A 113-MILE "world-class" walking and cycling trail following the route of the River Tweed is set to attract an additional 300,000 visitors to the region each year, councillors will be informed this week.
The Destination Tweed project, devised by a partnership led by the Tweed Forum and Scottish Borders Council (SBC), is aimed at attracting hundreds of thousands of extra visitors to the region in years to come.
The programme is a £24.7m capital programme that is part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
It comprises 13 different projects, the most significant of which is the Tweed Trail, a walking and cycling trail from Moffat to Berwick-upon-Tweed. A contribution of £10m from the growth deal will help to fund the trail.
The programme is being led by Tweed Forum on behalf of SBC, Northumberland County Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council.
An outline business case is ready to be signed off by the Scottish Government and a draft full business case will shortly thereafter be submitted for Government consideration, which will then require approval from both SBC and the Borderlands Partnership Board.
In a report to this week’s full council, John Curry, service director for assets and infrastructure, says: “The overall programme will create a unique, world-class visitor destination that will connect and promote multiple assets in the region and become known as one of the great long distance routes in the UK.
“The Destination Tweed programme is expected to deliver significant economic benefits for the Borderlands area and the wider region. By the end of year 10, there will be an additional 303,299 visitors per annum.
“Scottish Borders Council has a strong track record in delivering active travel infrastructure, with specific in-house expertise in construction project management, engineering design and construction. Whilst the River Tweed starts in Dumfries and Galloway and ends in Northumberland, the most significant stretch runs through the Scottish Borders.
“Due to these factors, Scottish Borders Council has assumed the lead role in project managing and constructing the Tweed Trail.”
