Ride Ness becomes Scotland’s ‘first’ purpose-built bike park
Ride Ness has sent an open invitation to the local community to learn about the year-round benefits of Scotland’s ‘first’ purpose-built bike park. The park wants to encourage both local people and businesses to learn more about the site.
Glendoe Estate is hosting this new development, a new outdoor facility for the Highlands. This development has taken years of design and consultation, with planning applications expected to be decided over the next few months. The site is located a five-minute walk from Fort Augustus and close to the shores of Loch Ness.
An open day will be held for the project at Borlum Hill, Fort Augustus PH32 4BZ on Friday 20th September between 16:00 and 18:00. Here, people will be able to learn more about the plans as well as give input, advice and opinions on the plans to make the development better.
Andrew Vernon, Ride Ness founder, opened an invitation to the local community: “We invite everyone in the community to join us at our open day to discover all that Ride Ness has to offer and to share your valuable ideas on how we can enhance this exciting project. This is a unique opportunity to be part of something special that will bring year-round benefits to our area. Your feedback and suggestions are essential to us, and together, we can create a world-class bike park that our entire community will be proud of and enjoy for generations to come.”
The park aims to grant easy and safe access through parking spaces, allowing people to visit the 700 acres of Highland wilderness. Play areas and activities for children will be provided along with a café for on-watching parents to refresh. A local members scheme will also be developed for the development.
Kids can be introduced to mountain biking at this facility, along with newcomers who once have developed can use the ‘world-class’ mountain bike trails for experienced and expert riders. Downhill mountain biking training and development will be available for people of all ages. This is made accessible by the site’s bike hire options including demos, sales, servicing, repairs and parts.
The local community stands to gain, as 15 new full-time jobs along with seven part-time jobs will be created at the location. These roles include management and administration to trail builders, coaches, mechanics, drivers, groundkeepers and housekeepers. There will also be jobs created by the new café in the food and drink sector.
Other mountain bike trail centres are working closely with the team to help promote the new centre on a global scale, helping promote the entire region as a biking destination. This has received support from local businesses.
Willie Cameron, business development director for Cobbs Group, said: “We are excited that Ride Ness could position our region as a destination that will not only attract mountain biking enthusiasts from around the globe but also provide great opportunities for our local community. If realised, this development will be a fantastic addition to the Great Glen and the Highlands, promising to boost tourism, create jobs, and highlight the natural beauty of our region.”
Chris O’Brien, managing director of Nevis Range Mountain Experience, added: “As a long-standing advocate for sustainable tourism and community-driven initiatives, I am thrilled to see the development of Ride Ness. This project promises to bring a significant boost to the local economy by creating quality year-round jobs and encouraging longer visitor stays, which is something we at Nevis Range have seen the value of firsthand.
Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, said: “I was so pleased to see Ride Ness’s plans. We badly need healthy, top-quality experiences like this in the area for visitors and locals alike. It is an ideal site, well positioned and unobtrusive. Great to get people outdoors experiencing the best of our countryside in all seasons.”
Alasdair Fraser of A N Fraser Joinery and Building Contractor, family-run firm based near Fort William said: “As a local business deeply rooted in this community, we are looking forward to the opportunities that Ride Ness will bring. We know the area well and are enthusiastic about the potential for new job creation. We look forward to having the chance to collaborate with the team to ensure this project’s success and to contribute positively to our community’s growth.”
