It’s only three and a half kilometres long. It will cost a total of £1.5 million – which sounds a daft public sector contract price, however worthwhile the path.
It will provide a traffic-free route between the village communities of Strathyre and Kingshouse. It will provide access to existing routes in the area.
£750k from Transport Scotland will be allocated to Sustrans Scotland, who will work with Forestry Commission Scotland and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – which will provide match funding of £750k – to construct the 3.5km cycle path.
Transport Minister Keith Brown says: ‘This new cycle path will provide a traffic free route between the communities of Strathyre and Kingshouse. It will allow residents the opportunity to walk and cycle as part of their everyday journeys and provide access to existing routes in the surrounding areas.
‘The Scottish Government is committed to investing in cycling infrastructure, training and road safety projects through active partnerships with charities such as Sustrans to make Scotland a more active and healthy nation and increase the numbers of people choosing to cycle each day.’
The government is committed to the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland 2013, which, by 2020, aims to see 10% of all journeys made by bike.
John Lauder, National Director of Sustrans Scotland, says: ‘Sustrans Scotland is delighted to be delivering this project from Strathyre to Kingshouse. The new route will provide local people with an excellent off road facility to use on a daily basis, rather than using the busy trunk road.
‘We envisage that it will also prove popular with tourists from both home and abroad, especially given that this is such a scenic part of Scotland.’
Fiona Logan, CEO of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, says: ‘This important community and tourism route is something the local community have long campaigned for. This new link paves the way for further economic investment with potential new campsites and local businesses providing recreation facilities.’
Route 7 of the National Cycle Network is part of the Lochs and Glens route – a beautiful route linking Dumfries with Glasgow and onwards to Inverness, passing through Scotland’s two National Parks.
The route through the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park is largely traffic free, following disused railway lines and forest roads – with the exception of the section between Strathyre and Kingshouse, where a traffic free route was not possible when the route was constructed.