Since 2008 the Hands Up Scotland Survey has been providing annual insights into how pupils travel to school. With this year's results now available, Head of Programmes Dr Lee Muir explores the latest findings and what they mean for young people in Scotland.
Credit: Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
The Hands Up Scotland Survey is the largest national dataset on school travel.
Over one week in September, school pupils across Scotland are asked one question: “How do you normally travel to school?”
School staff record the number of pupils present and then ask how they usually travel to school, with pupils selecting from a range of options including walking, cycling, scootering, skating, park and stride, car, bus, taxi or other.
As ever, this year's findings provide a fascinating snapshot.
The results show that 63.6% of pupils travelled to school sustainably in 2025, either by active travel or by bus.
Cycling to school has also reached its highest level since the survey began in 2008, while active travel remains the most common way for pupils to get to school in Scotland.
Let's delve into the data.
Hands Up Scotland Survey
Cycling reaches record levels, while active travel remains the most common way to travel to school
In 2025, 46.4% of school pupils travelled actively to school by walking, wheeling, cycling, scootering or skating.
While this represents a slight decrease from 2024 and the lowest overall active travel level recorded since the survey began, it remains significantly higher than any other mode of travel.
One particularly encouraging finding is the continued growth in cycling.
In 2025, 4.7% of pupils reported cycling to school, an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous year, and the highest level recorded by the survey since it began in 2008.
Walking remains the single most common way for pupils to travel to school, accounting for 38.8% of journeys. However, walking levels have fallen again this year and are now at their lowest level since the survey began.
Meanwhile, scootering and skating remain broadly stable at 2.9% of journeys.
How did pupils in Scotland travel to school and nursery in 2025?
More pupils are getting to school by bus
The survey found that the proportion of pupils taking the bus to school has increased for the fifth consecutive year. At 17.2%, bus travel is now higher than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 and remains one of the most significant long-term trends identified by the survey.
Combined with active travel, this means 63.6% of pupils travelled to school sustainably in 2025, either by walking, wheeling, cycling, scootering, skating or by bus.
Meanwhile, 24.0% of pupils said they are normally driven to school, making it the second most common mode of travel after walking.
What do the results mean for young people in Scotland?
The Hands Up Scotland Survey provides a valuable insight into the travel habits of young people across Scotland and how those habits are changing over time.
This year's increase in cycling is particularly encouraging. More young people are choosing to travel to school by bike than at any point since the survey began, demonstrating the potential for active travel when children and families feel safe and confident doing so.
However, the data also highlights areas where further progress is needed.
While cycling levels are increasing overall, there is a significant difference between primary and secondary school pupils. 7% of primary pupils cycle to school, compared with just 1.3% of secondary pupils.
Understanding and addressing this drop-off will be important if we are to support young people to continue travelling actively as they grow older and gain greater independence.
The continued decline in walking also presents a challenge.
While the survey cannot tell us exactly why pupils choose particular travel modes, previous research has consistently shown that safety plays a major role in shaping travel choices.
Our Children’s Walking and Cycling Index Scotland found that young people would like to walk, wheel and cycle more and want safer routes away from traffic to help them do so.
The evidence suggests that young people want more opportunities to travel actively. The challenge is ensuring the conditions exist to make those choices realistic and appealing for more families.
When young people can walk, wheel or cycle regularly, the benefits extend far beyond the school gates. Active travel supports physical health and mental wellbeing, while helping young people build confidence and lifelong habits.
Credit: Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
What can we do now to give Scotland's young people healthier travel choices?
If we want more young people to travel actively to school, those choices need to be safe and accessible.
That means continuing to invest in safe routes and connections that make walking, wheeling and cycling realistic options for everyday journeys.
Alongside infrastructure, skills programmes that help children build confidence and skills remain essential.
Initiatives such as I Bike, The Big Walk and Wheel and WOW Travel Tracker continue to support pupils to develop positive travel habits and encourage active journeys from an early age.
Research consistently shows that pupils involved in these programmes are more likely to walk, wheel or cycle than national averages.
The increase in cycling recorded this year demonstrates that progress is possible.
However, the continued decline in walking and the significant drop-off in cycling between primary and secondary school show there is still work to do if we are to make active travel a realistic choice for more families.
The Hands Up Scotland Survey cannot provide all the answers, but it does provide a valuable indication of where progress is being made and where additional support may be needed.
As practitioners, policymakers and delivery partners, we should use these findings to continue learning and improving how we support young people to travel actively.
Young people across Scotland continue to show they want healthier and more sustainable travel options.
By continuing to invest in safe routes, skills programmes and supportive local environments, we can help ensure more children and young people have the freedom and confidence to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys
The record levels of cycling seen this year are a positive step forward.
The challenge now is ensuring that even more young people can benefit from active travel throughout their school years and beyond.
Background
Established in 2008, the Hands Up Scotland Survey is important for policy making on transport issues within Scotland.
The survey is the largest national dataset on school travel, becoming an official statistic in 2012.
The Hands Up Scotland Survey is funded by the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland and is a joint survey between Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and all 32 Scottish local authorities.
