7stanes Mabie
Summary: Green and Blue routes on wide, well compacted surfaces on fire roads and forest tracks with some steeper sections. Red and Black routes on narrow tracks and singletrack sections and some steeper gradients with drop-offs. Black route includes some north-shore style timber tracks.
The Shed - Cafe, bike hire and bike wash all available here
Essential Information: Getting there - Take the A710 Solway Coast road south from Dumfries towards New Abbey. 6km from Dumfries, through the village of Islesteps, the entrance to the Forest is on the right.
Facilities include G&G Cycle Centre (on site) for bike hire, repairs. Café, forest walks, play park for children. Butterfly reserve on the Lochaber Trail. Fishing - Day permits available from ICI angling club.
Other Attractions: Camping and accommodation in Dumfries: pubs, restaurants, shops, cinema. Twelve Apostles prehistoric monument, Kirkonnell Flow Nature Reserve, Sweetheart Abbey, Lochmaben Castle.
More Information:
Trail Guide - 7 Stanes, Mabie
Mabie's a truly user-friendly trail centre, set in some of SW Scotland's most attractive countryside with numerous towns, villages and other attractions nearby for family and friends to enjoy, whilst you hammer the trails.
From the start you know you're in for a slightly atypical Scottish trail experience as you park in pleasant parkland adjoining the Mabie House Hotel. All around, deciduous woodland and grassed areas denote lowland lushness and civilised country living. However, once on the trails you're soon off into a small and intimate range of hills which, if not offering the wilderness experience of some of Scotland's other trails, are well capable of testing your fitness and technical prowess.
The Northshore is just one of the attractions at Mabie
We rode the Red graded "Phoenix Trail" on a warm spring Sunday morning and the mixture of budding trees, birdsong and flowering gorse sent us off in positive frame of mind. But what would we find out in the trails?
First impressions were excellent. After an early climb through woodland you find yourself out on the section known as the Butterhole Climb. This sets the tone for the first half of the loop. Underwheel it's a pleasingly firm hardpack of slate gravel and soil, which drains extremely well and provides low rolling resistance. Despite the grade - never too steep, mind - you find that you're wasting little energy as you make brisk progress upwards.
This is one of the early stretches of singletrack, about a mile from the start
It's not especially taxing technically, but the path is narrow and occasional rocky outcrops are incorporated just to spice things up. As short stretch of North shore adds to the mix at the top of the climb. Here the route can be lengthened to include "The Ridge" but this was shut for logging operations when we visited: it looked promising, though the guides say that it's more weather sensitive then the rest of the trail and better ridden in the summer.
Returning to the trail, there's now a couple of kilometres of fireroad, though like the singletrack it's very firm and rolls well, so it's not as tedious as fireroads can be.
Great views over Lochaber Loch from the Contour Climb
As you crest a gradual climb, the trail forks off to the right and back onto singletrack and one of the sections we enjoyed the most, the "Contour Climb", which is described as an "IMBA inspired trail" in the guides. It mixes climbing with traverses across a hillside with lovely views out over Lochaber Loch. But don't take you eyes off the trail for too long, it features a few surprise rock and root sections and the lines are tight and testing. Towards the top the climbing becomes tougher, but again the fast, narrow and rolling trails mean it's as much fun as climbing can ever be.
Over the top and you're straight into the best descent of the ride: a long, and superbly flowing section – called "Descender Bender" - where you feel like you're going for miles without a turn of the pedals. The real pleasure comes from building speed on the steeper sections and then holding it through the many bermed corners. Aside from the odd rocky outcrop to be negotiated, it's freewheel heaven and great test of skill, whatever your ability.
The top of the Descender Bender and arguably the best bit of the trail is just ahead
The descent finally bottoms out at a shallow water splash before a short but pleasant fireroad section through towering trees sets you up for another climb: it's not so long this time, which takes you into the heart of the main forest. Here the trail conditions change and you leave behind the slaty hardpack and encounter a softer, rootier trail, damp in places but not too muddy to enjoy, even after overnight rain!
The water splash at the foot of the Descender Bender
The forest at Mabie has a more natural feel to it than many of the denser Foresty Commission stands of trees: the trees are much more widely spaced and the general atmosphere is airy and peaceful, rather than oppressive and dark.
It's not all conifers - here an old line of deciduous trees marks the trail edge
After you leave the forest, the last proper climb of the day lies ahead. Called the "Elevator", it's actually quite a leisurely and short ascent, starting with a rooty section of woodland, with a brief Northshore element, it takes you back onto the hardpack slate trails again and sets you up for the last downhill of note.
Featuring the "Bad Step", this is actually a classy bit of downhill, through mixed terrain and in places rocky. The "Step" does require care, but it's just one of a number of satisfying but rideable challenges that Mabie throws at you. Again, there's a good "flow" to the trail and before you know it you're back almost where you started, with only a short woodland path left before you're back at the café and bike hire shop, "The Shed", which marks the end of the trail.
Looking back at the "Bad Step" section, testing but very rideable!
The Shed is a classic little café in which to relax and re-live the ride with some good wholesome post-ride food and drink. There's also a hose bike wash and a pledge from the owners that they are saving up for a power wash!
We rode the Phoenix – albeit a shortened version - in about 90 minutes, so the full version is likely to take you in the region of 2-3 hours, depending on ability. With the famous "Dark Side" trail also on site, plus shorter and easier options, nature trails, walks and horse riding to boot, there's certainly something for everyone and even non-cycling friends and family will enjoy the place whilst you carve up the trails.
Our on-site curmudgeon and MTB Trail critic Iron Age Man gives his verdict
Well, though it pains me to say this, I'd give this trail top marks. It's not especially challenging. I rode the entire thing without using the granny ring. It wasn't in the least bit frightening or hard-core in any way. But, it was a superb ride and, crucially, the fireroad sections were kept to a minimum.
The sunlight and the trail both filter through Mabie's trees
Meanwhile, the climbs had been built with as much care as the descents, so even going uphill you could get a rhythm together and enjoy the sheer pleasure of riding fast and hard without slogging needlessly against either boredom or heavy underwheel conditions.
For the novice it would be a challenge, but one where careful pacing and care on the descents would bring rewards. Meanwhile, for the fitter, more able rider, Mabie threw down the challenge to ride it fast and well. Nail the bermed corners and make the descents as smooth and as accurate as you can; and spin up the climbs and try to keep a good rhythm.
I can't believe I'm writing this, but I'd actually like to go back and ride it again and ride it better!