Newcastleton Bike Skills Park opens at Rock UK Whithaugh Park

Rock UK has officially opened today a new bike skills park and pump track at its Whithaugh Park centre in Newcastleton, Scottish Borders. Isla Short, local rider and Junior British Cross Country Champion (2014) cut the ribbon and made the first descent through the park.

The fantastic new course features a basic skills area, drops trail, flow trail, technical trail, dual slalom and pump track. The tracks are over 1.4km long in total, with a wide range of difficulty to suit all riders from novice to experienced.

The new bike skills park adds to Newcastleton’s existing first-class mountain bike facilities - the 7 Stanes Newcastleton Mountain Bike Trail starts in the village of Newcastleton and runs adjacent to the new bike skills park.

The new bike skills park is free-of-charge for the general public to use. Riders can either bring their own bikes or hire them on site from Rock UK.

The park has been funded by Legacy 2014 through sportscotland, and through BCCF Environmental using Landfill Communities Fund monies from Scottish Borders Council.

Calum Kerr MP said: “I am delighted to attend the official opening today. Rock UK’s new bike skills park is a wonderful asset to the local community and further strengthens Scottish Borders as an adventure leisure destination.”
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive, sportscotland said: “At sportscotland we are building a world-class sporting system for everyone in Scotland, and facilities like the new bike skills park in Newcastleton are so important in encouraging people to take part in sport. The new park really complements the existing facilities, giving riders the opportunity to develop their skills in a fun and challenging environment. I am sure it will be a real asset to both the local community and outdoor sports in Scotland.”

Doug Wilson, Regional Director of VisitScotland said: “The investment being made at Whithaugh Park centre in Newcastleton this year to open a new bike skills track demonstrates a real commitment to further enhancing our region’s tourism offering and attracting more visitors to the Scottish Borders, an area renowned for its cycling and outdoor adventure sports.”

Source: Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland