Fochabers / Ordiequish / Winding Walks
Access note: The Fochabers Ring climb has a signed diversion for obstruction and washout. The old Fochabers Freeride wooden Northshore features have been removed.
Moray Monster Trails offers purpose-built forest mountain biking around Fochabers, with a choice of starts at Ordiequish and Winding Walks. Ordiequish serves the blue-graded Gordzilla, The Haggis and The Soup Dragon routes; Winding Walks is the starting point for the red Fochabers Ring and the skills area. Choose the car park to match your intended ride, because arriving at the other base changes the beginning and end of your day.
The network suits riders progressing beyond easy forest-road cycling as well as confident cross-country visitors. Blue here still means climbs, descents and technical features, not a guarantee of an effortless family spin. The longer blue Haggis is also longer than the published red Ring, illustrating why distance and difficulty need separate decisions. The Ring currently has a diverted climb, and the Freeride’s former wooden Northshore structures have been removed: plan from current information, not memories of an older visit.
Blue: moderate · 5.3 km
This Ordiequish route combines hard singletrack with forest-road sections. Its flowing character makes it a useful first circuit for a rider already comfortable with blue terrain. Forestry and Land Scotland identifies links to The Soup Dragon and The Haggis if you want to extend the outing after assessing conditions.
Official route information →Blue: moderate · 8.8 km
The longest of the three named blue loops uses hard singletrack and forest roads from Ordiequish. Choose it when your group wants a longer blue outing without moving to the red side of the network. Leave enough energy for the return, especially when linking additional routes.
Official route information →Blue: moderate · 4.1 km
A climb leads to singletrack and forest-road riding, with the optional Dragon’s Tail connection offering further height. The base route begins at Ordiequish. Treat an added connection as a fresh route choice, and use the current car-park panel to understand its junctions and the return.
Official route information →Red: difficult · 8.0 km published route
From Winding Walks, the normal circuit climbs towards the monument on Whiteash Hill before its descending sections. Obstruction and washout have diverted the climb. Follow the signed route and information-board map; the published distance describes the usual circuit and may not match the diversion you ride.
Official route information →Blue loops start at Ordiequish; the red Fochabers Ring starts at Winding Walks. Current Ring diversions and removed wooden Freeride features supersede the older route card.
For a first visit with established blue-route skills, start at Ordiequish and select one loop instead of immediately combining all three. Gordzilla offers a middle-distance introduction; The Soup Dragon is the shorter published circuit. Read the panel before setting off, take a photograph of the map and note your return route. All waymarked cycle trails must be ridden in their signed direction.
More experienced riders can choose The Haggis for a longer blue ride or head to Winding Walks for the Fochabers Ring. Use the skills area to settle your braking and cornering before the red circuit. The former Freeride wooden features should not be expected on arrival. Walk unfamiliar features and avoid improvising through a blocked section: a diversion is part of the current route, not an invitation to thread between forestry obstacles.
For Winding Walks, Forestry and Land Scotland directs drivers east from Fochabers on the A98 towards Buckie, with the entrance on the right. IV32 7PG is the nearest postcode. Official directions →
For Winding Walks, Forestry and Land Scotland directs drivers east from Fochabers on the A98 towards Buckie, with the entrance on the right. IV32 7PG is the nearest postcode. For Ordiequish, turn south from Fochabers High Street opposite the museum and follow Ordiequish Road to the car park on the left; its nearest postcode is IV32 7PE.
Parking at Ordiequish is free. Winding Walks uses a paid system, with its current visitor page listing £3 for an all-day car stay and payment by coins, card or RingGo. Keith is the nearest railway station identified by FLS. Arrange your onward connection and bicycle carriage before travel; the presence of regional buses does not promise space for your bike on a particular departure.
Find the planning area on a map →Approximate trail-area pin. This marker identifies the riding area; follow the official arrival directions to its entrance. Official coordinate source
The Winding Walks skills area sits near its car park and includes features for practising technique, such as berms and tabletops. Approach it as a place to learn at a controlled pace. Inspect a feature before your first attempt, keep landing areas clear when stopping and give other riders room. A skills area is useful preparation, but succeeding on one feature does not establish readiness for every red-trail section.
The official route card points visitors to public toilets and places to eat in nearby Fochabers. Carry the water, snacks and repair supplies needed for your chosen loop, and organise refreshments around a town stop. Winding Walks also has a picnic area. Its Stay the Night provision is a separate scheme for eligible self-contained motorhomes; it should not be treated as a tent campsite or an ordinary hotel booking.
FLS identifies Outfit Moray in Lossiemouth for bike hire; arrange a suitable bike directly, as this is not an on-site desk.
The current notices are specific: the Ring climb is diverted for obstruction and washout, while the old Freeride wooden structures have reached the end of their life and been removed. Read the local-alert page before travelling and obey the car-park panel and on-site signs. An older downloaded map remains useful for orientation, but cannot restore a missing structure or make a closed connection usable.
After wet weather, allow the opening section to establish your pace and braking margin. Carry a waterproof layer and a means of contacting help, and tell someone which car park and loop you are using. If a fallen tree or damaged section interrupts a route, stop clear of other riders and turn to the signed alternative. Do not create a parallel track through the surrounding woodland.
Fochabers is the convenient village base for both trailheads. The Grant Arms offers en-suite overnight rooms on High Street; The Red Lion is another verified village hotel option. Gordon Castle’s Courtyard Cottage and Quarry Gardens Lodge provide self-catering alternatives on the estate. Discuss bike storage with your chosen host and reserve for the size of your party; a property’s overnight accommodation does not imply a specific bicycle facility.
For an afternoon without riding, visit Gordon Castle’s Walled Garden, which has a restaurant and café alongside the garden. Agree that visit separately from the forest session if companions are joining you. Elgin offers a wider town base, including the Laichmoray Hotel’s rooms, dining and bar, but staying there means arranging transport back to Fochabers for the ride.
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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.
Start at Ordiequish for Gordzilla, The Haggis and The Soup Dragon. Winding Walks serves the red Fochabers Ring and the skills area. Choose the start that matches the route you plan to ride.
Forestry and Land Scotland lists The Haggis as 8.8 km and blue moderate. It is longer than the other two named blue loops, with singletrack and forest-road sections.
Yes. The current notice identifies obstruction and washout on its climb. Use the signed diversion and map on the information boards; the normal 8 km route length is not a measured diversion distance.
No. FLS says the wooden Northshore features reached the end of their life and have been removed. Do not plan a visit around riding the structures shown in older photographs or route descriptions.
Ordiequish parking is free. Winding Walks charges, with the reviewed visitor page listing £3 for an all-day car stay. Read the displayed tariff for your vehicle and visit.
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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.
Build a compatible ride toolkit, handle limited puncture and chain repairs, and recognise when walking or recovery is the safe choice.
Trail conditions change — check the official page before you travel.
Open official site →