Thousands of people across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are set to benefit from over £2 million in funding aimed to support walking, wheeling, cycling and sustainable travel.
£2.1m of funding was awarded to the region from Transport Scotland’s People and Place programme after a successful bid by Nestrans. Nestrans is now working with experienced local partners to deliver projects that will bring advantages to your community.
Here are nine ways people across the north east can benefit:
Join led walks and bike rides: Participate in guided walks and bike rides designed to promote physical activity and well-being. With sessions run by The Aberdeenshire Bothy and Connecting Communities Aberdeen both from Cycling UK.
Access cycling sessions tailored for all abilities: With inclusive and adaptive cycling sessions running across the region, more people can enjoy the benefits of cycling, with Grampian Inclusive Cycling Bothies.
Clear out unwanted bikes or find a new one: Take advantage of the north east’s bike repair, re-use and recycling scheme to clear out your old bikes, find a low cost new one, and learn to repair with free workshops. Thanks to Stella’s Voice and The Bikery.
Brush up on your cycling skills: Scottish Cycling’s Rock Up & Ride Projects will be running in Aberdeen and in Ellon, plus various schools in Aberdeen city will benefit from Learn to Bike and Bikeability Sessions, plus Bike Doctor maintenance sessions, all from Sport Aberdeen.
Learn how to maintain your bike: With hands-on cycle maintenance training sessions, from partners including Tyred ‘n’ Cranky and The Bikery.
Safely store your bike:
- Tenants in four high-rise multi-storey housing in Aberdeen will benefit from new secure bike storage facilities.
- Additional cycle parking will also be introduced at Aberdeenshire schools, town centres and rural bus stops.
Borrow a bike: Want to see if cycling is for you? Borrow a bike from local bike libraries, making cycling more accessible to everyone, with projects from Cycling UK, Cycling Scotland, Sport Aberdeen and Ythan Cycling Club.
Boost your walking with initiatives for communities and schools: Engage in initiatives and activities that encourage walking, promoting a healthier lifestyle, thanks to Walking Communities from Walking Scotland.
See the benefits to small projects in our communities: Community-led projects funded by the Community Project Grant Fund, will benefit from almost £70,000. These include small but vital projects like community mini-buses, hospital transport schemes, paths projects and more.
The funding is supporting over 30 different projects, delivered by 22 local delivery partners. Nestrans, both councils and partners are all pulling together to encourage active and sustainable travel, to make it more accessible to young people, schools, communities and workplaces.
Project partners include Sport Aberdeen, Scottish Cycling, Walking Scotland, Cycling UK, Gordon Rural Action, Stella’s Voice, Huntly Development Trust and Tyred ‘n’ Cranky. In addition, further projects are also being led by Nestrans, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership.
Councillor Michael Hutchison, chair of Nestrans, said:
“Nestrans is very pleased to have secured over £2 million of funding for the north east, thanks to Transport Scotland and the People and Place Programme. We are building on our strong network of partners who are passionate about supporting people across the region to walk, wheel, cycle or travel sustainably. There are some fantastic projects this year, particularly on a community level that we’re delighted to support, and I look forward to hearing about their progress.”
Whether you are looking to join a walk, get your bike repaired or boost your cycling confidence, you can find out what is available across the north east at https://www.nestrans.org.uk/projects/people-and-place-2025-26/