A three-day mountain biking festival will take place in Ballater later this month which organisers hope will make the region a “world-class destination for adventure sports tourism”.
There is a spectacular line up for those ready to pedal their way through corners, narrows, drop-offs, see-saws and log rolls during the event, which will be held at the Church Greens from September 10.
The Mountain Bike Festival will kick-off with guided rides as well as a portable pump track which offers riders a playground of amusements for them and their cycles.
Grampian Disability will also be on hand to offer adapted bikes.
The action-packed programme also includes the UK premiere of The Big Bike Film Night – which offers the cycle-centric audience a collection of short and documentary films which include action, drama, humour, and plenty of inspiration.
Organisers insist that the evening is “unashamedly designed and devised for the two-wheel devotee”.
To finish off the weekend, bike fans can cheer on the Tour of Britain participants as they cycle through Ballater, marking the most westerly point of the stage.
The festival has been organsed by Ballater Business Association (BBA) and Ballater Royal Deeside Limited, in conjunction with Ballater Films and the V&A Halls – who hope for the weekend to become a mainstay on the village’s events calendar.
BBA member Susan Stewart said that while the event is of a smaller scale due to coronavirus, the group are determined to host the event and hope that “2022 can be bigger and better”.
‘Key destination for adventure’
She said: “This is a major event for Ballater. We are showing that we are open and that we have plans to develop as a key destination for adventure tourism and, in particular, mountain biking.
“We have our struggles – like the rest of the UK, we are experiencing staff shortages which means that our hospitality has to impose early closures, changes to opening times; and as such we need our community and visitors to be patient, be kind, and be flexible.
“Out of difficulty though comes opportunity, and Ballater is a great destination for action and adventure and overall wellbeing.”
The event is being supported by Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBiS) and North East Adventure Tourism (Neat) who are eager to make the region a world-class destination for adventure sports tourism.
Will Clarke, DMBiS and Neat development manager said: “It is great to see the enthusiasm of the local community working alongside adventure sports operators, voluntary groups and local businesses to do something new and exciting for locals and visitors alike.”
Mr Clarke hopes that the north-east can become a world-class destination for adventure sports tourism and wants to see it continue to grow following the pandemic.
“Aberdeenshire is one of Scotland’s most exciting, emerging mountain biking destinations and Ballater Mountain Bike Festival is sure to be a great weekend showcasing a stunning mountain bike destination and linking in with the Tour of Britain road race. We look forward to more events in the future,” he added.
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.