How an invasion in high-end lycra boosts our town

Thousands of cyclists head to Gatehouse for the Gralloch which started just three years ago [Red On Sports] When thousands of cyclists descend on a small town in the south of Scotland, locals say the town is overrun by athletes in "high end lycra". For one weekend a year Gatehouse of Fleet plays host to The Gralloch gravel race, which has become a major attraction since in launched in 2023. With about 3,000 cyclists expected to compete or try out the routes, they are expected to out-number local people three-to-one.

For the people who live and work there all year round it is a huge - and welcome - transformation of their normally peaceful place of residence. Mike Blakeman runs local cycling project The Wheels of Fleet, and will see professional riders join its weekly Friday school bike "bus" to inspire the next generation. "The Gralloch completely transforms Gatehouse of Fleet during the week of the event with thousands of cyclists descending on the town for the races, sportive or ultra race," he said.

"Many family members and visitors arrive to watch the excitement too. "The town is unrecognisable over the week, with so many visiting cyclists and a pop-up campsite arriving just outside the town. There is such a buzz around the Gralloch.

" He said that buzz extended beyond the weekend itself and boosted the economy all year round. "The bigger impact, though, is the huge number of cyclists that now visit Gatehouse across the year to ride the famous world championship Gralloch course for themselves," he said. Businesses like the Iron Brew cafe see a boost in customers thanks to the event [Red On Sports] According to Jonathan Henderson of The Ship Inn, the race has produced a similar year round draw to the Wigtown book festival in bringing people to a "remote corner of Scotland".