Wheel-y good turnout for Tornagrain active travel event
A festival promoting active travel saw a crowd of more than 100 people event in Tornagrain earlier this month.
Coinciding with the first day of the Inverness Walking and Wheeling Festival,, the afternoon aimed to encourage people from the village and surrounding areas to ditch the car and explore active and sustainable travel around Tornagrain and Croy.
The event, organized by Tornagrain Community Association in partnership with Croy and Culloden Moor Community Council, was focused on promoting active travel through walking, cycling and public transport, and there was a strong focus on hearing local people’s ideas for improvements to local travel infrastructure.
Event organiser Scott Dalgarno said: “It was fantastic to see so many people out having fun and finding out the best and most sustainable ways to get about this lovely area. And it was great to see the communities of Croy and Tornagrain working together to make it such a success.
“A big part of the day was hearing people’s ideas for transport improvements, and dozens of people made suggestions and comments. These will be shared with local partners including landowners so that we can work with them to decide on next steps to put the best ideas into practice.
“I’m also delighted to say that a brand new local cycling group was also set up on the day, which wasn’t part of our plan but is a wonderful outcome for the many cyclists in the area.”
Activities included the launch of newly mapped walks in the Tornagrain and Croy area, a treasure hunt, and a guided cycle ride led by Velocity Café & Bicycle Workshop.
Auldearn Bikes carried out free repairs on more than 15 bikes to get riders back in the saddle, and Sustrans Scotland led discussions on possible future transport and travel options.
Stagecoach also took part, providing information about local bus services as well three Megarider month-long bus passes as prizes for the afternoon’s competition. Outdoor shop Tiso generously donated a prize of a weekend hire of canoes or paddleboards.
