Construction work has started on the delivery of the new £1.25 million West Lothian Cycle Circuit, which has been made possible by the Cycling Facilities Fund.

Work is now well underway at Kettilstoun Mains, Linlithgow, on the development of the new 1km floodlit cycle circuit, which will feature a skills area and even a cobbled section.

It is anticipated that the circuit will be completed in early 2023 and upon completion, will give everyone in West Lothian and beyond an opportunity to access a safe, traffic free cycling environment.

£636,000 has been provided via the Cycling Facilities Fund, with West Lothian Council providing £349,000 and the remaining costs being generated from a range of external funders, including community fundraising.

The Cycling Facilities Fund aims to support cycling facility projects across Scotland through an £8 million fund, made possible through a £4 million commitment from Scottish Government and £4 million from sportscotland through National Lottery funds.

The Cycling Facilities Fund aims to deliver a lasting impact from the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships being held in Scotland next summer. By working with partners to provide accessible and inclusive facilities more people will be encouraged to engage with cycling at all levels, and new and existing cyclists will be inspired to make cycling a sport for life.

Facilities like this one will be a huge boost to the Scottish Cycling community, as yet another purpose-built facility will supporting a great quantity and quality of training and racing opportunities.

A delegation of project partners visited the site today to witness the development first hand.

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said:

“The Cycling Facilities Fund will be a tangible benefit from hosting next year’s UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland as it means we have a real opportunity to develop a network of accessible, inclusive and inspiring facilities that will encourage people of all ages and abilities to ride bikes.

“By working with partners like Scottish Cycling, West Lothian Council and West Lothian Clarion Cycling Club, we can deliver a circuit that will not only meet the specific needs of the local cycling community, but will also allow more people to get active, improving their physical and mental health.”

Sophie McCall, Head of Development and Participation at Scottish Cycling, added:

“It’s fantastic to see that ground has been broken on the site of the West Lothian Cycle Circuit, and I can’t wait to see it completed and being used by the local community, and those from further afield, in 2023. I’m delighted that the Cycling Facilities Fund could play a role in making this happen and I can’t wait to see the impact this incredible facility will have on the whole Scottish Cycling community for many years to come.”

Scottish professional cyclo-cross and mountain bike rider, Cameron Mason, who lives just minutes from the circuit, commented:

"When I was younger I used the leisure centre every week for my cyclocross training, but if we'd have had the road cycling circuit that would have just allowed that next level of development. We used old car parks and abandoned roads and it's just not safe and it's not consistent. Having this here seven days a week means you can come early or late - it's floodlit - so it's just accessible to people at every level, whether you work different hours, you've got school or as a kid, you have different days of the week when you do other sports.

"I live about a 1km away from here, and if I was 13 or 14 years old, I'd be trying to get all my mates here every night of the week to do mini-races or a chaingang. There are plenty of kids in the area who just can't get enough of bikes and this should help them massively.

Ewen Fulton, President of West Lothian Clarion's youth section added:

"I still can’t quite believe that this world-class facility is going to be on our door step! We’ve had to coach in car parks up until now, so this traffic-free safe space is going to transform our coaching. The young people of West Lothian are the real beneficiaries of this amazing new facility, today and for generations to come."