The Scottish Government is providing £300,000 to roll out Cycling Without Age across the country, following the highly successful pilot scheme in Falkirk.

Public Health and Sport Minister Aileen Campbell announced the funding on Tuesday during a visit to see the project in action at the Kelpies.

Welcoming the news, Falkirk West MSP Michael Matheson said: “It’s great to see that this fantastic initiative is being rolled out across Scotland, with chapters popping up all over the country.

“Having had the opportunity to pilot one of the local chapter’s trishaws, I have witnessed first hand how these outings are helping older people who would otherwise be stuck in care homes to get out on day trips, promoting social interaction across generations.

“I’d like to congratulate the volunteers at Communities Along the Carron Association, who should be immensely proud of their efforts to bring this project to Scotland, and feel very privileged to have been involved with Cycling Without Age in Falkirk from the start.”

Cycling Without Age sees volunteers take older people for bike rides using specially designed trishaws. It was founded in Denmark in 2012 and was first brought to Scotland by local group Communities Along the Carron Association at the beginning of last year.