Beecraigs Mountain Bike Trails

Beecraigs Country Park Storm Floris update:

Hi everyone, please be advised that the Beecraigs Mountain Bike Trails have not yet been checked for storm damage. Please exercise caution if accessing the trails, and report any tree issues using this link: https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/75194/Tree-Related-Issues-and-Enquiries

We will update you if there are any temporary closures as a result of storm damage. Thank you.

Tree Related Issues and Enquiries - West Lothian Council You can report tree related issues using the online form below.

Beecraigs Country Park

Following Storm Eowyn and further wet and windy weather, the wooded areas within West Lothian suffered significant damage. Clearance work on forest roads and main access routes have now been completed but not all wooded areas and paths are clear of windblown damage, so we ask users to stay vigilant especially during wet and windy weather conditions.

If you visit a wooded site, we are asking all visitors to:
Always follow signage and do not breach path closures.
Stay well away from forestry work areas.
Choose an alternative route if your way ahead is blocked.

From Saturday 1 March 2025 - Beecraigs Country Park is removing the red zone restrictions but some wooded areas within the Park remain out of bounds, so continue to observe any remaining barriers and directions. We thank the public for their patience during this time.

Forestry clearance works will continue over the coming months across many woodlands in West Lothian; stay clear of timber stacks and do not climb on these please.

Please see the attached post for the most recent updates on Beecraigs Country Park - the mountain bike trails remain closed due to storm damage. We will post a further update when we can.

Storm damage update for Beecraigs Country Park

From Saturday 8th February:

Limited areas of the park will be open. A large section of the park remains closed, including all mountain bike trails. Please see the attached map for details of restricted areas.

The Visitor Centre and Caravan Site will be open, as will the Hideaway Café.

The Visitor Centre, Hillhouse, Cockleroy, Witchcraig and Balvormie car parks will be open. A road closure remains in place beyond the Balvormie car parks due to storm damage - there is no through access on Wairdlaw Brae. Do not park in gate entrances or on the road, as this prevents staff from carrying out essential work.

Balvormie Play Area will be open from 8th February, but much of the surrounding woodland remains closed. The Balvormie toilet block will be open, but Lochside toilet block remains closed.

Do not enter any restricted areas of the park as it is not safe to do so, these closures are in place for the safety of visitors and staff working in the park. Please look out for signage on site and do not breach any area closures. Due to the scale of the damage, access restrictions to other areas of the park will remain in place until they can be opened safely for public use.

Please take care when visiting West Lothian’s woodlands, and thank you for your patience as we deal with storm damage across our sites.

Beecraigs Country Park remains closed to the public following the substantial damage caused by Storm Eowyn. There is currently no access to any of the mountain bike trails. Please do not attempt to access any areas or trails within the park, as it is not safe to do so.

We are working to assess the damage, but restrictions to park areas will likely be in place for weeks due to the extent of the damage. Thank you for your understanding.

Storm Eowyn Red Weather Warning - Impact on council services - West Lothian Council See here for updates on services impacted due to Storm Eowyn

Please be advised that the mountain bike trails are currently not safe to ride due to the high winds and storm damage. A tree has come down on the North Shore (wooden board walk) in the Mountain Bike Skills Area, and there may be trees down on other parts of the trails. The team will continue to check for storm damage and report this to the tree team, but it will likely take more time than usual for these to be cleared from the trails due to the high number of trees down elsewhere, and trees down over roads taking priority.

Lochside and Cockleroy car parks remain closed due to fallen trees. If you are visiting the Park after the weather warning has ended, please exercise caution when using the trails as there may still be trees down awaiting clearance. Thank you for your patience, an update will be posted once we have more information about the storm damage.

Please be advised that the mountain bike trails are currently not safe to ride due to the high winds. Several trees have come down today in Beecraigs, including along part of the Mountain Bike Red Loop 2 near the southern boundary, the climb up to the bomb hole, and around the drop zone. It is likely that there may be more trees down on other parts of the trails.

Please exercise caution if returning to the Park after the weather warning has ended, as there may still be trees down over trails which will take time to deal with. These will be reported to the tree team and will be removed as soon as possible. Thank you.

Please see the attached post - Forth Valley Orienteers are holding a large event in the Park on Saturday 18th March and the mountain bike drop zone will be temporarily closed to visitors until 4.30pm on the same day. Maps included below.

MOUNTAIN BIKE DROP ZONE UPDATE: Please be advised that the Tree & Woodland team have dealt with the fallen tree which was blocking part of a trail within the Mountain Bike Drop Zone. The tape has been removed and this route is now open again. Thank you.

DAMAGE TO MOUNTAIN BIKE DROP ZONE - Please be advised that there is a tree down across a trail within the MTB Drop Zone area (shown on attached map and photos). This has been reported to our Trees & Woodlands team and has been temporarily taped off until the tree has been removed. Please exercise caution when using the Drop Zone. Update to follow. Thank you.

DAMAGE TO MTB SKILLS AREA TRAIL - Please be advised that the fallen trees have now been removed from the MTB Skills Area and the Red Route 2. However, part of the trail in the MTB Skills Area has sustained damage from the upturned tree. This will be repaired as soon as possible and a cone and sign have been placed at the point of damage - please exercise caution when using this route. Update to follow, thank you.

Please be advised that there are fallen trees blocking parts of trails in the Mountain Bike Skills Area and the Red Route 2, as shown on the map below. These have been reported to our trees team and will be removed as soon as possible. Update to follow. Thank you.