look out levels of potentially hazardous & large rocks. for vehicles & exposure & risk, activity carrying a

Forest road & similar other users. large features. significant risk. Cycle route grading Cycle route From Winding Walks car park THE FOCHABERS FREERIDE Grade: EXTREME THE FOCHABERS RING An extreme option from the monument, off “The Fochabers Ring”. This trail is for advanced riders only. Grade: DIFFICULT 5 miles / 8 km The top section includes big, technical Northshore A varied and full-on cross country trail you’ll want to followed by drops and jumps. Make sure you’re capable ride again and again. A “no pain, no gain” climb up to the of this style of riding – most of us aren’t. Walk it before monument (fine view) and then the fun starts. you ride it! Rejoin Fochabers Ring to finish.

From Ordiquish car park 35 36 37 ie ck Start here if you’re looking for Blue grade u B 60 o 60 routes everyone can enjoy. The formidable t 34 8 9 Gully Monster also lies here. A 38 To Elgin THE SOUP DRAGON A96 Grade: MODERATE 2 ½ miles / 4 km The Shire Whiteash Hill A fun packed friendly route that can be enjoyed at Wood Lord of the any level. A real gem. Yes there’s a good old climb 59 59

Fochabers Granny Rings to start but you’ll be well rewarded! Want just a 50

bit more? Keep going for the add-on Dragon’s 60 4 90 Tail. Allow ¾ hr round trip from the car park.

5 Winding Walks

Then do it again, or add on The Haggis. 100

Car Park

110

120

130 THE HAGGIS Fochabers 140 Ring

Grade: MODERATE 58 150 58 Ordiequish The friendly, tasty monster. A great trip – Car Park Duchess of full of interest – loads of fun but not too Underpass Aragorn Alley Fochabers Richmond technical. And finish off back down the Freeride Monument Helms Deep Northshore Whiteash Soup Dragon. The Haggis and Soup, Rivendell Hill

two courses combined, is a total 8 260 The Soup 90 264m 230

mile (13 km) round trip. Rohan 250

Dragon 100

240

110

57 120 1 57

130 The Mirk Wood

GORDZILLA 3 140 Gondor 33 150 Grade: MODERATE 39 A great flowing route. As with The Gully The Middle others here, this fine monster Monster Dragon's Earth Tail Fangorn can be linked to others like Tor Castle The Haggis. A96 56 2 56 THE GULLY MONSTER The Black Gate

River Spey Mast

Grade: SEVERE To Keith 170 Gordzilla

An awesome The Haggis

160

180

190 210 gully of monster 200 proportions! You 219m won’t have ridden 55 Scotch Hill 55 anything quite like this before. Wood of Ordiequish Promise. Full of technical 240 250m interest. Go 230 38 poke the 220 Thief's from Winding Walks car park Monster. 210 Hill Hill of More than a skills area… session these fantastic See what 54 54 32 Cairnty 200 mini trails to hone your technique. happens. 190 184m 180 Blue Skills Trail - 545m: Flowing “downhill” singletrack 170 with some tight corners. Key Red Skills Trail - 330m: A tricky descentForestry with Commission technical features such as drop-offs & rock gardens.woodland Orange Jump Trail - 225m: For highlyOther skilled woodland riders - 53 a trail designed to53 get you airborne. Main road Pump Track: A fun circular track with Secondarya series ofroad bumps. The idea is to ride the loop mostly withoutMinor pedalling: road gaining speed and momentum by ‘pumping’Forest road the bumps. Railway Pylons Key Parking (charges) 52 52 Parking (no charges) 37Forestry Commission Burn of Mulben woodland Toilets Symbols in black Other woodland Caravan site indicate Main road non-Forestry Distillery Campsite Commission Secondary road Scotland 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 km B9103 Minor road Viewpoint facilities To Keith 0 1/4 1/2 3/4 1 mile Forest road Trail names Emergency Information Railway 51 Trail start points 1 Posts © Crown Copyright and database right [2013]. All rights Pylons reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number [100021242]. Trail Features 34 35 36 Parking (charges)

Parking (no charges)

Toilets Symbols in black Caravan site indicate non-Forestry Campsite Commission Scotland Viewpoint facilities

Trail names Emergency Information Trail start points 1 Posts Trail Features