Major £80k investment for walking and cycling
An investment of £82,640 has been secured to develop heritage-based walking and cycling itineraries across eastern Perthshire.
Paths for All, the Cairngorms National Park, NatureScot and Perth and Kinross Council, together with the Cateran Ecomuseum directors, have committed to the funding.
‘Travel for All Our Tomorrows’ kickstarts a campaign to position the region as “one of Scotland’s premier carfree holiday destinations”.
The regenerative tourism campaign encourages people to rethink how they travel for leisure and how they enjoy the places they choose to travel to in ways that ensure those places are available for future generations.
The project will work with local communities and businesses in the Ecomuseum area during 2021, to codesign and promote nine new self-guided and guided cycling and walking itineraries for all abilities.
Pete Crane, head of visitor services for the Cairngorms National Park, said: “The latest Cairngorms National Park visitor survey shows that 57 per cent of our visitors – that’s 1.2 million people each year – want to enjoy a low level walk with great things to experience, with well over a quarter of a million enjoying a bike ride.
“This project offers so much for visitors; the chance to safely, responsibly and slowly enjoy the amazing culture of Cateran Country and the southern
Cairngorms in a way that brings our heritage to life.
“[It is] a great way to explore one of the quieter parts of the Highlands, along with the chance to meet and chat with those of us who live here and want to share our love of this amazing place.”
The cycling itineraries for Travel for All Our Tomorrows will be designed by Markus Stitz of Bikepacking Scotland, who has successfully worked with other destinations in Scotland to develop cycling routes, most recently in the neighbouring Highland Perthshire region.
“I am looking forward to working with the Cateran Ecomuseum on this forwardthinking project,” he said.
“Cycling is a key driver to establish a more sustainable, regenerative approach to tourism in Scotland and, driven by working actively with local stakeholders, can provide activities that have very low impact on the environment and add a long-term income stream to the local economy.
“Scotland is a land with incredible natural assets and a rich history, and Bikepacking Scotland’s vision is to provide people with ideas to harvest this potential.”