Conservation & Access Projects Our access projects Comrie to Baird's Monument Comrie towards Baird's Monument Active Travel Project - FAQs What does Active Travel mean? Active travel means making journeys by physically active means such as walking, cycling or wheeling. These are usually short journeys, like walking to the shops, walking the kids to school or cycling to work.What does ‘wheeling’ mean? Wheeling includes wheelchairs, mobility scooters, scooters.How did this project come about? A new active travel route between Comrie Primary School and the U198 minor road beneath Baird’s Monument is a long-held aspiration of local communities. An off-road facility is the safest option; however, to achieve this requires landowner permissions, the assurance of future maintenance and suitable funding. This project is part of a much wider series of long-term projects that are improving connectivity between Crieff, Comrie, St Fillans and Lochearnhead, where there is currently little off-road provision. The Loch Earn Railway Path (LERP) project has been under way for the past 13 years. The route from Dalchonzie to Lochearnhead is now fully designed with 60% delivered so far. Recent work has seen Lady Mary’s Walk upgraded near the Turret Burn in Crieff creating a traffic free, all abilities active travel route linking MacRosty Park with Oakbank.Who is funding this project? Working closely together, PKCT and Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) have secured funding from cycling and walking charity Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (WWCT, formerly Sustrans) for the design of the various phases of this project via the National Cycle Network (NCN) fund through Transport Scotland. PKC successfully secured additional WWCT funding to contract PKCT and TP&E (Transport Planning and Engineering – the social enterprise part of Cycling Scotland) to deliver the design work for the Comrie to Baird’s Monument section.Why has the project been split into phases? The project has been split into five phases to make it simpler to secure funding and deliver. With a complex project such as this one, and with the distances involved, breaking the project into distinct phases is a standard approach. What are the different phases of this project? Phase 1: Invermilton section - From A85, near Tomperran to the boundary with InvermiltonPhase 2: Structures section - Includes seven structures, bridges and rampsPhase 3A: Link off the railway embankment section - from the eastern boundary of Phase 1, south of Invermilton to east of this propertyPhase 3: Path works section – includes all the path surfacing from east of Invermilton to the junction with minor road U198 near Baird’s MonumentPhase 4: Comrie village section - from Comrie Primary School, eastwards through Laggan Park to cross the A85 and join Phase 1Why has this route been chosen? An initial appraisal looking at route options was carried out. This assessed the accessibility, maintainability and deliverability - amongst other factors – of different route options. The old railway line between Invermilton and the junction with minor road U198, beneath Baird’s monument, is a core path and the most direct route. It is considered to be the most advantageous in terms of delivering the aims of the project, providing a traffic free, all abilities route accommodating the five core principles of design for walking and cycling - directness, comfort, safety, attractiveness and coherency.What stage is the project currently at? There are three stages of design, plus the construction, for each phase of the project. The table at the bottom of this page summarises progress as of March 2026.What will the surface be constructed of? The surface will be a variety of materials depending on the landowner requirements. These are envisaged to be a sealed surface similar to tarmac footways, recycled material to give a semi-bound surface or a whindust material which is open bound.What will the design and the widths of the active travel route be? The widths of the active travel lane will be around 3.0m for the majority of the distance. In some sections, the path width will reduce to 2.0m. Adjacent to the road a buffer strip will be introduced of around 1.5m, reducing to 1m where the available width reduces.Why is the active travel lane going to be so wide? There is a quality standard for the creation of active travel lanes to ensure safety and to allow users to pass each other easily. Primary funder WWCT requires that this best practice is incorporated in all their design projects. In addition, the route will have shared use with agricultural vehicles to enable access to fields in the area. Will there be lighting? No - as a rural route away from the village there will not be the requirement for lighting.How much is it going to cost? And how is it going to be funded? The cost for design and delivery for the full route for design and delivery is estimated to be around £4million. The main funder for this will be Transport Scotland as the project addresses some of the national outcomes required by the Scottish Government, specifically a healthier, fairer Scotland.How many cyclists or walkers will use it, has a survey been carried out? Estimation of usage is difficult, however as this project will be providing new infrastructure where before there has been none, the opportunities to actively move around the area in ways to benefit health and the environment will be transformed. When will the work begin and how long will it take to complete? Construction dates are still unknown, and depend on a number of factors including securing funding, finalising landowner agreements and completing detailed design work.Who is in charge of this project? Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT), in partnership with Transport Planning & Engineering (TP&E) on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council and in consultation with a steering group comprised of local authority officers representing planning, estates, transport planning, roads maintenance, community greenspace and road safety.Will the new active travel route be a National Cycle Network? WWCT has intimated that the route, if constructed to the required standards, will become part of the National Cycle Network, linking NCN 7 in the west to NCN 77 in the east.How will the active travel route be drained when it rains? The majority of the route follows the disused railway line and as a result the path will drain into existing or renewed drainage lines. Where the route is adjacent to roads and parks the drainage will outfall onto the road itself and into drainage ditches and swales. The path will have a camber across it to aid keeping the surface as water free as possible. Who will look after the path? Currently the plan is for the community to look after the regular upkeep of the path. Where more major works are required such as tree clearance, path surfacing upkeep and any structural issues, Perth and Kinross Council will be approached for assistance. If you are interested in joining a path group to assist with this in the future please contact PKCT by emailing [email protected]. Will the active travel route be gritted when it is icy? The path surface will be unbound in sections and therefore less likely to be icy. The path will be maintained by the local path volunteer groups who have as yet to draw up a maintenance programme. However, grit spreaders are used in other locations with volunteers or contract labour.What provision will there be for cyclists or walkers passing each other on the active travel route? The design of the active travel route is as a shared use facility. At 3.0m wide there will be sufficient room for the passage of walkers and cyclists. In narrower sections the route will require the courtesy of path users to accommodate each other’s needs and the use of a bell is always encouraged. Minimal use of signs and painted ground markings shall direct and inform where required. Phase 1 – InvermiltonPhase 2 – StructuresPhase 3A – Link off embankmentPhase 3 – Path worksPhase 4 – Comrie villageConcept designDetailed design2026 and 2027(funding permitting)Late 2026(funding permitting)2027 and 2028(funding permitting)Planning design completePlanning Reapply in spring 2026Reapply in spring 2026Reapply in spring 2026Currently in planning consultationTechnical DesignEnvisaged 2027Envisaged 2026Envisaged 2027Envisaged 2027ConstructionFunding required Manage Cookie Preferences