Annual report & accounts 2025-26

  1. Introduction
  2. Highlights
  3. Education & training
    1. Bikeability Scotland
    2. Early years cycle skills
    3. Adult Cycle Training
    4. Road User Awareness Training
    5. Quality assurance and leadership courses
  4. Monitoring everyday cycling, road safety and connecting people
  5. Access to bikes, cycle parking & storage
  6. Transport Planning & Engineering
  7. Organisation

Education and training

Bikeability Scotland

Bikeability Scotland is the national cycle training programme for school children, providing them with the skills and confidence they need to cycle safely on the roads. 

With funding from the Scottish Government, we deliver Bikeability in partnership with local authorities.

For many local authorities, Bikeability Scotland is an integral part of their statutory obligation to provide road safety education. 

In the last academic year (August 2025 - June 2026), 70% of primary schools delivered Bikeability, benefitting more than 56,000 young people. From cities to rural areas, the central belt to the Islands, eleven local authorities delivered Level 2 on-road cycle training in every primary school in their area, including:

  • Aberdeen City
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Dundee
  • East Dunbartonshire
  • East Lothian
  • Moray
  • Orkney
  • Scottish Borders
  • Shetland
  • Stirling
  • Western Isles

Schoolchildren ride their bikes on a residential street during Level 2 on-road Bikeability Scotland cycle training

Level 2 builds on the bike control skills developed as part of Level 1 and introduces four core functions that enable children to make safer decisions when riding in traffic.

Five councils achieved their highest delivery rate of Bikeability Scotland on record, including:

  • Angus (98%)
  • Argyll and Bute (62%)
  • East Ayrshire (35%)
  • Falkirk (61%)
  • Highland (66%) - which showed the greatest growth, with 103 schools now offering on-road training. 

Local authorities and Cycling Scotland worked together to increase delivery of Level 2 on-road cycle training nationally to a record 64% of primary schools, with half of local authorities now delivering on-road training in more than 90% of primary schools.

More than 1,200 primary schools (64%) now deliver Bikeability Scotland Level 2 on-road training: the highest number yet

More than half a million young people have completed Bikeability Scotland cycle training since it started in 2011, with the programme helping children across the country to develop essential observation, signaling and riding skills to enable them to cycle with confidence now and into the future. 

As ongoing support, Cycling Scotland provides grant funding to local authorities committed to increasing delivery of Level 2 training. This funding can help tackle barriers to children participating, including providing bikes, and in 2026, additional provision for learn to ride activity. 

Bikeability Scotland resources are regularly updated to reflect changes to the UK National Standard for Cycle Training and The Highway Code, most recently that has included the Level 2 Rider’s guide, with new content on vehicle blind spots and the hierarchy of road users. We continue to engage with decision makers and relevant partners in education, including the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the Learning for Sustainability Partners Network, and elected council officials.

Quality Assurance visits were conducted in seven local authorities delivering Level 2 Bikeability Scotland during 2025-26. These visits are a requirement of external accreditation from the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and inform the development of resources and instructor training. 80% of training observed was rated at a good or exemplary standard.   

Bikeability Scotland logo

Case study

Bikeability Scotland School of the Year 2025 - Williamston Primary School

In 2025, Williamston Primary School in West Lothian was awarded ‘School of the Year’, celebrating the school’s enthusiastic cycling culture and commitment to inclusive delivery of Bikeability Scotland cycle training.

Located in Murieston, just south of Livingston, the school is connected to nearby neighbourhoods and parks by several walking and cycling paths, and staff at Williamston focused on making cycling an important part of school life.

The enthusiasm of Class Teacher Eva Petkova has been infectious, with a regular bike maintenance club organised by Eva helping to spark their curiosity about cycling among the younger pupils and get them excited about Bikeability training in P6 and P7.

"We've got amazing kids. We don't have to advertise. We just say these are the dates, and the kids go for it", Eva said.

Eva shared what she sees as being the big impact of Bikeability on the school’s pupils: “You can start cycling quite early on and get that confidence to be on the bike: to keep the balance, to make sure you're in control and get on the road.

It'll give you that independence. You don't have to wait for mum and dad to pick you up. You just jump on your bike and get where you need to go.

Eva Petkova Class Teacher, Williamston Primary School

P7 pupils Rowan and Lochlan shared their excitement at having completed Level 2 training and gaining new confidence to get around by bike. Reflecting on what she’d learned, Rowan said: "If you’re on the road, for example, and you didn’t do Bikeability they wouldn’t know what you were doing, and you wouldn’t know how to signal. It’s making you ready for when you go on the roads."

"Riding your bike is also a good way of transport", said Lochlan. "Me and my brother we just get on our bikes and just go."