More than 14,000 people have used mountain bike trails on the Glenlivet Estate – surpassing targets set for the first year of operation for the Moray tourist attraction.
The Crown Estate’s trails, known as BikeGlenlivet, opened in November last year at a cost of £600,000.
The aim was to reach 10,000 cyclists in its opening year but the target was met after just nine months.
The attraction features two mountain bike trails, a cafe and a bike hire and equipment centre.
The cafe, owned by local couple Dianne Dunlop and Steve Sacks, includes home cooked fare, which the management believe is proving a key factor in the popularity of the destination.
The Crown Estate has also recently added a pump track, an area which is designed for cycling without pedalling.
It can serve either as a warm up for riders or as an alternative for children.
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead, who attended the opening last year, said: “Since the Glenlivet Estate opened, I have taken the opportunity to visit several times, there are always good numbers using both the trail and the cafe.
“It is great to see the Glenlivet trail proving such a success in supporting local tourism and jobs in the area”.
The attraction was also given a four-star rating from tourism body VisitScotland.
Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland regional director, said: “In the year when Scotland has welcomed the world with a line-up of global events, including the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and the second Year of Homecoming, it is encouraging to hear that our attractions are also doing so well.”
Crown Estate manager for Glenlivet, Vicky Hilton, said: “We wanted the bike trails to be a fun day out so we have worked at providing additional facilities beyond the trails themselves, such as the pump track.
“Dianne and Steve have made a huge success of the Coffee Still cafe where the quality of the home-cooking seems to rate as highly as the cycling.
“We are delighted that so many people have discovered the natural beauty of the Glenlivet Estate while doing something that is both exciting and active. We’re very pleased and proud to be providing the best visitor experience we can.”