Ariane Burgess, the Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands has welcomed the announcement of funding for 12 new active travel projects across Highland, Shetland and the Western Isles as well as the Cairngorms National Park.
The funding is part of a new £20 million Scottish Government investment package in walking, wheeling and cycling for Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities.
It comes on top of £35m which already goes direct to local authorities for active travel.
The funding was announced by the Scottish Greens Minister for Active Travel, Patrick Harvie MSP in a debate in Parliament last week.
The Highlands will benefit from more than £1.2m of funding with £630,000 to support active travel links from Dulnain Bridge to Grantown-on-Spey and £600,000 to support Phase 2 of the Beauly to Inverness active travel link.
Ariane Burgess MSP said:
“I am delighted that we are delivering this investment and helping to build greener, safer and more accessible communities for people in the Highlands & Islands.
“We can ask people to walk, wheel and cycle – but if our streets are dangerous, our pavements blocked off or our traffic too congested and fast, they will not.
“That’s why this kind of infrastructure is so vital.
“The Dulnain Bridge to Grantown off-road active travel route will make a big difference to people in the Cairngorms, enabling the local community and visitors to avoid the busy A95 and safely access the new distillery.
“It’s fantastic to see the hard work of Dulnain Bridge Community Development Trust who’ve been working on this project for more than five years being rewarded.
“It’s not just in the Highlands & Islands though.
“We are building a greener and safer Scotland.
“With Scottish Greens in government, we have committed to delivering record funding for active travel by 2024/25 as a result of the plan between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government.
“I am proud of the work we are doing in the Highlands & Islands and across the country to build neighbourhoods and streets that work for people”
