Dozens of Moray youngsters have helped launch a “groundbreaking” new project aimed at getting more people out and about.
Pupils from Elgin’s Greenwards and New Elgin primary schools were the first to try out a new walking route created through the south of the town yesterday.
Creative signs have been affixed to lampposts to guide walkers along the trail, and the artists behind the scheme reckon it will improve residents’ health.
Caspar Wilson and Nicola Atkinson, from the Glasgow-based Nadfly group, have been busy putting up the brightly coloured placards for the past few days.
Mr Wilson said: “This is a groundbreaking method of active travel, each of these routes will have their own feeling so people can try them all.”
The school pupils staged talks at the New Elgin and Ashgrove Hall in the morning to celebrate the project getting under way.
Liam Harvey and Callum Squair, who are in P7 at Greenwards, discussed their healthy approach to reaching school in the morning.
Liam described using his scooter to reach the building, as younger pupils held up handmade signs illustrating aspects of the journey.
Callum said he was careful to observe the Green Cross Code while travelling to school on his bicycle.
They were followed by Taylor Ritchie and George Pirie, from P5/6 at New Elgin.
George said: “We are excited to be some of the first people to walk the route, and we are looking forward to exploring Elgin.”
Artist Ms Atkinson added: “These are routes of discovery, they are in places people might not normally consider going for a walk.”
The children then joined the creative minds behind the scheme for a stroll along one of the routes.
Moray Council’s sustainable travel officer, Pat Douglass was on hand to oversee the event.
She said: “We want to make it fun for people to explore their local area, and discovering these routes will do that.”
Between now and May, six trails will be created to encourage residents to “rediscover the neighbourhood” by walking and cycling through areas they may otherwise ignore.
Next month, Nadfly will stage a night-time walk showing residents the second and third routes.
