Get Down and Dirty in Scotland This Summer

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 20, 2010 - Competitors in Fort William like to get hot and sweaty.
Visitors to the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway enjoy getting dirty. People in
Fife like to slow the pace down and take their time. And those at Laggan have
to watch out for 2 ton drop.

We can only be talking about one thing and that's Scotland's
fantastic mountain bike offering. With adventure tourism attracting over
415,000 visits each year, VisitScotland has produced a list of some of the
top mountain bike and cycle routes to enjoy this summer.

For more information on holidays to Scotland visit
www.visitscotland.com/perfect.

The world class 7stanes

Named after the Scots word for stone with trails across
Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders, each of the 7stanes is home to a stone
sculpture reflecting a local myth or legend.

Newcastleton lies on the border between Scotland and England
with shorter routes than those found elsewhere. A great activity for all the
family, there are gradings for cross country trails and forest roads.
Kirroughtree is popular with children since it is home to an excellent play
area.

Take the Big Country route at the Glentrool centre, which
provides magnificent views of the Galloway hills during the 58 mile ride.
Mabie is the original mountain biking venue in the south west of Scotland.

For those looking for some real tests, the red-graded Hardrock
trail at the Dalbeattie centre has some challenging black-graded sections -
ominously named The Slab, Terrible Twins and Volunteer Ridge. Ae lies just 20
minutes from the motorway but you wouldn't believe it when you cycle along
peaceful trails and reach a whole other world.

Glentress is an award winning biking centre. It has trails of
all grades, a top-notch café, a bike shop with bike hire, changing and
showering facilities, and a friendly atmosphere. Innerleithen, situated just
a few miles south east of Glentress, is home to some of the UK's finest
downhill and free ride trails, as well as a red-graded XC route.

Fort William

Lying in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Fort William is the capital of Lochaber
and one of the major resorts of the Highlands.

'Fort Bill' lies at the heart of Lochaber and is the area's
nature capital. The town is easily accessible from Glasgow and the central
belt, and in turn provides good access to the Highland and Islands.

Nevis Range and the surrounding area of Lochaber boasts a vast and
varying choice of mountain bike trails from cross country trails and
white-knuckle downhills to relaxing forest trails that are sympathetic to
even the most inexperienced of riders.

Lochaber is at the heart of the Outdoor Capital of the UK and is also
host to the UCI Mountain Bike & Trails World Championships track.

Laggan Wolftrax

Laggan Wolftrax is set in the Cairngorm National Park,
Scottish Highlands. Wolftrax has built a strong reputation for some of the
best purpose built mountain bike trails in the country. It is easily
accessible being only a short drive from Aviemore and Fort William.

Set in the beautiful Strathmashie Forest, Wolftrax provides a
green-graded beginners' trail, a fast red-graded route and a black-graded
trail and features the "2 Ton Drop" and the "Back, Sack and Crack Attack".

The Fife Coastal Path

The Fife Coastal Path stretches for 150 kms from the Forth Estuary to the
Tay Estuary. The path offers a range of walking and cycling experiences from
the easy and level, to the wild and demanding.

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA
Photowire. It can be downloaded from www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or
viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or www.prnewswire.co.uk.

For information and images, please contact: Mary McGarrie, VisitScotland, +44(0)131-472-2321, mary.mcgarrie at visitscotland.com