Trails: The Ae 7Stanes, Scotland

Ae’s green- and blue-graded trails are ideal for entry level riders and families, while its red-graded and downhill routes are for the more experienced rider.

An entry level mountain bike trail, the Green Route is aimed mainly at families with young children. It’s a 9km loop which runs up the Ae valley to a lovely viewpoint overlooking the Water of Ae. A beautiful place to stop and picnic with lots of rocks around the river.

The Blue Route shares much of its route with the Green trail – the difference is a 4.5km section on forest road, giving a trail length of 13.5km in all. It’s suitable for those families looking to take in a little bit more of the forest than just the short green-graded valley route.

The red-graded Ae Line – Scottish Power Renewables Trail is a challenging, high quality ride through quiet coniferous forest. This route has an aggressive freeride style to it with some large and sometimes intimidating trail features in addition to very steep climbs and descents.

Ridden at speed, things get very exciting, but if you are more cautious you can keep your wheels on the ground all the way round. For many, the highlight of the route is the final descent of Omega Man, with its multiplicity of jumps.

The 1.6km Ae Downhill route provides a bigger challenge. Graded ‘Bike Park/ Extreme’, its seriously gnarly rocky sections, slippery roots and huge drops will satisfy the most demanding of riders. If that’s not enough, try The Shredder, similarly graded, which starts next to the DH track.

For full details, visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry

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