Trans Scotland: The 2007 TransScotland MTB Stage Race Across Scotland

The Trans Scotland — formally the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland ‘07, powered by Merida Bikes — was a seven-day mountain bike stage challenge held in southern Scotland from 25 May to 2 June 2007. Remembered by riders simply as the trans Scotland MTB week, it was the second event in the Trans-UK series, following the Merida TransWales of August 2006, and it sent around 245 riders on a loop out of Selkirk through the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, threading together the purpose-built 7stanes trail centres with long days of open-country riding.

The event no longer runs. What follows is a record of what it was, drawn from the material its organisers published at the time and from the daily reports filed during race week. The concept and format, the documented route and the full history of the 2007 edition each have their own detailed pages, and the event’s Welsh sibling is covered on the TransWales page.

What the Trans Scotland Was

Mountain bike stage races such as the TransAlp, the TransRockies and the Cape Epic had long sat at the top of many riders’ wish lists. The 2006 Merida TransWales brought that multi-day format to Britain for the first time, and its organisers — Mountain Bike Events Ltd, the team of Mike Wilkens and John Lloyd behind the Merida 100 marathon series — moved the concept north for 2007 to showcase the 7stanes trails.

Billed as “the 7 day MTB stage challenge”, the Trans Scotland MTB stage race ran from 25 May to 2 June 2007. Registration, bike checks and a pasta party took place at the Rugby Club in Selkirk on Saturday 26 May, and the first stage rolled out at 9am on Sunday 27 May. Seven riding days later, on Saturday 2 June, the race returned to the same rugby club for its finisher party. Early announcements spoke of a course of around 550 km; as run, the reports at the start and finish of race week put the total at 498 km (around 310 miles) with 14,100 m of climbing, all completed within the seven days.

Contemporary daily reports repeatedly described it as Britain’s toughest mountain bike challenge. It remains the only mountain bike race Scotland hosted under the Trans-UK banner.

A Seven-Day MTB Stage Race, Not a Seven-Day Sprint

The defining idea of the Trans Scotland MTB stage race was the split between two kinds of riding. Most of each day was an un-timed linking stage — a long point-to-point ride of roughly 45 km to just over 100 km, fully way-marked, ridden against a generous cut-off rather than the clock. Scattered through the week were four timed special stages, short time trials on purpose-built singletrack where the actual racing happened. The overall champions were decided by the special stages alone: the riders and teams with the shortest cumulative time across all four took the titles.

Riders entered solo or in teams of two, with the field capped at 300. Five sponsored categories were contested: the Scottish Tourism solo categories, the High5 mixed, the Gore veteran’s, the Buff female and the BeOne male category. Day winners were rewarded with prizes, and overall leaders wore leader jerseys presented each evening. Entry cost £425 per rider including VAT, which covered catered meals, luggage and tent transport between camps, camping, a finishing jersey and an event holdall. The full mechanics — route cards, time limits, penalties and the special-stage formats — are set out on the TransScotland concept page.

A Route Built on the 7Stanes Trails of Southern Scotland

The course plan, drawn up by Pete Laing — designer of the Selkirk round of the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series — used the 7stanes trail network as its backbone, with the support of Forestry Commission Scotland and the 7stanes team. Laing’s pre-event description promised Central Borders drove roads and hill tracks, coastal riding near Dalbeattie, the open country of Glentrool, exposed moorland by Wanlockhead, rooty woodland at Drumlanrig and large chunks of the Southern Upland Way.

As published a week before the start, the route ran Selkirk – Moffat – Drumlanrig – Castle Douglas – New Abbey – Moffat – Glentress – Selkirk, with special stages at the Drumlanrig, Dalbeattie, Mabie and Glentress trail centres. The stage-by-stage plan, the landmarks the daily reports recorded on the ground, and the points where the surviving record runs thin are all covered on the TransScotland stages page.

How the TransScotland 2007 Unfolded

The TransScotland began in drizzle on 27 May 2007, when 245 riders left a sleeping Selkirk for Moffat over three progressively tougher climbs, topping out just short of 678 m on Capell Fell before a long grass descent that TransAlp and TransRockies veteran Keith Bontrager — riding solo and reporting for MBUK — compared to a groomed ski piste.

The first special stage, a relay time trial on Drumlanrig’s root-laced singletrack, established the pecking order on day two. Dalbeattie’s 15 km team time trial followed on day four, Mabie’s relay on day five, and the deciding NiteRider night time trial at Glentress on the penultimate evening, where the fastest riders cleared the 10 km course in around 27 minutes by the light of their HID lamps. Between them lay the long linking days, including the 107 km haul from Drumlanrig to Dalbeattie — the longest of the week — and a final-day crossing from Glentress back to Selkirk over Minch Moor and the Southern Upland Way.

The field was international, with entries from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the USA, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium alongside the British core. A day-by-day account of the build-up and race week sits on the TransScotland history page.

Winners of the 2007 Trans Scotland

The overall titles were settled at the finish in Selkirk on 2 June 2007:

Bevis and Pugh arrived as defending TransWales champions and won every special stage in their category. Barlow's solo winning time, the reports noted, would have placed him a close second overall even in the team event — a measure of how tight the racing stayed all week.

The Trans Scotland and the TransWales

The Trans Scotland made no sense without its Welsh predecessor. The August 2006 Merida TransWales — 543 km and 15,990 m of climbing for 240 riders out of Builth Wells — proved that a week-long mountain bike race Scotland and Wales could sustain had a real audience in Britain, and its rider feedback persuaded the organisers to take the formula north. Chain Reaction Cycles came on board as title sponsor for the Scottish edition, with Merida Bikes continuing as bike sponsor.

At the 2007 finish, the organisers announced that the Trans-UK format would return to its birthplace in August 2008 for a second TransWales, provisionally 16–23 August from Builth Wells. The surviving record of the series documents no second TransScotland: the 2007 event stands as the only edition. The Welsh events are covered in full on the TransWales page, and the wider series on the MTB Trans UK home page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Trans Scotland?

The Trans Scotland (officially the Chain Reaction Cycles TransScotland '07, powered by Merida Bikes) was a seven-day mountain bike stage challenge held in southern Scotland from 25 May to 2 June 2007. It combined long un-timed linking stages with four timed special stages on 7stanes trail centres, and was the second event in the Trans-UK series after the 2006 TransWales.

When did the TransScotland take place?

Its published dates were 25 May to 2 June 2007. Registration was held at the Rugby Club in Selkirk on Saturday 26 May, the first stage started at 9am on Sunday 27 May, and the final stage finished back in Selkirk on Saturday 2 June 2007.

Where did the route start and finish?

Both start and finish were at the Rugby Club in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders. The route looped west and south through Moffat, Drumlanrig, Castle Douglas, New Abbey and back via Moffat and Glentress.

How long was the Trans Scotland route?

The race-week reports put the total at 498 km (around 310 miles) with 14,100 m of climbing over the seven stages. Earlier announcements had estimated around 550 km before the course was finalised.

Who won the 2007 TransScotland?

Ryan Bevis and Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) won the BeOne male team category in 47:12:23, defending their TransWales title. Andy Barlow and Meggie Bichard took the men's and women's solo categories, with further titles going to Rob Waller, Julie Dinsdale, Maddie and Jay Horton, Bryan Singleton and Peter Strong, and Julie Cartner and Renel Brennan.

Who organised the event?

Mountain Bike Events Ltd, the team of Mike Wilkens and John Lloyd behind the Merida Bikes MTB Marathon Series. Pete Laing designed the course, with support from Forestry Commission Scotland and the 7stanes team. Chain Reaction Cycles was title sponsor and Merida Bikes the bike sponsor.

Was there more than one TransScotland?

The surviving record documents only the 2007 edition. At the finish the organisers announced a return to Wales for a second TransWales in August 2008, and no later Scottish edition appears in the material that has been preserved.

How much did entry cost?

£425 per rider including VAT, paid as a £100 deposit (£50 non-refundable) with the balance of £325 due before 1 March 2007. The fee covered meals, luggage and tent transport, camping, course support, a finishing jersey and an event holdall.

What were the 7stanes?

The 7stanes were a network of purpose-built mountain bike trail centres across the south of Scotland, developed with Forestry Commission Scotland. The Trans Scotland used them as the backbone of its course, with special stages at Drumlanrig, Dalbeattie, Mabie and Glentress.

Did riders need lights?

Only for one stage: the night time trial at Glentress. Riders taking part in that special stage needed lights with a minimum burn time of 1.5 hours plus a backup light. No other stage, including all linking stages, required them.