Innerleithen
TRAVEL GUIDE
Welcome to THE BEST IN THE BORDERS
Where to start with Innerleithen. It’s somewhat of a MTB cornerstone in the UK, if not globally. It’s been renowned for its tight trails with trees that have claimed more than a few knuckles in their time. We’ve been traveling to Inners for decades now and wouldn’t be the riders we are today without the warren of trails that are here.
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Essential info
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With an uplift on the cards Inners is one of Scotland's limited options for uplifted downhill trails. If you’ve got a downhill rig then you’re more than likely already aware of this location so grab your slack triple crown featured bicycle and jump on a day of laps. Even if you’ve not got a DH bike you’ll see plenty of riders taking to the minibus and trailer for a run up the hill with their Enduro bike.
For riders taking on either the XC course or the other trails around then while a burly hardtail is suitable you’re going to enjoy the ride more with 130mm upwards on the front and rear. Inners really is Enduro paradise.
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Where to start with facilities - there’s ample.
Starting with Bikeshops - there’s at least 4 in Inners and more options in Peebles. The original I-Cycles has relocated a few times and is on route to The Golfie, Bike Innerleithen is the newest tucked behind the Traquire and then there’s The Bike Shop and finally Tweed Valley Bikes. All the shops offer something slightly different from the top of the range bikes to a full bike service.
Cafes, there’s a handful from the Infamous No. 1, Lou Lou Bells, Caddon Bank and Caberston Farm Coffee Shop in Walker Burn.
Uplift - we’ve touched on this but for a quick run up the Inners side then check out Adrenaline Uplift. Gordo will sort you out!
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Accommodation is in abundance around here from some high-end hotels to family friendly bunk house’s.
We’ve certainly enjoyed the comforts of the Traquire in the past and is also a superb option for dinner.
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Innerleithen is 6 miles from Peebles and 12 miles to Galashiels and even better less than a hour from Edinburgh.
While the easier way to get to Inners is to Drive there are some options to use the local buses which provide room for bikes and help reduce your carbon footprint.
If you’re coming by air then you can fly into Edinburgh, Glasgow or even Newcastle. All are within a few hours of Innerleithen.
If you’re traveling by train then the closest station is Galashiels - then hop on the X62 to Inners.
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More ABOUT “INNERS”
As a destination itself Innerleithen has it all. Multiple bike shops and excellent accommodation options - from self catering to hotels. There’s also a number of excellent operations offering trail guiding and coaching services. The former a service we would highly recommend to anyone new to the area. Unlike some trail centres there’s so many trails here it can be overwhelming at times trying to link either a downhill trail or an enduro loop up.
Having grown out of the aftermath of foot and mouth disease the original Inners side cross country loops were born and on the face of the hill, Caddon Bank, a multitude of downhills emerged hosting countless downhill races over the years. All of your big stars will have raced here, something which should inspire you and not deter you. The trails are superb!
In recent years ‘the golfie’ has risen from more of a locals only spot (you really needed to know where to go!) to being the place people now visit the area to ride. Apps like trailforks have really opened up this area and thanks to the local trail association, The Tweed Valley Trail Association (TVTA), they’ve been taken over and are now being maintained. We’d encourage anyone riding them to throw them a small donation to help keep the trails maintained. The volunteers put in countless hours and donations go to tools and equipment.
So if you’re heading to Innerliethen in the Tweed Valley keep on reading for more information on the trails and facilities. Once you find the trails that suit your ability there’s a myriad of options, especially once you get used to the tight tree plantations that dominate the area.
The Trails
With such a volume of trails in Innerleithen alone we’re breaking this down into a few sections and with every will in the world we won’t be able to cover every trail or every variation of route. You’ll need to get creative on this front.
Inners DH SIDE
Blue Trails
Currently there’s fairly limited beginner trails in Innerleithen and you’ll need to check out Glentress for the closest Blue trails. There’s plenty there though - just check out our Travel Guide for Glentress.
Red Trails
Green Wing
Green Wing is another one of those trails which has emerged over the last few years to provide a much more balanced mix of trails on the Inners side (not the Golfie side) of the Innerleithen trail network. It offers riders a mellow flowing trail. Graded Black on Trail forks we would have to disagree. It's more of an upper blue/easy red in our opinion. We'd definitely recommend a run down this trail, along with Angry Sheep, if you're in this part of the forest. Just take it easy on your first run and work into it!
Angry Sheep
Innerleithen has always been a hill with intimidating downhill trails or a long cross country loop but it’s changed over the years with the birth of Enduro. This has opened up a whole new network of trails and one of them is Angry Sheep. It's now been taken over by the Tweed Valley Trail Association and is perfect for the beginner enduro rider out there. Flowy and guaranteed to put a smile on your face it's a good trail to get in early on a big day in the Tweed Valley.
BLACK Trails
Downhill Mashup
There’s A LOT of trails on the downhill side which can be good but when the tapes down it can also get quite confusing. Lately more of the trails have been marked out following the storms. Once you’ve been dropped off then you’ll find a number of trails with a mix of rooty and rocky features and a few jumps. Inners isn’t famed for it’s jumps so don’t expect a Dyfi or Bike Park Wales experience here. While we love this place for enduro and downhill the hill needs a serious revamp.
THE GOLFIE
Red Trails
While there’s sections of trails on the Golfie that could be classified as Red Trails we’d grade all of the trails at Black Trails. Read below for more details but if you’re after an easier trails then check out Flat White. It’s on the upper Red Grade/Lower Black Grade - everything rollable.
BLACK Trails
New York New York
Take a run down as Chris tries to keep hold of Christo down New York New York. This trail is fast, the trees are tight but it's one hell of a trail.
This is one of the more ‘mellow’ trails on the Golfie side but it’s definitely on the upper red with some black sections in there. You may want to consider a slow run down here first but once you’ve got the flow it’s one of the best tracks on this hill.
BIG BAW
This track was a victim of Storm Arwen and we didn’t think it would be back but thanks to the Enduro World Series rolling back into town for 2022 the trail has have a refresh. Thanks to the TVTA this fast, rocky and amazing trail is back open.
Repeat Offender
This trail has been a staple of the golfie trails for a few years now and top to bottom is one of the longest trails on the hill. It’s a red boarding on black in our opinion but with a couple of steep sections in their we’d recommend you keep your eyes up. This has to be one of the best trails in the Tweed Valley.
Right Side Clyde
We’ve dropped this under the black trails as well. It’s the epitome of the Golfie with an incredible mix of trail character. Steep, tight, rooty and truely excellent.
This drops in from the top fire road so isn’t the longest on the hill be gives you everything you might want from the Golfie.
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Is it worth the trip?
Innerleithen is somewhere we would recommend as a must ride location. As our good friend Gary Forrest says, ‘a day out of the Valley is a day wasted’. While we see his point we’d maybe not quite stick to it 100%, our other location checks should convince you there’s other places well worth a visit. If not please let us know!
It is however highly plausible that you won’t want to leave and we’re pretty certain you won’t be disappointed visiting. While you can warm up just 6 miles along the road at Glentress, a spot more suitable for beginners, the trail network around Inners steps things up considerably with the breadth of trails. There’s a few easier trails around but most fall into the red and black graded trails. Tight trees have typically been the overriding character of Inner’s old but in recent years the trails have become more flowy (flat white for example) and have helped widen the options for more riders to enjoy the village.
The enduro bike has really opened up the options in Inners. While the uplift has been running for 20 years on the downhill trails you can as easily create a super cross country loop or take on the trails that the World's Best Enduro riders race on. With the World Enduro Series starting to feature this region more on its Calendar you know there’s something special about this place.
One of our favourite days out is combining a lap of the Inners side before lunch in the village and then heading across to the Golfie. This breaks up the day nicely and you could repeat this countless times and create a totally different ride every time. You could even mix it up (at the time of writing this has been made more difficult due to Storm Arwen) by dropping down into
We’d recommend you make a weekend of it as a minimum when visiting Innerliethen. Check out some of the local pubs and restaurants - for a small village there’s some great spots to check out.
What the locals say
“I’ve been riding at Inners since I was a teenager and seen the trails evolve from the Downhill and Cross Country loops to what we know as an enduro hotspot with the addition of the Golfie. This place is amazing if you’ve got some bike experience and are comfortable on red trails”
— Christo, local rider and Contour Collective team rider
In Summary
Innerleithen is a real hotspot that can’t be missed if you’re in the UK or Scotland. With the Enduro World Series and many other events being hosted in the small Scottish Borders town there’s often an electric atmosphere. There’s some exciting development plans for a mountain bike centre and a growing number of bike shops, guiding companies and the BASE course making this small village punch way above its weight, and this is only set to grow.
