Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival announced Bike Race

Festival goers at this year's Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival will get the chance to enter a mountain bike race for all ages. The two day festival of music and performing arts willhost 'Sweaty Bella' on Saturday 8th August, a race through the beautiful Highland woodlands of Belladrum Estate which hosts the event.

The race is only open to festival ticket-holders, and has been designed by Steve Macdonald from Square Wheels (Strathpeffer), the people behind the gruelling annual 24 hour Strathpuffer race. The course will be timed laps over three miles and will last about two hours. There will be a race for 10 to 14-year-olds, and 15-year-olds and over.

Riders will encounter a mix of forest road, single track paths and wooden features. Registrations (£10 plus booking fee and postage) will be able to be made via the festival web site (here) in advance, or participants may register on the day if there are places left. Besides the two main races, a variety of other prizes will be on offer.

Steve Macdonald. said, "I'm keen on my music so I've been going to Belladrum for years and Square Wheels even sponsors the Potting Shed stage there. It occurred to me at last year’s event that a mountain bike competition on the Saturday morning would be the perfect way to clear away the cobwebs from any excesses on Friday night and set up an appetite for more of the Loch Fyne oysters on offer on the Saturday."

Festival co-promoter Joe Gibbs added, "We can truly say we're a biker festival now! I'm delighted to add yet another string to Bella's bow and to have such an experienced afficianado of mountain bike racing running the event. It fits totally with our all-ages ethos and from a green perspective, it may encourage some people to come under their own steam."

'Sweaty Bella', a new community organisation supported by local volunteers was awarded a grant by the lottery-funded scheme, Awards For All. The event is working with the national children and young people's charity Barnardos and hopes to provide training opportunities in the building of the track and running the event. An organiser said: "We hope this will lead to a small group of six - eight young people learning a lot of useful skills, moving into work and being able to live independently."

A secure area for bikes will be provided as it is not permitted to ride them in the festival arena.

Belladrum's musical line-up includes headliners Editors, and Ocean Colour Scene, plus a raft of other acts including The Saw Doctors, Shed Seven, British Sea Power, Seth Lakeman, Alabama 3, Sons & Daughters, Glen Tilbrook & The Fluffers, The Peatbog Faeries, Lau, Treacherous Orchestra, Transglobal Underground, Tommy Reilly, DeVotchka, The Phantom Band, 3 Daft Monkeys, Edward II, The Wallbirds, Kid Carpet, Sam Isaac, The Lost Brothers, and Scooty & The Skyhooks.

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival will take place at Belladrum Estate, by Beauly, Inverness-shire on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August 2009.

Early bird prices for weekend tickets are priced at £80 with adult Saturday tickets priced at £50 (plus postage and booking fees) with children 12 and under can attend for free.

To buy tickets, click here.

Belladrum offers plenty of interest aside from the music, including an array of entertainment for children. Attractions include street theatre, cabaret, cinema, dance, alternative therapies, stalls, food and drink.

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