The Forest of Ae - named after the tiny village it sits beside just north of Dumfries - has been a popular downhill venue for many years. You'll find a superb variety of green, blue and red graded trails, an extreme downhill section for the serious experts, and a skills area for honing your technique.
The Ae Line is notably different to the other red routes in the area. The influence of downhill mountain biking in the design is obvious: there is a huge emphasis on fun, with numerous jumps and drop offs, none of which are as dramatic or as thrilling as the final section of single-track descent known as the Omega Man.
Ae is also a well-established downhill centre, with a competition downhill course some 1.6kms in length and featuring the infamous 22ft Coffin Jump. During events it finishes with the 20ft Field Drop, and the whole course takes the top downhillers only about three minutes!
For those wanting to develop their skills, there is a downhill skills/freeride route called "The Shredder". This provides a route down the same hill but with less intimidating features than the real thing.
With a bike shop (complete with bike hire) and cafe, Ae is developing into the complete mountain bike trails centre.
Bike Shops/Hire
On-site at Ae - Ae Bike Shop and Cafe 01387 850541
Please note, parking charges are as follows:
- £1 for up to 1 hour
- £2 for up to 3 hours
- £3 for all day
- £12 for minibus and coach all day