There were celebrations in Crieff this week as a new £378,000 active travel route was officially opened.

The 326m long Oakbank to MacRosty Park All Abilities Link Path was declared open by Mr Stephen Leckie, Chair and Chief Executive Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels and Chair of VisitScotland.

The development of the path is a long-held aspiration of Crieff Community Trust and will provide a safe, accessible, year-round active travel route for a wide range of users, many of whom were in attendance for the official opening ceremony.

The path is the second phase of the wider project to establish and upgrade the offroad active travel links between Crieff and Comrie and has been delivered on behalf of CCT by Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) and Transport, Planning & Engineering Ltd (TP&E).

The new all ability route climbs gradually from the Turretbank end of the iconic Lady Mary’s Walk in the Strathearn town up onto the disused Crieff-Comrie railway line, where it follows the disused embankment before joining up with the existing core path network south of Laggan Road.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chair of CCT, Ailsa Campbell, said:

“Providing this new facility has been a long-held ambition of CCT and we are thrilled to be opening it today – and delighted that so many different path users are able to be with us to celebrate. Getting to this point has been a huge collaborative effort and has only been made possible thanks to the generosity of local landowners, our funding partners, the design and project management teams, the contractors, and the patience of our community, all of which we are very grateful for. It is a great example of how collaborative, partnership working can affect real, positive change for communities.Everything that CCT does – including its paths projects – is guided by the aspirations set out in the Community Action Plan for the town, which was compiled following an extensive community consultation process.

This project is the second phase of the wider plan to establish and upgrade the offroad active travel links between Crieff and Comrie which will serve the community for years to come and strengthens the area’s resilience for the future.”

 

The project was funded primarily by the Scottish Government via an award from Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’s (formerly Sustrans) Network Development programme. Additional funding has been provided by The Gannochy Trust, Walking Scotland’s Ian Findlay Path Fund (funded by the Scottish Government), The Hugh Fraser Foundation, The Mushroom Trust, The Barrack Charitable Trust and Perth and Kinross Council’s Community Environment Challenge Fund.

Chris Brace, Principal Network Development Manager at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, said:

“Active travel is good for our physical, mental and social health. It also improves air quality, reduces road danger and helps bring communities together. At Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, we’re working to make it possible for more people to walk, wheel and cycle, both by delivering projects on the ground and influencing policy at a national level. We want to see connected, thriving neighbourhoods where everyone can move around with ease, and this new link path provides a safe, accessible route for everyday journeys, as well as time outdoors with family and friends.

The route forms part of the wider aspirational National Cycle Network Route 775, with ongoing ambitions to create a fully connected route between Lochearnhead and Crieff. It sits within a broader, community-led programme to improve connectivity and accessibility across the area, where there is currently limited safe, off-road provision. Continued investment will help deliver a more accessible, joined-up network across Scotland and there is real excitement about the progress being made.”

The construction phase of the project got underway in November 2025 and was completed on schedule in March this year.

Graham McQueen, CEO, Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, commented:

“Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust is delighted to have contributed to the delivery of this project, which improves access to the beautiful Lady Mary’s Walk, allowing more people to enjoy this fantastic amenity. Investment in active travel routes such as this benefits local communities and supports healthier lifestyle choices, contributing to Scotland’s sustainability and net zero ambitions. It’s also really nice to have been able to repurpose former transport connections in the area in the creation of a new all-abilities route for today’s travellers. We want to help get people into the heart of the countryside and the countryside into the hearts of people, and it is projects like this that enable us to do just that.”

Rowena Colpitts from design consultants Transport, Planning & Engineering Ltd added:“We deliver active travel projects all over Scotland and we’re delighted to see this come to fruition after many years of work. The Oakbank to MacRosty Park Link Path provides a new year-round facility that is more resilient to flooding and water damage and is accessible to many different types of path users including walkers, runners, wheelchairs, pushchairs, and cyclists.”

Photos included courtesy of Clare McMicking on behalf of Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust