The first phase of the Eddleston Water Path was officially opened in June with a community event at the Barony Hotel followed by a procession down Station Road to the start of the path.

At the ceremony, Scottish Borders Council confirmed the award of additional government funding to complete the path from Eddleston north to the Shiplaw junction.

This extension will run along the wide verge alongside the northbound  A703 – the main road out of Eddleston heading to Leadburn.  The red line on the map opposite shows the approximate location.   Preliminary works are expected to start in early October and it is hoped to complete construction by the spring.

We’ve added the full set of plans as a pdf download.

About the Funding

The Active Travel Transformation Fund is investing £20 million directly to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities – working in partnership with Transport Scotland – to deliver active travel infrastructure schemes across Scotland.  This means that the funding is ring-fenced for schemes that meet the criteria and couldn’t be redirected to other road priorities such as resurfacing, white lining or other safety measures.

When he announced the funding in June, Patrick Harvie said: “Later this summer, Scotland will be the cycling centre of the world with the first ever cycling world championships being hosted here. I want to make sure that the excitement around those elite events is matched by our ambition for everyday walking, wheeling and cycling. That is why I am just as excited about what we can do to deliver more safe, segregated and accessible infrastructure and make it easier for more people to do so.”