Getting Here
One of the great things about the Tweed Valley is that it is accessible from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and the M74. If travelling by car, then it is easy to get here. If travelling by train then you should check with the rail company about taking your bike on the train. Most seem pretty bike-friendly but it's best to be organised before you set out.
Plane/Flying
The Tweed Valley is one hour away from Edinburgh airport and easily accessible from both Glasgow and Newcastle airports. If flying, you will need a bike bag or at least a large cardboard box to get your bike on the plane. Most airlines will take bikes at a cost.
Hard and soft bike bags are readily available and not that expensive. They are primarily used for bikers travelling to the Alps or Canada. The wheels and pedals are removed from the bike and the handlebars are turned so that they are in line with the bike frame. Everything is packed into the one bag, which is padded to prevent damage to the bike during transit. As you can imagine, they are quite cumbersome but airlines such as Easyjet stipulate that a bike must be packaged in a box or a bag, details are below:
- The bicycle must be packaged in a bicycle box or bag
- Only one bicycle per bicycle box or bag will be permitted
- No other items can be carried in the bicycle box (e.g. clothing)
- The handlebars must be flush with the frame
- The pedals must be flush against the frame or removed
Transport from the airport or station to the Tweed Valley is not great and involves a bus into Edinburgh and then another bus down to the Tweed Valley.
Getting Around the Tweed Valley
Peebles to Glentress
- Glentress is 2.1miles east of Peebles and can be driven, walked or best of all cycled
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The new Tweed Valley Railway Path (which runs along the route of the old railway) connects Peebles and Innerleithen, with a spur to Glentress, so there is no need to ride the busy A72
- If you don’t mind a climb, you can access Glentress Forest via Janet's Brae (more commonly known as Jenny’s Brae). This is an uphill woodland path that leads directly to the Buzzard's Nest car park in the Forest. It starts just after the Peebles Hydro from a small road leading from the A72
Innerleithen to Glentress
- Glentress is 4.5miles west of Innerleithen and can be driven, or better still cycled via the new Tweed Valley Railway Path
- It is not recommend to ride along the main A72. There are no roadside paths and this section of road can be very busy and has a number of blind corners
Peebles to Innerleithen
- The trailhead at Innerleithen is 8.1 miles from the centre of Peebles and can be driven on the A72 or the B7062
- There are a number of options for biking, the quickest being along the Tweed Valley Railway Path
- If you don’t mind a climb and are keen to get off road then there is an option to cycle through Gypsy Glen to Traquair on the south of the valley or round the black route at Glentress and along the ridge to Lee Pen and down into Innerleithen. It’s a tough pull though!
Parking & Access
Glentress
There are lots of options for parking at Glentress Peel:
- At the trailhead there is a large car park that give you access to the Alpine Bike shop and Glentress Peel Café as well as the toilets, showers and changing facilities. The mountain bike rangers and The Bike Patrol are both located here if an accident may occur or help is needed
- The next car park up is the Red Squirrel that provides direct access to the blue route and the bottom of the Falla Brae section of the red route. Toilets and picnic benches are available at the car park. It's also the base for the brilliant Go Ape tree-top adventure course.
- The Buzzards Nest car park is approximately one mile further up into the forest and provides direct access to the skills loop, Freeride Park, and green run. The red, black and blue routes all pass through the car park, which has picnic tables and toilets available
- There is a charge for car parking so ensure you take some £1 coins
Innerleithen
- There is one car park, based at the trailhead at Innerleithen
- There are no showers or toilets
- During events, the car parking area and surrounding fields can be very busy and in the winter the car park can flood
- There is a charge for car parking so ensure you take some £1 coins
Uplift
Official uplifts at Innerleithen are available from Uplift Scotland. A day's uplift costs £32/rider. Sign on opens at 8.30am, with first uplift run leaving the car park at 9am (sharp!). The day consists of up to 10 runs to the top of the trails with a leisurely lunch break in between to recharge your batteries.
There is currently no official uplift service at Glentress (usually provided by parents shuttling to and from the Buzzard's Nest car park instead!).