Black Isle, Highlands
Access note: Callachy Hill Climb and Callachy Red Rocks are closed for felling from 21 September 2026 until the end of February 2027. Learnie Hill Trail is also listed closed, with no reopening date published.
Learnie Red Rocks on the Black Isle is built around combining short purpose-made sections with forest tracks. That gives a visit a different rhythm from one long waymarked circuit: a little introductory singletrack, a climbing connection or a focused practice session can all have their place. Rosemarkie and Cromarty provide the nearby coastal context, making it easy to give the riding only part of a wider day away.
The present closure pattern matters more than the full range of colours on an older map. Callachy’s blue climb and red descent are shut for felling into February 2027, while the separate Learnie Hill black is also marked closed. Plan around the remaining signed options and the skills area. Riders seeking a demanding red or black outing should choose another destination rather than treating closed trails as a challenge to work around.
Green / Easy · 0.5 km
The short beginner section is a sensible place to feel how the bike behaves on singletrack. Repeat it at a comfortable pace before deciding whether more moderate riding suits the whole group.
Official route information →Blue / Moderate · 1.1 km
A climbing link connects parts of the network and the public-road crossing. Its length is a section measurement, not the total distance of a return ride from the car park.
Official route information →Blue / Moderate · 2.0 km
The official map places this blue section beyond the road crossing. Work out the permitted approach and return before setting off; a short named trail still requires a complete day plan.
Official route information →Blue / Moderate · 1.6 km
FLS describes a flowing descent normally reached from Callachy Climb. That climb is currently closed. The downhill listing has no separate closure label, but this guide does not promise an alternative access route.
Official route information →Blue / Moderate · 1.6 km
Excluded from the ride plan during the essential felling closure, scheduled from 21 September 2026 to the end of February 2027. Follow the barriers at its access points.
Official route information →Red / Difficult · 1.2 km
The jump-focused red is under the same felling closure. Its optional black table-tops do not provide an available black alternative while the parent trail is shut.
Official route information →Black / Severe · 3.6 km
FLS separately labels this technical trail closed. No reopening date is supplied for it, so the February date for the Callachy works should not be applied to Learnie Hill.
Official route information →Use Learnie Home Run, Muirhead Climb, Firth View Blue as distinct route choices, matching each grade and climbing commitment to the group. Follow current signs and closures, even where an older map shows a continuous connection.
For newcomers, use Home Run as a manageable introduction and keep the first session close to the car park. FLS also identifies nearby jump lines, and its map marks a skills area. Look at the features before joining them: being near parking does not make a jump suitable for every beginner. A short, repeatable section is a better setting for learning than trying to assemble a long ride through unfamiliar junctions.
Confident blue riders can look at Muirhead and Firth View using the current signs and map to judge connections. Include the public-road crossing in the briefing, especially with children. Keep the group together there and pause before entering the road. Experienced visitors should bring a realistic objective for the closure period: practising a chosen skill is worthwhile, but it does not replace access to the unavailable technical trails.
From Rosemarkie, follow the A832 towards Cromarty. Official directions →
From Rosemarkie, follow the A832 towards Cromarty. FLS places the forest car park on the right about three miles beyond the village, with IV10 8SL as the nearest postcode. Daytime parking is free. Use the official direction link and entrance signs to locate it, then sort the bikes in the parking area before following the trail connections.
FLS identifies a bus corridor between Rosemarkie and Cromarty and links to Traveline Scotland for timetables. Check the stop, final approach, return journey and bicycle carriage with the operator before relying on it. The corridor is a useful starting point for transport planning, rather than a guarantee of a bike transfer directly to the trailhead.
Find the planning area on a map →Bring food, water and essential bike supplies for the session. The nearest toilets and places to eat are in Rosemarkie and Cromarty, with bike shops identified farther afield in Inverness, Strathpeffer and Dingwall. A town stop before the forest is particularly useful with children. Keep the skills area as a riding resource rather than expecting it to provide the services of an indoor visitor centre.
The car park participates in Stay the Night for self-contained motorhomes and campervans. FLS currently lists five spaces, a £10 overnight charge and payment through RingGo, with caravans and large motorhomes unsuitable. Follow the scheme’s terms when planning a night here. Free daytime parking should not be read as permission to stay overnight outside that arrangement.
Plan this ride with your own mountain bike. The official visitor information describes rider facilities and access.
Daytime parking is free. Callachy climbing and red sections have current felling closures, while Learnie Hill is separately closed; follow the active notices and barriers.
The active work area brings log stacks and timber haulage into the current planning picture. Give forest vehicles room and never enter a closed connection simply because it would make a tidier loop. After wet weather, reduce speed on uneven or muddy ground and choose a shorter session if the road crossing and return would eat into the available daylight.
FLS Stay the Night lists five spaces for self-contained campervans or motorhomes, charged at £10 through RingGo. Caravans and large motorhomes are unsuitable; this is not tent camping. Official campsite information →
Rosemarkie is a useful base for a coastal change of scene after forest riding. Crofters is a licensed café on the beachfront with food, home baking and takeaway options. Check its service times for the day and plan a proper break there rather than hoping for refreshments at the trails. A seaside meal gives non-riding companions somewhere distinct from the forest to spend time.
Groam House Museum on Rosemarkie High Street offers a different kind of local detail through Pictish carved stones and the George Bain collection of Celtic art. It is a good counterpoint to a skills-focused morning, especially for a mixed-interest group. Check public opening arrangements directly; guided group experiences require advance arrangements, so do not assume a group can simply arrive for a private tour.
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Displayed distances are straight-line estimates using OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), not road journeys. Ask the property about secure bike storage and wet-kit arrangements before booking.
RIDE PREPARATION
Consider what suits the route, forecast and your own experience.
No. Callachy Red Rocks is closed for essential felling from 21 September 2026 until the end of February 2027.
No such date is published for Learnie Hill. It has its own closed label; the stated February window applies to the Callachy felling closures.
They describe individual named sections. Add permitted connections, approach and return, and account for the public-road crossing when assembling your ride.
Home Run is the published green introduction, and the map marks a skills area. Follow local access signs and choose features that suit the rider.
Overnight stays require the Stay the Night scheme. It is for qualifying self-contained vehicles, with a separate charge and limited spaces.
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Choose manageable family trails, fit children’s bikes, pace the day, assess clubs and coaches, and make a separate safe plan for dogs.
Develop braking, cornering, climbing and technical riding through deliberate practice, with sensible progression for roots, rocks, steeps, wheel lifts and jumps.
Plan mountain-bike rides around UK rain, ice, wind and heat, with seasonal trail care, tick precautions and conservative decisions at water crossings.
Trail conditions change — check the official page before you travel.
Open official site →