A new section of the River Tweed Trail has, been completed and opened for people walking, wheeling and cycling in the Scottish Borders.
The path allows residents and those visiting the area to travel actively between Priorsford Bridge and Gytes Leisure Centre.
The new section connects Peebles Town centre into the recently upgraded path at Whitestone Park and the new toucan crossing over the A72 at Peebles Hydro, as well as linking into the wider Tweed Valley Railway path. This path provides a traffic-free route to the Glentress Mountain Biking Hub from the centre of Peebles.
Minor ongoing works will include the erection of signage and the installation of benches along the track so users can pause and take in the scenery along the Tweed.
The £220,000 project was funded by the Scottish Government and designed and delivered through a partnership with Sustrans.
The new route forms part of the 113-mile River Tweed Trail which is due to launch in 2028. The Trail will start in Moffat, passing the source of the River Tweed before finishing in Berwick-upon-Tweed where the river meets the sea. It will also connect to a proposed future rerouting of National Cycle Network Route 1.
Emilia Hanna at Sustrans Scotland said:
“We are so pleased to see the new section of path between Priorsford Bridge and Gytes Leisure Centre opened.
“This project is part of Sustrans’ wider work to make it easier for more people to walk, wheel and cycle for their everyday journeys.
“We hope that this will give residents and visitors to the area confidence to travel actively, which is good for our health, the planet and saves money”.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said:
“I welcome the completion of the new section of shared-use path on the River Tweed Trail, which has been completed thanks to £220,000 of funding from the Scottish Government.
“The path is enabling residents and visitors to Peebles to travel actively between Priorsford Bridge and Gytes Leisure Centre, including people from the mountain biking community visiting the Glentress Mountain Biking Hub – to explore Peebles and the surrounding areas safely and in an environmentally conscious way.
“The Scottish Government continues to make significant investments in active travel with over £155 million already allocated this year. This is helping to build a more active nation, where more people choose to walk, wheel and cycle for shorter everyday journeys and through the Budget for 2025-26, we intend to invest over £188 million to help people leave their cars at home and to choose healthier and greener transport options.”
Destination Tweed Project Director, Luke Fisher said:
“The River Tweed Trail is being created for the benefit of both visitors to the region and local people and we’re delighted that the work on this section is now completed and open for everyone to enjoy.”
Public Information Session
Members of the public are invited to an open public information session to meet the project team launching a consultation on the wider Active Travel proposal to discuss the designs for the section between Priorsford Footbridge and Fotheringham Footbridge in Haylodge Park.
The session is to be held at Go Tweed Valley, Visitor Centre on Peebles High Street on
Thursday 6 March 2025 between 2:00pm and 7:00pm.
The session has been arranged to gain feedback from local residents and any interested parties.
For those unable to attend the consultation event in person, an online survey will also go live on the Scottish Borders Council’s Citizen Space website on 6 March, which will be open for 2 weeks, to allow everyone to view the plans and have their say.
Destination Tweed features the creation of the 113-mile River Tweed Trail from Moffat, passing the source of the River Tweed to Berwick-upon-Tweed where the river meets the sea. The River Tweed Trail will be a new, largely off-road, linear long-distance route which will enable people to explore, enjoy and learn more about the cultural, natural and historical heritage associated with the river and its wider catchment.