There had been no investments in Gigha’s path network for a number of years. This meant that any paths that did exist, had become overgrown and unusable. The lack of a coherent network in good condition had been identified by many visitors and members of the community as an issue over a number of years and again more recently in a survey carried out by IGHT. When asked what stops people from visiting key sites on Gigha, the highest response was "the paths and routes to them aren't clear."

The project delivered an extensive path network across the island, totalling over 22km. This includes both cycle paths and trod paths, all of which lead to sites of interest across Gigha. Descriptions and a route map can be downloaded from the Visit Gigha website.

Another main objective of the project was to better protect and interpret Gigha's heritage. By providing better foot and cycle path access to key sites, with information and interpretation, we hope to let everyone understand more about what is important about Gigha's heritage, and help the community to protect it. Interpretation panels have been installed at key locations across the island which include information on Gigha's natural and cultural heritage, as well as some information on how the land has changed into the 21st century. More heritage information has been uploaded to the Visit Gigha website.

This proposal is also one of a number of projects designed to reduce car borne traffic to the island, positively benefiting residents but also improving Gigha’s carbon footprint. To encourage use of our new path network, a fleet of e-bikes are now available to hire from the Gigha Activity Centre which is located near to the ferry slip. Making it easy for visitors to leave their car on the mainland, and explore the island at ease. 

This project was funded by the Low Carbon Travel and Transport Challenge Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.