Glentress

Award-winning mountain biking and so much more

Glentress is rightly celebrated for some of the best mountain bike trails in the country, but that's just the beginning of the story.

Visit for walking, a Go Ape Treetop Challenge and magnificent views of the Tweed Valley. Explore our Wildlife Hub where you can watch our observation beehive, view our live osprey cams and learn more about other wildlife you may encounter in Glentress Forest. There's great coffee, food and cake in our buzzing café too.

Work is also underway on new trails and facilities as part of the Glentress Masterplan. 

Glentress Masterplan

The Glentress Masterplan is a strategy to deliver a sustainable future for the forest and aims to deliver a world class visitor experience. It will create new recreation opportunities and holiday accommodation which will benefit the local community, visitors from around the world, local businesses, and support regional tourism.

Find out more about Glentress Masterplan

While works progress at Glentress, we ask all visitors to take care, follow all safety signage, and follow instructions from staff and contractors around the forest.

Frequently asked questions

Opening hours

• The Gateway building is open daily from 9am to 5pm. 

• The Glentress Forest Café is open daily 9am to 5pm. A reduced menu of light bites is currently available. A fuller menu will be introduced in time, but we look forward to welcoming you back to fuel up during your visit to Glentress.

• The Alpine Bikes shop is open daily 9am to 5pm. 

Dogs are welcome in the visitor centre and café. There's water and sheltered tie-up points outside the café.

Car parking information

An Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) car parking system is now in place at Glentress.

When you enter our car park, the camera will read your vehicle registration number and the entry barrier will raise to let you through.

The charges to park at Glentress are:

• Free for up to 30 minutes (the exit barrier will raise automatically)
• £3 for up to 1 hour
• £4 for up to 3 hours
• £6 for all day
• £24 for minibus or coach all day

The first 30 minutes of parking are free – and the exit barrier will raise automatically for you if you have stayed for less than 30 minutes.

If you are an annual parking pass holder, the exit barriers will raise automatically for you.

If you have stayed longer than 30 minutes, and are not an annual parking pass holder, please pay by card before you leave at any of the pay machines located in the car parks and outside the Gateway building. Please leave within 20 minutes of paying.

If the exit barrier does not raise, please press the ‘help’ button and someone will assist you.

Blue Badge holders

Blue Badge holders park for free. You can either:

• Have your vehicle registration added to our system (using the form below) so that it will recognise your car and allow you to come and go for free whenever you visit
• Or enter the last 7 digits of your Blue Badge number at the pay stations before you exit the car park

Glentress Blue Badge registration form

Annual parking passes are available for this site via the onsite parking machines. For other ways to purchase, please visit our parking page.

More parking info

Accessibility

The turn-off for Glentress is well signposted on the north side of the A72 between Peebles and Innerleithen.

Using SatNav?

EH45 8NB is the nearest postcode.

The turn-off for Glentress is well signposted on the north side of the A72 between Peebles and Innerleithen.

Using SatNav?

EH45 8NB is the nearest postcode.

Go Ape Treetop Challenge

Boasting some of the longest and highest zip wires in Scotland, Go Ape Glentress is in a league of its own. Treetop Challenge is a 2-3 hour experience and is a great outdoor activity for friends and older families alike. Scramble up rope ladders, tackle tree top obstacles and fly down super-speedy ziplines.

Tweed Valley Osprey Project

Since the 1990s, ospreys have been coming to the Tweed Valley to breed. The Tweed Valley Osprey Project works to make sure they’re protected and can find good places to nest. In the Glentress Wildlife Hub you can learn more about these fascinating raptors. Follow the project's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/tweedvalleyospreyproject

Glentress bees

Each summer, as part of a voluntary partnership, we are kindly loaned a colony of Scottish black bees by a keeper in the local area. During this time, you can visit them and learn more about bees at the Glentress Wildlife Hub.

Keep it clean

Phytophthora Ramorum, a disease that kills larch trees, has reached nearby Innerleithen’s Traquair Forest. Please help slow the spread of the disease by making sure your bikes, shoes, kit, dogs, horses, buggies etc., are all clean before visiting the Glentress and other forests. Our bikewash in the main car park is £1 (contactless payment only) - please help by cleaning your bike after your ride (and before, if required). Thank you. #keepitclean