Current council

The Highland council is a coalition administration of the Independent Group, the Lib Dems and Labour.

According to the 2020 Hands Up survey 38.7% of children in the Highlands walked to school in 2020, 8.5% cycled and 2.5% scooted or skated. According to the 2021 Cycling Scotland annual monitoring report 13.1% of employees usually or regularly cycle to work and 15% of households have no access to a car. The council provided no data on its active travel spend. It is developing a series of active travel masterplans for various settlements in partnership with HITRANS.

Local groups: Highland Cycle Campaign, Cycling UK Highland (Cycling UK member group).

2022 local election

Find your candidates at Who Can I Vote For or consult the Notice of Poll

Parties standing (in alphabetical order)

Endorsements of our three asks:

  • Highlands and Islands Greens responded: “As I hope you would expect Scottish Greens are completely with you in all you call for. Our Highlands manifesto, which has just been completed, does indeed call for the concept of Living Streets to be at the heart of all planning decisions; and for more footpaths and cycleways to be provided to connect communities with each other. Doubtless you will be aware that within the SGP-SNP Co-operation Agreement we were able to push the government for a massive increase in spending on active travel – up to 10% of the total transport budget by 2024/5, and we will indeed be pushing for this to be realised as a baseline on Highland Council, and the Island Councils, if we are elected. We do share your vision, and hope that your public campaigning, combined with our political presence on local councils will enable it to be realised. We shall look forward to working with you, if elected.”
  • Emma Knox, SNP candidate for Aird and Loch Ness ward responded: “Count me in. 100% endorse those asks. Would love the chance to continue my work on The Highland Council to make those thing happen”
  • David Gregg, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness Millburn responded “Inverness lies at the start of some great long distant cycling routes like the Great Glen Way and the Loch Ness 360, and we should be looking to make our local cycling infrastructure the best in Scotland with accessible travel for all. This would reduce emissions, get traffic off our roads, and keep us all healthier. Every journey made by wheels or walking reduces our road repair bill, fights climate change, and makes those journeys which still need to be made by road more pleasant”