Walking isn’t only good for our physical, social and mental health. It’s also good for our communities, the environment and the economy.
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In 2023, we published the results from our national survey of attitudes to walking and wheeling in Scotland. You can read the highlights at the bottom of this page.
The survey provides a picture of how adults in Scotland are participating in walking and their attitudes towards it. It updates information we last collected in 2019 and complements other sources such as the Scottish Household Survey and Scotland’s People and Nature.
We’re busy working on an updated survey and report which will be published in autumn 2025.
We updated our brand and name in June 2025 to Walking Scotland. We’re still working to update everything with our new branding. This means you might spot our previous, Paths for All, branding in places, and some links in downloads might not work as they should.
If you have any problems, let us know and we’ll help as best we can. You can also sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know when we publish updated and new resources and guides.
Access the full report
Date published: 2023Format: PDF
Walking is on the rise Most people are walking or wheeling regularly. 85% are doing so either every day or several times a week. This is a slight increase from 81% in 2019.
Age matters Overall, 52% of people are walking every day, for those under 45 this rises to 69%, but falls to 39% for those over 65.
Leisure and exercise lead the way The most common reason people are walking or wheeling frequently is for leisure or exercise (59%), with local shops and green spaces the top destinations (44% and 35% respectively).
Countryside is calling Most walking takes place in urban places, but more people are walking in countryside and coastal locations since 2019, up from 55% to 77%.
Health benefits are recognised A huge 84% agreed they enjoy walking for health, 80% for relaxation, and 77% for clearing their heads and improving concentration.
Walking is up and down Over a third of the population (38%) walk or wheel more now than they did before the pandemic, and 19% are walking less
Work from home, walk more Around a quarter of the working population are working more from home now, with 46% of them saying this has led them to walk more often.
Scots want to walk more 69% and 60% want to walk more for leisure and routine purposes, respectively.
Encouragements Feeling safer at night (34%), pavements being of a better quality (32%) and someone to walk with (31%) were top of the list.
Walking and daily life For over 80% of people, public transport, shops that sell essentials, and green spaces are within a distance they are prepared to walk.
Work commutes Only around a third would walk the distance to get to their place of work.
Train takes the lead For people who walk to public transport links, getting to the train is the most common reason they last did this, increasing from 44% in 2019 to 51% this year.
Local area issues Litter, dog poo (60%), cyclists on pavements (47%), poorly maintained pavements (47%) and cars parked on pavements (46%) were the biggest bugbears. The percentages reporting these issues has increased since 2019.
Walkable neighbourhoods preferred In the scenario of moving house, path networks and being able to walk to shops and public transport are important to more people than being able drive to towns and retail parks.
Important local features People highly rated the importance of feeling safe, having well cared for streets and public areas that are appealing to spend time in, good quality green spaces and shops that sell essentials within easy walking distance.
Healthy neighbourhoods Around 7 in 10 Scots support the concept of ‘20 minute neighbourhoods’, where everyday needs can be met by a short walk or wheel from their home.
