MOUNTAIN biking has been one of the success stories of recent years in the Borders and Scottish Borders Council is aiming to work with Scottish Enterprise, Forestry Commission Scotland and other key stakeholders to encourage further tourism growth linked to this opportunity.

To do this a Tweed Valley Mountain Biking Stakeholder Group has been established, which includes representatives of a wide range of organisations.

The opportunity to grow mountain biking further in the Tweed Valley, including the AIMUp project, was included in the South of Scotland Alliance’s Rural Regional Economic Development Programme, which was presented to the Scottish Government in June last year. Following a meeting with Lena Wilson, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, it has made a commitment to explore these mountain biking opportunities, including the AIMUp project.

Councillor Stuart Bell, SBC’s executive member for economic development, said: “The community-led AIMUp project, which seeks to establish a mechanical uplift and associated visitor facilities near Innerleithen, is an important scheme for the Tweed Valley but it still needs to secure funding in order to make it happen.

"The group has been working hard to identify a realistic funding package over the last couple of years, but it has proven difficult. The council has been involved in this process, offering advice and support.

“I am pleased that the involvement of Scottish Enterprise will add fresh impetus to this important tourism project and the Tweed Valley Mountain Biking Stakeholder Group, which I am chairing, will focus on how best to develop the opportunities around mountain biking in the Tweed Valley. This new group includes representatives from AIMUp as well as Scottish Enterprise, Forestry Commission Scotland, Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland and SportsScotland, as I hope that all of these bodies will be able to contribute to delivering the project.” The Stakeholder Group will meet regularly over the coming months to take this work forward.

Gordon Donald, chairman of AIMUp Ltd, said: "It's been agreed, given new economic conditions and the changing profile of demand, that new research would be commissioned to confirm the deliverability and viability of the AIMUp project. It will recommend the action needed to secure a high profile addition to the existing mountain bike product in the Scottish Borders as quickly as possible.”