South Lanarkshire Council has begun construction of a new pump track at Calderglen Country Park in East Kilbride, with work starting on site on Monday 31 August.

The pump track will be a looped circuit for bikes and scooters, using smooth hills and banked turns so riders can build momentum around the course. According to the council's announcement, the design has been developed to cater particularly for children and those new to riding, with features aimed at a range of skill levels and multiple interconnected routes around the loop. The council's own project page describes the track as being built from tarmac, compacted gravel and grass embankments, with footpath improvements to keep riders separate from people on foot.

The build is expected to take 14 weeks. Calderglen's main children's play area will be closed for the duration of the works to allow construction access, though it will reopen temporarily over the September weekend (Friday 25 to Monday 28 September) and the October week (Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 October) to cover the school holidays.

The pump track forms the first phase of a wider ten-year masterplan for Calderglen, approved by councillors in October 2025, which also covers a new Gateway Centre and walled garden transformation near the site. The council set aside £1.35m in its 2025/26 budget to progress phase one projects across Calderglen and its sister site, Chatelherault Country Park in Hamilton. A specialist consultant was appointed to finalise the pump track's exact location, size and design, though no contractor has been named publicly.

A new access path will also be built connecting visitors to the pump track. Kevin Carr, the council's Executive Director of Community and Enterprise Resources, said the facility is intended to give families and visitors an accessible and enjoyable way to get active and build cycling and scooting skills, and linked the project to the council's wider plans for the Calderglen Country Park Masterplan.

A dedicated project webpage will carry updates throughout construction, and information signage with QR codes linking to the page is being placed around the park.

We'll follow up once the pump track opens and add it to the iBikeRide directory. In the meantime, the project page has the latest updates, and it's worth checking the play area closure dates above if you're planning a family visit to Calderglen before the pump track is finished.