Wednesday January 14th 2026
Midlothian Councillor Cllr Colin Cassidy, Active Travel Marketing Officer, Oliver Caron-Nowak, Walking Scotland representatives CEO Kevin Lafferty and Corporate & Community Fundraiser Rachael Prothero at the launch yesterday.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A fitness challenge for residents of Danderhall and Shawfair was officially launched yesterday.
Midlothian Council and national charity, Walking Scotland have collaborated to launch a free 4 week fun Step Count Challenge for residents of new developments in the area.
The council explained that the purpose of the challenge is to not only promote fitness but also to ‘bring people together because there are lots of new people mobing to the area’.
Midlothian is the first local authority area that Walking Scotland are running this community challenge in.
The challenge kicks off on Monday 2 February and runs until 1 March. To take part it is required that you are in a team of five.
Participants will have access to the Walking Scotland Step Count Challeneg dashboard, where they can:
– Track progress and log steps
– Earn virtual badges
– Check team and community leaderboards
– Chat and celebrate with teammates
– Grow a virtual forest (based on estimated CO₂ savings)
There will be a prize for the winning team with the highest total step count. However, it’s not just about the highest step count – there will also be a Spirit of Step Count Challenge Award to recognise the most inspiring teammate with participants being asked to nominate a teammate who they feel embodied the spirit of the challenge.
Benefits for participants include, a boost to physical and mental wellbeing, strengthening and buidling connections with neighbours and colleagues and a chance to discover local walking routes and community highlights.
Walking Scotland will keep participants motivated with weekly emails, mini competitions, and prizes. To join, you must live or work in Danderhall or Shawfair and have a postcode starting with EH22 1.
One person registers a team of five, and each team-mate creates an account on the Step Count Challenge platform to log steps and interact.
Walking, running, and wheeling are all included. Wheelchair users can participate by setting their default activity to wheeling.
Walking Scotland Chief Executive Officer Kevin Lafferty said:
“At Walking Scotland, we want everyone to experience the benefits of walking and wheeling. This Step Count Challenge is a great opportunity for residents of Danderhall and Shawfair to make a positive impact on their health, communities and environment.”
Cllr Colin Cassidy, Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Active Travel said:
“This challenge is a fantastic way to bring the community together, encourage healthy habits, and make walking fun. We hope as many residents as possible will take part and enjoy the benefits.”
For more information on the challenge email scc@walkingscotland.org.uk and to register your team of five click here.
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