New £120,000 proposals to roll out electronic bikes on a popular north-east cycling route have moved up a gear.
Aberdeenshire Council is planning to provide 20 ebikes for use at various points all along the famous Formatine and Buchan Way.
The former railway, which extends more than 50 miles in its entirety, is now a popular path which extends from Dyce north to Peterhead and Fraserburgh and is frequently used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
A contract for the works has now been put out, to implement place docking points, charges and other facilities for the 20 bikes.
Once the scheme is completed, cyclists will be able to use the ebikes to visit attractions all across the north-east such as Deer Abbey, Aden Country Park, and the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh.
The electric bicycles will come complete with GPS technology to keep track of where they are.
According to the new contract, the council is also seeking the supply and installation of a converted shipping container for a bike maintenance workshop, as well as a new website to provide information about the Formartine and Buchan Way and the health benefits of cycling.
East Garioch councillor Martin Ford, of the democratic independent and Green group, said the new bikes would be “excellent.”
He said: “This looks to be a fantastic project and I look very much forward to seeing it in effect. It will provide benefits not only for people seeking to enjoy some outdoor recreation, but will provide an environmentally-friendly transport alternative.
“Ebikes provide wonderful exercise, and as the Formartine and Buchan way is a former railway, it lacks many particularly steep gradients, providing an excellent route for cyclists who may want to take on the challenge of travelling along it in its entirety.
“I am sure this project will do wonders in encouraging people out and into the countryside, to enjoy all that Aberdeenshire has to offer.”