More than £23 million in new Scottish Government funding is being invested in projects to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and more accessible for everyday journeys across the Highlands and beyond.
Scotland’s seven Regional Transport Partnerships, including HITRANS, will share £23.45 million through the People and Place programme, supporting projects designed to get more people moving in greener, healthier ways.
The aim is simple.
To help communities, schools and workplaces across the country make active travel the easy choice for short, local journeys.
For rural and remote areas, that shift could be transformational.
Funding will support everything from safer school routes and local travel hubs to workplace cycling schemes and accessible infrastructure for people with mobility challenges.
In the Highlands and Islands, the opportunities are particularly significant.
From winding country roads to small-town centres, the funding could help tailor active travel projects to suit local geography and lifestyles, while supporting better public transport links and greener alternatives to the car.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop, who visited an active travel hub in West Lothian to announce the funding, said the investment is about giving people safer, healthier choices.
“Making it easier and safer to walk, wheel and cycle helps people take control of how they get around their community,” she said.
“Projects like the Walking Bus we’ve seen in Armadale give young people the skills and confidence to travel actively and independently, while reducing congestion and emissions around schools.”
The programme is expanding in 2025 to include sustainable travel projects like demand-responsive buses, car and cycle-sharing schemes and local travel hubs.
This shift towards joined-up, community-first transport is particularly welcome in rural areas, where traditional services often fall short of what people need.
HITRANS Director Ranald Robertson said the programme builds on early success and gives local areas more power to shape what works for them.
“We are delighted to continue developing this partnership with Transport Scotland and local authorities,” he said.
“These projects will help meet real needs in Highland schools, workplaces and communities, making greener travel a more practical, everyday option.”
Local initiatives supported in previous rounds include The Bikery in Huntly, which repairs and recycles bikes for affordable reuse, and projects encouraging more girls to cycle confidently in their own neighbourhoods.
The new funding is part of a wider £188 million active and sustainable travel investment in 2025–26.
With support from the People and Place programme, communities across the Highlands and Islands are better placed to make low-carbon journeys a normal part of everyday life.
