Helping More People Benefit from Safe and Sustainable Active Travel
A series of locally-led projects across the Highlands and Islands is encouraging growing numbers of people to walk, wheel and cycle more safely in their communities.
Schemes including primary school cycle training, refurbishing old bikes, workplace cycle fleets and commuter journey planning are supporting active travel in many areas.
As well as providing health, environmental and economic benefits, the greater use of green travel is also helping address the affordability, availability and accessibility of rural transport for employment and training.
Supported through the Scottish Government-funded People and Place Programme and Transport to Employment funds, new awards totalling more than £560,000 are helping 12 projects in Moray, Highland, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute.
The funds are distributed by the Highlands and Islands regional transport partnership (HITRANS) and managed via Transport Scotland.
HITRANS’ active travel manager Vikki Trelfer said: “The projects being supported are making a real difference in many rural and islands communities.
“Local initiatives are giving thousands of people of all ages the means, the confidence and the skills to choose active travel as a safe and sustainable transport option.”
The 12 community-based organisations funded are:
Argyll and Bute
Adventure Oban (£56,710.51). Community cycling and walking events, school walking and cycling, route mapping with pupils and Argyll and Bute Council, and the expansion of active travel initiatives for children in Mull, Coll and Tiree.
Argyll Countryside Trust (ACT) (£48,209.68) Refurbishment of bikes, reducing landfill and increasing access to affordable bicycles, plus teaching school pupils bicycle maintenance skills and providing organisations with fleets of bicycles.
Dunoon Community Development Trust (£18,515). Community bicycle maintenance and training and community walking events.
Keeping it Local Campbeltown (£20,000). Training of bike mechanic, active travel plan for future infrastructure improvements, real-time active travel prompts and safe routes maps displayed by digital signage networks in Kintyre area.
Positive Pedals (£59,970). Bike refurbishment on Bute, bike maintenance workshops, led walks and rides, school active travel workshops and a community-led active travel masterplan.
Highland
Clach Cycle CIC, Inverness (£54,855.20). Delivery of community bike maintenance sessions and management of e-cargo hire bike fleet.
SPIN Project, Strathspey (£38,830). Training volunteers in bike mechanics through a bike refurbishment project.
Flip of the Coin, Alness (£23,500). Guided walks, led group rides and cycle training, volunteer training in bike maintenance, cycling skills and route planning.
Velo City, Inverness (£15,380). One-to-one and small group cycling sessions and cycling skills development to build confidence for commuting.
Fort William Bike Shed (LEG) (£92,007). Bike refurbishment and sales, community cycle and tool library, volunteering, maintenance training, ‘Fix Your Own Bike’ service, community group, employer, school and nursery active travel support.
Moray
Outfit Moray (£77,360). Continuing delivery of Bikeability cycling training across Moray primary schools.
Western Isles
The Embark Community Activities Project, Volunteering Hebrides (£54,250). Bicycle and equipment loans, rides and training, in addition to group led walks, cycles and supported volunteering opportunities.
CASE STUDY – Outfit Moray
Outfit Moray delivers an inclusive, progressive cycle programme in all 44 primary schools in Moray, in partnership with Moray Council, Cycling Scotland and HITRANS.
Working with school staff and parents, it also provides a substantial programme of outdoor learning and adventure activities to give every pupil the opportunity to develop their cycle skills and become active travellers.
Since 2019, Outfit Moray has seen a 340% increase in school engagement in Bikeability, with more than 3,500 pupils reached last year through cycling sessions.
All schools engage in Bikeability 1 and 2, Learn to Cycle, and Dr Bike activities and community support has expanded, with Dr Bike sessions and public events now reaching even more people.
There has also been a rise in demand for inclusive cycling, with over 100 adapted cycling sessions delivered in the past 18 months.
New funding will support the delivery of a series of activities including-
*30 inclusive cycling sessions in schools, helping more pupils develop their independence, confidence and physical skills.
*60 sessions offering free bike safety checks and minor repairs to ensure children’s bikes are safe and fit for purpose.
*30 Learn to Cycle sessions and 45 Bikeability Level 1 sessions to develop children’s bike control skills, journey preparation and the importance of sharing spaces responsibility with others.
*45 instructor-led rides with schools
Overall, Outfit Moray has over 20,000 attendances per year by children, young people, families and adults across the four main projects it runs, making it a vibrant part of the Moray community.
Lynne Jamieson, depute head at Mosstodloch Primary School, said: “Bikeability is a fantastic way for pupils to gain confidence on two wheels, whether they’re just learning to cycle or already know the basics.
“Outfit Moray has provided the training for all our pupils here at Mosstodloch Primary – most recently our littlest P1/2 learners. It has helped every child take part and develop safe cycling skills.
“One of the best things about Bikeability with Outfit Moray is how inclusive it is—everyone gets the chance to ride, build independence, and enjoy being active outdoors.
“It’s not just about cycling; it’s about giving kids the freedom and confidence to get around safely.
“The staff from Outfit Moray get to know the needs of each child in a short space of time and find ways to communicate with the kids and they make sure the children all have an amazing time with them whether they are learning to ride, doing Bikeability 1, 2 or led rides beyond and we see more and more pupils cycling to school each year
“It’s an amazing package and Bike Week with Outfit Moray is one of the highlights of our school year – we love it!”
CASE STUDY – Lochaber Environment Group’s Fort William Bike Shed
Lochaber Environment Group’s Fort William Bike Shed helps people overcome barriers to cycling including cost, accessibility and maintenance to help them replace short car journeys.
The charity is experiencing growing demand for bikes and other support, including refurbished cycles that are sold at affordable prices or re-homed for free on referral from partner agencies.
Bike library loans with a focus on access to employment and accessibility are also increasing in popularity.
This year the shed is continuing to develop its Fix-Your-Own-Bike (FYOB) and Build-Your-Own Bike schemes, using mostly recycled or refurbished parts, as well as Dr Bike safety checks in communities, schools, nurseries and work places.
It is in its second year delivering SQA National 3 qualification in cycle maintenance via Lochaber High, supported by HITRANS and the People and Places Programme.
It is also continuing as a referral partner in HITRANS’ HI-BIKE Inclusive Cycle Scheme, enabling people living in Fort William to receive a non-standard or adapted bike to keep and use exclusively for up to a year for a monthly fee.
The organisation is working on increasing its reach in Lochaber by working with rural community groups to support development of active travel and e-bike schemes.
In addition, LEG is developing its young people’s volunteering programme, workplace cycle support and fleet maintenance for schools, nurseries and workplaces.
Demand for all aspects of the project has grown in recent years.
During 2025-26, a total of 70 individuals used the ‘Fix Your Own Bike’ service, attending 147 FYOB appointments and amounting to 338 hours of workshop time.
Volunteers have also increased, with 32 involved in bike refurbishments in 2025-26, providing 1,275 hours of their time to the project.
189 bikes were donated to the project in 2025/6, 138 sold on following refurbishment and 32 rehomed free of charge following a referral.
One owner of a newly-refurbished bike said: “The bike is great, thank you. It’s been nicely repaired and is just what I need.
“Emma Walters at Lochaber Environmental Group and her colleagues were efficient, friendly and helpful. The Bike Shed Project seems to be a very good idea. Long may it continue.”
Another user of a loan bike said: “It makes managing family life and getting out in the outdoors so much easier and more accessible, especially if you aren’t in the lucky position to buy products outright.”
CASE STUDY – Adventure ObanAdventure Oban is building on the success of its Active Routes to School project.
It works with schools, parents, local authorities and community groups in and around Oban to encourage children and teenagers to travel to school by foot, bike, or other non-motorised means.
New funding will help continue the momentum of initiatives which are bridging the gap between knowing it is healthy to walk/cycle to school and actually doing so.
This is being achieved by addressing safety concerns that may previously have held back families.
Over the last year, 2,473 participants took part in 95 sessions, activities and events across 11 primary schools, Oban High School and in the wider community.
Active travel maps developed by pupils are making it safer and easier for young people to get to and from school.
Under this scheme, students pinpointed barriers, including busy roads and lack of pavements on rural routes, and solutions such as traffic-free shortcuts and crossings with traffic lights.
They also identified five, 10 and 20-minute safe journeys from school using the maps which were printed in leaflets to share with families.
Maps are now displayed in Rockfield, Park, Dunbeg, Lochnell, St Columba’s and Taynuilt primaries, with plans for Taynuilt and Dunbeg to follow suit later this year.
Plans for the coming year include
*Health walks
*12 adult cycle training events
*Three community cycling events
*A community walking celebration.
Emma Rossiter, Principal Teacher at Park Primary School, said: “Our engagement with the Active Routes to Schools project has encouraged pupils to think more deeply about their local environment and their own travel choices and the impact they have.
“It has supported them in recognising that walking and wheeling are realistic options, and it has begun helpful conversations between the school, pupils and families about active travel opportunities and challenges.”
Adventure Oban has also worked with LiveArgyll’s Active Schools team and Taynuilt Primary School to trial a ‘walking bus’. This encourages more children to walk to school safely, promoting healthy exercise and reduces traffic around schools.
These initiatives have combined with Bikeability cycle training and maintenance sessions.
Partnering again with LiveArgyll, Adventure Oban supported sessions at four schools last year.
In addition, Dr Bike sessions at six schools saw a trained mechanic check over pupils’ bikes before training sessions.
More than 113 children’s bikes have been inspected as part of the pre-Bikeability checks.
Together, the various initiatives help pupils feel ‘road ready’ and give them a sense of responsibility for their own safety.
This year around 3,000 pupils will benefit from-
*Bikeability sessions at mainland and islands schools.
*Dr Bike sessions at 10-12 schools
*Walking/cycling buses for 2-4 schools
*Parent information sessions at 3-5 schools
*Regular bike repair sessions at Oban High School and 3-4 sessions each at 3-5 primaries
*Active travel linked sessions at 7-10 schools.
A parent at Dunbeg Primary School said: “By combining expert Bikeability training with a collaborative safe route mapping project, they have given our pupils more than just skills—they’ve given them the confidence to use them.
“Mapping out the safest ways to walk to school has great potential to help our families see their neighbourhood in a new light. It’s been a pleasure to see our students take ownership of their journeys.”
CASE STUDY – The Embark Community Activities Project
The Embark Community Activities Project in Stornoway provides life-changing support to vulnerable or disadvantaged people by removing barriers to accessing walking, wheeling and cycling.
Launched more than eight years ago, the group offers practical and emotional support, unavailable elsewhere else, in remote island communities.
The new funding will help deliver walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives to allow more people, who would otherwise miss out, use sustainable transport methods for short journeys.
It is anticipated around 400-500 participants will be supported by some 50 volunteers over the year.
Projects include free, short and long-term bike loans from a fleet of e-bikes, pushbikes, specially adapted e-tandems and trikes.
More than 80 children’s bikes, plus safety equipment will be loaned for free from a children’s cycle library, which families can swap for a larger bike when outgrown.
Embark also provides cycle ride leader training for new volunteers and support for employers to be cycling friendly.
Other activities include family and mixed-ability cycling sessions, women-only cycling groups and small or one-to-one On Yer Bike sessions to help people gain or regain confidence.
The group also holds weekly mixed ability walking and wheeling groups, including beach cleans and nature spotting-themed events, as well as step count and walking to work challenges.
Volunteers are offered walk leader training and the group loans out a power chair and mobility scooter.
A series of new initiatives are also planned, supported by the new funding, including:
*Cycle maintenance sessions in communities
*Bike mechanic training for volunteers in maintenance and repairs
*Partnering with HITRANS and a primary school to facilitate a ‘bike bus,’ by providing children without a bike with a free loan from the cycle library
*Refurbishment of bikes in need of repair
*Helping job seekers access transport to work through walking and wheeling activities, including free loans of bikes, cycling confidence building sessions, scooter and power chair loans and support for volunteering and training opportunities.
Volunteering Hebrides’ Social Development Manager Ruth Miller said: “We are very grateful to HITRANS for its support of The Embark Community Activities Project.
“We will use this funding to deliver a much-needed, varied programme of walking, wheeling and cycling activities.
“Through these initiatives, we will provide people of all ages and abilities with the practical support and encouragement they need so they can choose to walk, wheel and cycle more, especially those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged.”