Glentress Forest

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

To help prepare you for your visit at Glentress Forest, we’ve pulled together some useful event information in our Tweed Valley and Glentress Forest Spectator Guide.

The trails here offer an amazing rush for riders and spectators alike, so soak in every second of the action with us at Glentress.

** PARK AND RIDE SITE UPDATE - 8 AUGUST 2023**

All park and rides sites will be fully operational from Wednesday 9th August to Saturday 12th August.

Hay Lodge Park, Peebles

Indicated by blue signs, this two-acre site is on the A72 to the west of Peebles, 3 miles from the event venue. Capacity: 200 vehicles. Open Wed 9 to Sat 12 Aug (served by minibuses).

Chapel Hill Farm, Peebles

Indicated by green signs, this 20-acre site is on the A703 to the north of Peebles, 4.5 miles from the event venue. Capacity: 2,500 vehicles. Open Wed 9 to Sat 12 Aug (served by coaches).

Cemetery Field, Innerleithen

Indicated by red signs, this eight-acre site is in Innerleithen, 5.5 miles from the event venue. Capacity: 1,500 vehicles. Open Sun 6 Aug to Sat 12 Aug (served by coaches).

Shuttle buses at each site run on continuous loops approximately every 20 minutes.

First and last shuttle bus times will change daily to tie-in with event venue opening and closing times.

Glentress Forest is located in the Tweed Valley 4km to the east of Peebles, in the Scottish Borders. It is approximately 40km from Edinburgh, 100km from Glasgow and around 150km from Newcastle.

Due to its beautiful rural location, there are limited options to arrive direct to the venue using public transport. We would recommend utilising the local bus or dedicated Park & Ride facilities.

• Road traffic and travel updates are available on the Traffic Scotland Website. Public Transport updates are available on the Traveline Scotland website and on the Traveline Scotland app.
• You can also phone the Traffic Customer Care Line on 0800 028 1414 for both road travel and public transport information.

• Bus
• Cycle and walk
• Park & Ride
• Blue Badge parking

The venue is served by the Borders Buses X62 service, which runs from Edinburgh to Galashiels. Some X62 services are bike-friendly and have storage racks for 2 to 4 bikes.

Services run every 30 minutes with a journey time of 1 hour 25 minutes from Edinburgh or just 5 minutes from Peebles. The service stops at Galashiels Interchange for Borders Railway connections.

See the Borders Buses website for accessibility information.

A regular direct bus service from Edinburgh or Melrose drops you at the event entrance, operated by Border Buses. For more information and to plan your journey, visit Traveline Scotland.

Cycling is a great way to get to Glentress Forest, which is just 4km from Peebles or 9km from Innerleithen. The venue is near the Tweed Valley Railway Path, which runs on quiet roads between Walkerburn and Peebles, for an enjoyable cycle.

A free and secure Bike Park is available at the venue. This will be run by event staff and a sign in, sign out system will be in operation. Please remember to bring a lock to secure your bike.

Opening times: Bike Park opening times will reflect venue opening times.

Connecting Edinburgh & The Lothians with the Scottish Borders, National Cycle Network Route 1 runs close to Glentress. You can also find more information on local trails in and around Peebles on the Scottish Borders Council website.

Driving

Local roads will be busy so please allow plenty of time for your journey. Where possible, please car share – it’s better for the planet and your wallet.

Road closures

Be mindful, if travelling on Sunday 6 August, there will be a road closure for the Cross-country Marathon event which will likely affect your travel. The B709 will be closed from 11:00 to 14:45 between Innerleithen Golf Club and Leithen Lodge.

Alternative route

• Northbound – via B709, A72, A703, A6094, B6372, A7, B7007 and B709 to point of closure
• Southbound – the above in reverse

Parking

Spectator parking is only available at dedicated Park & Ride sites. Park & Ride facilities are available at three locations with free shuttle buses to take you to the venue. You can also walk or cycle to the venue from the Park & Ride sites.

Please be aware, shuttle buses have limited accessibility facilities. If you do have accessibility requirements, please use the dedicated accessible parking that must be booked in advance.

Park & Ride

** PARK AND RIDE SITE UPDATE - 8 AUGUST 2023**

All park and rides sites will be fully operational from Wednesday 9th August to Saturday 12th August.

Hay Lodge Park, Peebles

Indicated by blue signs, this two-acre site is on the A72 to the west of Peebles, 3 miles from the event venue. Capacity: 200 vehicles. Open Wed 9 to Sat 12 Aug (served by minibuses).

Chapel Hill Farm, Peebles

Indicated by green signs, this 20-acre site is on the A703 to the north of Peebles, 4.5 miles from the event venue. Capacity: 2,500 vehicles. Open Wed 9 to Sat 12 Aug (served by coaches).

Cemetery Field, Innerleithen

Indicated by red signs, this eight-acre site is in Innerleithen, 5.5 miles from the event venue. Capacity: 1,500 vehicles. Open Sun 6 Aug to Sat 12 Aug (served by coaches).

Shuttle buses at each site run on continuous loops approximately every 20 minutes.

First and last shuttle bus times will change daily to tie-in with event venue opening and closing times.

Shuttle bus services will run at the same times as the venue opening and closing times noted on page 15 of the Spectator Guide. Services will leave from the following locations:

• If travelling from Glasgow and the west, use the Park & Ride facilities at Hay Lodge Park (blue) (what3words///winters.oath.assurance). This site is accessible from the A72 to the west of Peebles and is 5km from the venue. Capacity: 200 cars. Open from Wednesday 9 August to Saturday 12 August.
• If travelling from Edinburgh and the north, please use the Park & Ride facilities at Chapel Hill Farm (The Crossings) (green) (what3words///afternoon.island.shower).  This site is located on the A703 to the north of Peebles and is 6km from the venue. Capacity: 2500 cars. Open from Sunday 6 August to Saturday 12 August.
• If travelling from the east and south (A7, A68), use the Park & Ride facilities at Cemetery Field, Traquair Road, Innerleithen (red) (what3words///stilletto.dots.richly), which is 8km from the venue. Capacity: 1500 cars. This site will open from Sunday 6 August to Saturday 12 August.

Shuttle buses will run on continuous loops daily and approximately every 20 minutes, though this may change at peak and quieter times. First and last bus times will change daily to tie in with venue opening and closing times. Accessible shuttle buses will run from Cemetery Field in Innerleithen and Hay Lodge Park in Peebles. There will be some toilet facilities at Park & Ride sites.

Please note, there is no spectator parking at the venue (with the exception of pre-bookable Blue Badge parking), and we kindly ask that you do not park on any surrounding access or residential roads, laybys or verges. No waiting restrictions will be in place.

There is some dedicated Blue Badge parking at Glentress. There is no cost to park, but you do need to book in advance, as spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To book your parking pass, please contact accessibility@cyclingworldchamps.com.

Once your booking has been confirmed, you will either be asked to print your vehicle pass at home, which will be sent to you via email or a physical permit will be posted out to you. There will be checks in place to ensure these are not duplicated.

Please be aware that there is no provision for campervans in the area surrounding the venue.

There are several options for camping and motorhome parking in the area including two pop-up campsites that are catering for campervan’s and motorhomes. Further information can be found on the Go Tweed Valley website.

Please read the Scottish Outdoor Access Code’s Guide to Responsible Camping in Scotland if you are planning to camp. Please remember to book your camping space in advance.

Here’s our top travel tips to get you to the Tweed Valley and Glentress Forest to enjoy the Championships:

• If you have to drive, please bear in mind roads will be busy, so allow plenty of time for your journey. Try and car share where possible.
• There is no spectator parking at the venue (with the exception of pre-bookable Blue Badge parking) and on surrounding access roads, laybys or verges. Be considerate and use the free Park & Ride facilities for the smoothest journey.
• Blue Badge parking is available at the venue but must be booked in advance.
• There is no provision for campervan parking in the area other than at official designated sites. Please book a designated site in advance and travel to the venue by other means.

The Main Spectator Entrance at Glentress will be clearly signposted from the A72.

If arriving on foot or by bike you will enter via the pedestrian entrance from the Tweed Valley Railway Path - this will be signposted. If you are planning to use the Park & Ride service, the shuttle bus drop off is within the venue.

Cross-country (XCO) and Marathon (XCM) training days are free for spectators (Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 August).

All tickets will be scanned at the entrance to the venue on competition days; Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 August.

The internet and mobile signal at Glentress can sometimes be variable, so make sure you have your pdf digital tickets downloaded onto your phone before you arrive.

Ticket office opening times are in line with venue opening times.

You’ll see on our handy venue map (on page 14 of the Spectator Guide) that Glentress is well equipped for you to have a great day.

Facilities on venue:

• Food & Drink
• Medical Tent
• Public Toilets
• Cycle Parking
• Information Point
• Drinking Water Refill
• Merchandise
• Accessible Spectator Viewing
• Expo

For a list of other accessible support on venue, please visit the accessibility section.

Please note, there is no baggage storage. We advise you don’t bring luggage to the venue, though rucksacks containing what you need for your day will, of course, be permitted.

Note: there are no cash points at Glentress.

There is no grandstand seating at Glentress. Spectators will be standing to watch the action, or there is plenty of grassy areas to sit and rest. Spectators may wish to bring a portable camping chair with them should they feel they need it.

There is an accessible viewing platform for those who require this.

Blue Badge holders can access the site directly - there is no specific accessible entrance. Blue Badge parking is located centrally within the venue, giving close access to toilets, food, drinks and the accessible user platform/multi-user path.

If using Park & Ride shuttle buses, these drop off directly within the venue. These buses are accessible.

Cycling Without Age

Cycling Without Age will be on venue to transport spectators if needed. They will support by offering trishaw rides to help you securely get around the venue if you require this assistance. There will also be a side-by-side tandem bike available.

Queues

The Main Spectator Entrance lane will be wider for those with accessible or easy access needs. Speak to event staff who can assist when you arrive.

Toilets

There are accessible portaloos and a mobile Changing Places toilet unit available at Glentress. You can also find your nearest Changing Places toilet on this Changing Places Toilet Map.

Wheelchairs for loan

There will be a limited number of wheelchairs for loan. These will be available on a first-come, first-served basis every day.

Assistance Dogs

There is a signposted dog spending area on the venue. Water bowls for dogs will be located at the water bottle refill sites located across the venue.

Hearing Support

There will be a deaf meeting point on venue for those who require assistance. BSL interpreters are present for the medal ceremonies.

The accessible viewing platform can be reached by the multi-user path and is in view of the Start/Finish line.

• This platform is available for wheelchair users and those who require easy access seating and their companions. Fold up chairs will be available for companions.
• Please note this is unreserved so spaces on this platform are first-come, first-served.
• Portable seating is available on venue if you require it, please get in touch if you feel this is something you may need at accessibility@cyclingworldchamps.com.

We have some top things to consider for the terrain of this event should you have an accessible need:

• Glentress is a beautiful outdoor mountain bike venue, so the terrain is forest road and winddust surfaced paths with minimum tarmac surfaces.
• Given the nature of this venue, the terrain can be uneven and not smooth in places and has areas of both flat and sloped ground.

If you’d like to talk to us about your specific mobility needs, please read on to our Reasonable Adjustments section.

Please find below some helpful distances to support you getting around the Event Village at Glentress:

• Accessible parking shuttle drop off ➡ Entrance area (70m)
• Entrance area ➡ Main spectator area (455m)
• Accessible seating area ➡ Accessible facilities (150m) 

Picnic benches are available throughout the venue that offer a space to rest for individuals who may need it.

There will be a quiet space on venue as well as a multi-faith room for individuals who require these facilities during event days.

If you have any questions on any of the accessibility information included within this guide, or need to discuss your particular needs, please contact us at accessibility@cyclingworldchamps.com.