LACK of progress in delivering the “Active Legacy” from the 2014 Commonwealth Games (“£500m a year fails to get more Scots off the couch”, The Herald, November 27) appears in your front page headlines alongside news of an interview with Francesca Osowska (“A Walk on the Wild Side”, The Herald, November). Maybe there is an important connection – she is the new chief executive of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) but in a previous role was the Scottish Government’s Director for the Commonwealth Games. Ms Osowska built a good reputation while helping to organise an outstandingly successful Games. Perhaps she is now the key person to deliver the Games’ physical activity legacy and meet the crucial challenge of getting more Scots active?

Recent debate on this issue in the Scottish Parliament has failed to identify the central problem (“Public spending on sport must focus more on ‘the taking part’”, Herald Sport, November 30). At present there is too much emphasis on the provision of sporting facilities in the mistaken belief that this will lead to increased physical activity levels across the population as a whole. It is better infrastructure to support physical activity, rather than more sports facilities, which is needed. The Games’ legacy will not be delivered until the overwhelming majority of the population have easy access to inexpensive opportunities to walk, run and cycle.

Scotland is the worst country in Europe for its density of lowland paths and tracks to support such activities – hardly any of our towns, cities and villages are connected together by obvious, well-signposted walking and cycling routes. Instead sitting in a motor vehicle is our dominant outdoor activity.

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Top of Ms Osowska’s “to do” list should therefore be the delivery of path networks across Scotland. She needs to advise the Scottish Government that this will only happen if local authorities are instructed to use their compulsory purchase powers to secure the land needed for these networks. There is an almost total failure across Scotland to use such powers to deliver paths in a timely, cost-effective manner. By contrast, when public roads are being built, compulsory purchase powers are used, as a first priority, to deal with obstructive landowners. Why are paths not given the same priority? Ms Osowska started well in the Commonwealth Games but she still has to cross the finishing line. Her new role in SNH provides an outstanding opportunity to complete the marathon and deliver the legacy.

Dave Morris,

2 Bishop Terrace,

Kinnesswood,

Kinross.

THERE has been prominence given by the Herald to the lack of evidence of a lasting increase in exercise activity since the Commonwealth Games and the funds made available.

We would like to highlight our experience in Appin, as we received nearly £70,000 match funding from the Commonwealth Games Enduring Fund to restore the iconic Jubilee Bridge, A footbridge originally built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It was falling into serious disrepair and we thought our Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 would be an ideal opportunity to try to raise the considerable funds required to restore the footbridge over the Saltmarsh at the Head of Loch Laich with its' panoramic views of Castle Stalker and the Morvern Hills behind.

The Queen herself gave us a personal donation to get the project started and lots of local fundraising followed, but we found grant support very difficult to get because of lack of ownership. We eventually proved that in Scots Law anyone can improve a right of way without having to own it, so our 41st application for funding was met by the Commonwealth Games Fund and in early 2014 the renovated bridge was re-opened by Shona Robison and has been constantly used throughout the year by cyclists (leading to National Cycle Route 78) and walkers averaging more than 1,000 per month (according to the official electronic counter). As you have to walk in to the bridge from both ends the majority of these people are taking a decent walk and exercise levels of a lot of our population has risen because of it.

This little community is very grateful to the Commonwealth Games Fund (some information in this letter provided by Mike Rayworth, project lead).

Iain McNicol,

Dunvegan,

Port Appin,

Argyll.