Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, has recently met with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) at Glentress Forest to discuss the future of mountain biking and other tourist attractions in the Tweed Valley.
He also sought an update on community engagement around current and future FLS projects in the South Scotland region.
The FLS team was keen to stress the positive impact the UCI World Championships have had, with visitor numbers to the Tweed Valley increasing overall since the event.
They confirmed that future proofing the Glentress site for top level events remains a priority for FLS, balancing this with the need to maintain an accessible and beginner friendly destination.
Craig said after the meeting, “The stunning Tweed Valley is a fantastic place to visit for a wide range of activities. With continued investment and careful management, the Glentress site will continue to hold its own with some of the best mountain biking destinations in the world.”
He added: “FLS confirmed that Glentress continues to be a key priority for the organisation as it continues to deal with a large number of fallen trees on its land across Scotland following Storm Arwen.”
FLS reports that over 90% of its trails are open, following a challenging few years with storms and high winds causing significant disruption across its forest network. In the Tweed Valley, there were 19 events hosted by FLS at Glentress in the past year.
Future felling plans for the area have also been staggered to prevent trails from being out of action during peak visitor periods.
Craig added, “Underfunding from the Scottish Government, and a lack of qualified professionals in the forestry sector mean that organisations like FLS cannot complete all the projects they would like. The Scottish Government must ensure they fund outdoor recreation properly due to the proven mental and physical health benefits that can come from spending time in the outdoors.”
Craig also used the meeting to encourage FLS to engage with communities and businesses to ensure that all significant stakeholders are involved in the future plans at the Glentress site and at other sites across the south of Scotland.
