King’s Highway Active Travel Project

As part of Stirling Council’s vision to develop a fair, accessible and low‑carbon transport system that benefits people and place while protecting the planet, the King’s Highway Active Travel Project contributes directly to our Sustainable Mobility Strategy. The Strategy sets out our commitment to improving travel choices across Stirling by making it easier and safer for everyone to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport.

The King’s Highway corridor links the communities of Gargunnock, Kippen, Buchlyvie, Balfron and Drymen along the A811.

For over fifteen years, various community groups, development trusts and volunteers along the A811 have shown a sustained interest in improving active travel connections between villages. Their work has helped identify local priorities and challenges along the corridor. With Transport Scotland funding now in place, Stirling Council is progressing the next stage of work by assessing realistic, affordable and deliverable options for a potential future National Cycle Network Route (NCN 755).

We are now undertaking an Options Assessment to understand how the route could be improved, and your local knowledge will play a key role in shaping the next steps.

We are carrying out a fresh assessment of the King’s Highway to understand:

• where the existing roads and paths already work well
• where people currently feel unsafe or uncomfortable travelling on foot, wheels or by bike
• where small, targeted improvements could make a meaningful difference
• how a future route could be designed to be realistic, affordable and supported by local communities

Previous feasibility work identified a range of possibilities, but some options were not financially or practically deliverable in the current funding context. This study focuses on proportionate, practical improvements that build on existing infrastructure wherever possible.

Important Note About the Routes Shown

During our drop‑in sessions and online engagement, several community groups, stakeholders and individual residents made us aware of additional locally developed route ideas.

These include suggestions from the Killearn Active Travel Group (for routes linking Killearn, Boquhan and Balfron), Gargunnock Community Trust, as well as a number of options submitted by individuals.

Although they do not appear on the current maps, all of these additional ideas have been logged and will be reviewed as part of the wider Options Assessment.

If you would like to propose an alternative route, or express support for any of the previously suggested alignments, please include this in the comments section within the relevant part of the survey.

As this is an early‑stage Options Assessment, we are not consulting landowners at this stage. Engagement with landowners will take place in later phases once any preferred options have been identified.

Why Are We Doing This?

At present, there is no continuous safe route for walking, wheeling or cycling between the communities along the A811 or into Stirling. Current conditions often make everyday travel challenging, particularly for families, young people, older residents, and those travelling without a car.

We frequently hear that:

• the road feels fast and uncomfortable for cycling
• verges are narrow in several locations
• cycling with children feels unsafe
• junctions can be difficult to navigate
• there are limited off‑road or dedicated alternatives

Improving the corridor could support:

• safer local journeys
• stronger connections between rural communities
• healthier and more active lifestyles
• new opportunities for leisure and tourism
• reduced dependency on private car travel and lower emissions

How Is This Work Funded?

This Options Assessment is funded through Transport Scotland’s

2025–26 Tier 2 Design – Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).

The funding supports:

• route audits and technical assessment
• community and stakeholder engagement
• high‑level cost estimation
• demand analysis
• identification of realistic and deliverable route options.

The funding we have secured covers only the current options‑assessment stage. Progression of future stages, including design and construction, will be subject to securing additional funding. All funding is awarded annually, and no future funding has been applied for or secured.

We invite residents, businesses and anyone who travels along the corridor to attend one of our community drop‑in sessions. These events are informal, and you can attend at any time, no booking required.

• Tuesday 10 March: John McLintock Hall (Main Hall) 11:30 – 14:15
• Tuesday 10 March: Gargunnock Community Centre (Garden Room) 16:30 -19:30
• Wednesday 11 March: Kippen Village Hall (Main Hall) 12:00 - 15:00
• Thursday 12 March: Drymen Village Hall (Main Hall) 13:00 – 15:45

Thursday 12 March: Buchlyvie Village Hall (Main Hall) 17:30 – 20:15

At these sessions, you can:

• learn more about the project
• share local knowledge and experience
• identify areas that feel unsafe or difficult
• highlight opportunities for improvement
• help shape the development of future route options

Your feedback will directly inform the findings of the Options Assessment.

What Happens Next?

Following the engagement sessions and the on‑site route audit, the project team will prepare:

• a shortlist of deliverable improvements
• early cost estimates
• outline route options
• a summary of what we heard from communities

Stay Updated

Click the Follow button on this page to receive updates about:

• draft route options
• future engagement opportunities
• project progress
• key milestones and consultation stages