Why mountain biking is important to Scotland

Scotland is recognised as one of the best mountain biking destinations in the world. As winner of the International Mountain Bicycling Associations (IMBA) Global Superstar award in 2007 Scotland has continued to invest in developing and promoting its trails to visitors from around the globe.

Scotland’s reputation is due to the striking and varied landscape offering miles of forest tracks, purpose built trails and specialist mountain biking centres. This activity takes place in rural areas including some of Scotland’s most scenic sites and is a vital boost to the local tourism economies.

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The scale of the opportunity

According to the ‘Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland’ report commissioned by Scottish Enterprise in 2009 Mountain Biking generates £46.5m each year for the Scottish Economy. The report also showed that this activity is set to grow over the next five years with potential additional revenue of £36m.

The average Mountain Bike enthusiast is above average earner and may also undertake other activities while on their mountain biking trip. Over 1.3m mountain bike visits are made in Scotland each year, this includes visits to built trail centres and wider countryside visits.

We aim to encourage more Mountain Biking visitors to the country, lengthen their stay, increase spend and ensure they have easy access to up to date information on the mountain biking activity available to them.

We are also keen to engage with tourism businesses to ensure they, understand the market, provide suitable services to the mountain bike visitor and benefit from this growth visitor market.

Find out how we can support your mountain biking business

Mountain Bike Trails - Scotland

Find out what makes Scotland the No. 1 Mountain Bike Destination in Europe in this video from VisitScotland.