We have successfully secured £3,460,000 of Transport Scotland Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Funding to support the design and construction of a range of active travel projects across the region.
The Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Funding will support projects that aim to make walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding safer, easier and more attractive for everyday journeys, while improving connections between communities and supporting local businesses and the visitor economy.
Projects aligned to Active Travel Strategy
The successful bid follows a considerable team effort by our Active Travel and Transport Team and Design Team, with the projects aligning to our Active Travel Strategy.
Councillor Jenny Linehan, Executive Member for Environment, Sustainability and Transport
“This is a significant funding award for the Scottish Borders and reflects the ambition we have to make active travel a realistic and attractive choice for more people.
“These projects will help improve connections between our towns and villages, support healthier and more sustainable everyday journeys and make it easier for residents and visitors to move around the Borders by walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding.”
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Steven Flynn
“I am pleased that around £3.5 million from the Scottish Government will support Scottish Borders Council’s ambitious plans to improve active travel connections across the region – making it easier and safer for people to walk, wheel, and cycle for everyday journeys.
“Projects like these help connect communities, support healthier lifestyles, strengthen local economies and encourage more sustainable travel choices for residents and visitors alike.
“This investment forms part of the Scottish Government’s wider commitment to active and sustainable travel, with £226 million being invested this year. This will help deliver high-quality infrastructure and give people right across Scotland more opportunities to choose active travel as part of their daily lives.”
Construction projects
Projects set to receive construction funding include:
- Eddleston Water Bridge to Fotheringham Bridge (River Tweed Trail - Peebles Section), continuing the River Tweed Trail project and providing a shared use path from the Tweed Valley Railway Path through Peebles to Haylodge Park, subject to planning.
- Lauder to Oxton – remaining phases (4B, 5A and 5C), supporting the final works on the shared use path, subject to planning permission, landowner negotiations and other required consents.
- Lowood Care Village path connection – creating a 210-metre walking and wheeling path connecting the main access road to the Care Village and providing a direct link from the estate’s main entrance to Tweedbank Train Station.
- Drygrange to Leaderfoot Active Travel Corridor – deliver a 1.3-kilometre shared-use active travel route between Drygrange and the Old Drygrange Bridge at the Leaderfoot Viaduct, completing a key active travel parallel to the A68 trunk road, subject to final consents.
- St Abbs to Coldingham Coastal Path, upgrading the existing narrow Berwickshire coastal path to a 2-metre wide walking and wheeling path, subject to necessary consents.
Design projects
Projects set to receive design funding include:
- Hawick to Selkirk Active Travel Corridor, supporting the continued development and detailed design of a proposed active travel route between Hawick and Selkirk.
- Hawick to Denholm Active Travel Corridor, supporting the continued development and detailed design of a proposed active travel route between Hawick and Denholm.
- Peebles to Penicuik, supporting a feasibility study into a potential connection between Peebles and the Midlothian boundary, building on active travel infrastructure between Peebles, Eddleston and Shiplaw.
- Borders Greenway, progressing detailed design work on the Chirnside to Reston section as part of the wider ambition to develop a route between Tweedbank and Eyemouth.
All work on the projects is expected to be completed by 31 March 2027.
We will continue to provide updates as individual projects progress through the required planning, consent and delivery stages.