The Alloway Railway Tunnel project has been awarded a £100,000 grant from Scottish national walking charity Paths for All’.

The cash, from their Ian Findlay Path Fund, will be used to upgrade the active travel route running through the tunnel, enabling the local community to walk, wheel or cycle more for their everyday journeys.

The community project aims to create one of Scotland’s largest murals through the Alloway Railway Tunnel.

It will transform the old, dilapidated tunnel that has been defaced with graffiti into a safe, inspiring place to walk and cycle.

Trustee Bill McKinlay said: “This is a tremendous boost for our project. Initially we were focused on creating a magnificent mural through the Alloway Tunnel, transforming a graffiti covered area to a welcoming attraction.

"People told us they saw the tunnel as a barrier and would turn back as they found it a dingy, threatening place. However, this new injection of funding means that we can now upgrade the active-travel path.

"Currently, the tarmac path surface through the tunnel is uneven and prone to puddling of ingress rainwater, and at the sides, rough hardcore and concrete make it unsafe for walkers, wheelers and cyclists.

"With a new surface, we will create a much safer and more colourful, joyful journey through the tunnel.

“The funding will also improve the drainage at the entrance, and with help from local volunteers, including Ayrshire College Horticulture students and Princes Trust students, we will plant new bulbs, shrubs and trees which will make this part of the path more accessible and welcoming

“The mural will transform the tunnel into a venue for community activities. The path will become far more widely known to the Ayr communities, increasing its use – and in expectation of this we need signposts at all access points to the path and the new funding will help us do that.

"We’d like to thank Paths for All’s Ian Findlay Path Fund, supported by Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government, for the opportunity to upgrade the path."

Rosie McKee, Development Officer for the Ian Findlay Path Fund, said: “Paths for All are delighted to award Alloway Railway Tunnel £100,000 from the fund.

"The upgrades to the former railway tunnel will improve links between the areas of Kincaidston to the north east of Alloway and Doonfoot to the south west. 

"By making the route more accessible to a wider range of users, it provides an opportunity for people to walk, wheel or cycle to local services, bus/rail stations, schools, shops, health care facilities, cafes and greenspaces.

"Together with the magnificent mural, the path improvements give path users more confidence to use the route for everyday journeys."