National Cycle Network

Sustrans is custodian of the National Cycle Network (NCN) and manages the strategic vision and detailed Network Plan for the network. The majority of the network is owned by LAs and private landowners. The NCN spans the whole of Scotland (and the UK).

The NCN currently comprises more than 2,600km across urban, inter-urban and rural areas. Urban areas account for 23% of Scotland’s NCN with 77% connecting rural areas, and the Network serves 236 of Scotland’s 514 settlements (the National Records of Scotland defines settlements as built-up areas which round to 500 people or more, with larger settlements divided into localities to reflect areas which are more easily identifiable as the towns and cities of Scotland).

Of the 85 projects supported, 32 of these were completed in 2023-24. Most were shared space, with other funded projects including cycle paths and structures such as bridges. In addition, new and updated signage was installed along 550km of the NCN in 2023-24, and more than 430 barriers were removed as part of an ongoing programme to improve the accessibility of the network.

Table 4: NCN Headlines

Year	Investment	New infrastructure length	Upgraded infrastructure length	Projects supported	Partners supported	Average construction cost
2023-24	£14.2 million	2.3km	21.3km	85	15 LAs, 41 other groups	£280k

An Active Travel route stretching 7.7km from Balerno to the Union Canal on Lanark Road, along the Water of Leith on NCN1 was upgraded and officially opened in September 2023.

This £1.1m project transformed what was once a challenging, muddy terrain into a safe, accessible route, using a groundbreaking material made from over 49,000 recycled tyres.

This project forms part of a wider suite of activity that has been delivered across Edinburgh since the pandemic to improve NCN connectivity for commuters. Along with the Colinton Tunnel mural (NCN), the transformative Roseburn to Union Canal project (PfE), the Coalie Park upgrades and murals (NCN), the Leith Connections project (PfE), and CCWEL (PfE), there is now traffic-free, safe connectivity from the City Bypass in the south all the way to Leith in the north of Edinburgh, unlocking the potential of the NCN for communities across the city.