Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland just announced a massive investment in mountain biking as a part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. £19m is earmarked to fund projects at Innerleithen including a bike park, trail lab, and what’s being called “the world’s first Mountain Bike Innovation Center.” Another £5m is dedicated to further development of the popular 7Stanes collection of trails. The Innovation Center alone is projected to create 400 new jobs in the region.
Project manager Ed Shoote says, “It is fantastic news that the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, including the Mountain Bike Project, is pushing ahead. “The vision is for the South of Scotland to be recognised as the European leader in mountain biking and this is an important step forward. The innovation centre and adventure bike park will help grow the area’s profile and encourage sustainable business growth and development. The adventure bike park will deliver much needed investment in infrastructure to manage the growing number of visitors to the area, while protecting and adding to the already fantastic trail network and attractions to ensure visitors spend more time in the area.”
He continues, “There is still a lot of work to do to realise this vision and we will continue to work with the project partners and the local community to deliver the best project for the region.”
Mountain Bike Center of Scotland, Edinburgh Napier Uni, and South of Scotland Enterprise are partnering together in the deal, and other project sponsors are set to contribute as well.
A full press release is available here.
