Supporting active travel in Skye and Raasay

Work to promote and support active travel projects in Skye and Raasay is being backed by Highland Council.

An Active Travel budget for 2025/26 has been agreed and earmarked towards capital works for the area.

Monday’s meeting of the Isle of Skye and Raasay Committee noted ambitions for this resource to be used strategically to unlock additional investment, such as match funding from the Scottish Government.

A project officer has been appointed for an initial two-year period to assist in delivery of the identified projects.

They will work closely with a range of public sector partners and local community organisations to advance infrastructure projects, identify new or potential active travel development opportunities and improve access to public transport and sustainable travel options.

The Project Officer will also provide a coordinating role for active travel infrastructure projects defined and developed through the Skye and Raasay Futures Initiative (SARF).

Three key actions have been identified for more detailed exploration:

• Integrating bikes and buses – including cycle parking at bus stops and stations, and retrofitting buses for bike storage.
• A public cycle hire scheme.
• Ongoing support for a local cycle network.

The recently appointed Project Officer has undertaken a series of site/familiarisation visits covering potential projects and has met with key community groups through the Skye Active Travel Forum to understand their needs and priorities going forward.

There are some works within the Portree Active Travel Masterplan that have been identified as being feasible for delivery in the next year, subject to updated cost estimates and agreement with elected members.

These include work at Woodpark Road/A87 Roundabout crossings, Hedgefield Road signage and wayfinding, and Blaven Road/Home Farm Road junction minor improvements.

Several of the more major actions will require works along the trunk road network.

In these cases, officers will continue to progress discussions with colleagues in Transport Scotland and HITRANS.

The Skye Cycle Way and Skye Cycle Network projects are currently being taken forward by local communities with support from HITRANS.

Bids have been put forward to the Transport Scotland Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for the Skye Cycle Way, key initial section connecting Kyleakin with Broadford, as well as the Skye Cycle Network, Edinbane section, to connect the village with the campsite.

The Council is working closely with HITRANS on a range of Active Travel projects and will monitor opportunities to support these pieces of work where possible.

Additionally, a potential opportunity has been identified for the council to support works on the Old Sleat Road parallel to the A851, potentially providing another key piece of cycle route to be fully joined into the network at a later date.

Chair of the Skye and Raasay Committee, Cllr John Finlayson, said: “Supporting active travel is a commitment to make it easier, safer and more convenient for people to walk, wheel and cycle.

"This benefits individual health as well as our environment, so I welcome the work taking place in Skye and Raasay to encourage these projects.”

During Monday’s meeting members were also given an update on housing performance in the ward.

They were told that there had been a decrease in rent arrears, and a reduction in the numbers living in temporary accommodation over the past year.

Further business on the agenda included updates on new school projects in Dunvegan and Broadford, as well as on the ongoing refurbishment of Tigh na Sgire in Portree.

The building is being redeveloped as a co-location hub to accommodate a number of other agencies, as well as council departments.

Figures detailing income generated through pay and display car parks in the ward were also provided for the area committee.