Scottish Water Employees Take on 100 Mile Cycle Challenge for WaterAid

““Despite the awful weather, our team managed to complete the cycle in good spirits. The generosity of all the sponsors kept us motivated throughout and it was fantastic to follow a route linking some many parts of our new resilience pipeline””

Paul Sexton
Enterprise Lead in Capital Investment

Scottish Water employees successfully completed a gruelling 100‑mile cycling challenge on 13 March in support of WaterAid, raising vital funds to help improve access to clean water and sanitation for communities in Malawi and Rwanda.

The team cycled from source to source of Ayrshire and Glasgow’s water supplies, following an iconic route from Loch Bradan in Ayrshire to Loch Katrine in the Trossachs. Covering more than 100 miles in a single day and tackling over 2,200 metres of climbing.

The route was chosen to mark the completion of Scottish Water’s £235 million investment project, completed earlier this year. This major project included the construction of a new pipeline that will significantly strengthen the resilience of Ayrshire and Glasgow’s water supplies for generations to come.

Following the path of the new pipeline, the cyclists travelled through Ayrshire and the south of Glasgow, passing reservoirs and pumping stations built as part of the project before reaching the River Clyde. From there, the route continued along historic Victorian‑era water infrastructure through the heart of Glasgow to Milngavie, before concluding at Loch Katrine.

Scottish Water colleagues Paul Sexton, Lorna Macarthur, Tom Harvie Clark, Simon Parsons and Rachel Fox set off at early and successfully completed the challenging route 11 hours later after navigating rain, hail and numerous punctures.

Paul Sexton, Enterprise Lead in Capital Investment said;

“Despite the awful weather, our team managed to complete the cycle in good spirits.  The generosity of all the sponsors kept us motivated throughout and it was fantastic to follow a route linking some many parts of our new resilience pipeline”

The ride formed part of Scottish Water’s Mission Water fundraising programme and contributed towards the organisation’s ambitious target of raising £500,000 this financial year for WaterAid. Funds raised will support projects that help deliver clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to communities who need them most.

By combining personal endurance with a powerful connection to Scotland’s water story, the team smashed their target raising over £10,000, as well as raising awareness to the life‑changing impact that safe, reliable water supplies can have both at home and around the world.