---
title: "Skye Cycle Way Ground Investigation Works"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS)"
published: "2026-09-24"
---

# Skye Cycle Way Ground Investigation Works

Buyer: Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037

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## Summary

Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) is procuring intrusive ground investigation works for Phase 1 of the proposed Skye Cycle Way. The investigation will establish ground and groundwater conditions to support detailed design of the route and new structures, and assess geotechnical risk. Work covers the route from Kyleakin, at the Skye Bridge roundabout, to Breakish, north of the A87. It includes investigating artificial ground and depth to rock, geophysical logging of selected cored boreholes, geotechnical and geo-environmental sampling, and dynamic cone penetrometer testing at trial pits to inform cycleway pavement design. Borehole installations will support groundwater and gas monitoring. The findings are intended to inform ground-risk assessment and decisions on material reuse or disposal. This is a civil engineering ground investigation project (CPV 45120000).

HITRANS invited offers through an open procedure. The procurement has reached the tender stage. Bids were to be submitted electronically by 12:00 on 14 October 2026; bid opening was set for 14:00 that day. The planned contract period is 60 days. The requirement is presented as one lot, covering the Skye Cycle Way route between Kyleakin and Breakish. Bids are assessed through a pass/fail quality gate, with suitability requirements referenced in section S1.8 of the Ground Investigation Specification. Staff names and qualifications must be provided. Variant bids are not permitted. English is the stated submission language. Electronic ordering and payment are supported, and electronic invoicing is allowed.

This opportunity is suited to ground investigation contractors able to deliver intrusive site work across a route comprising both existing road sections and new connecting path. The scope calls for teams experienced in borehole drilling and coring, geophysical logging, trial-pit work and dynamic cone penetrometer testing. Suppliers should be able to collect and manage samples for soil and rock strength testing and geo-environmental analysis, and install monitoring equipment in boreholes for groundwater and gas. The work also requires capability to interpret investigation results for geotechnical risk, pavement design and material reuse or disposal decisions. Bidders need to demonstrate suitability against the specification’s stated requirements and provide names and qualifications for the staff assigned to the work. The overall assignment is a focused, route-based investigation on the Isle of Skye.

## Notice

Provide information on the ground and groundwater conditions to enable detailed design of new proposed structures, the general active travel route and to assess geotechnical risk for the Skye Cycle Way Phase 1.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The proposed Skye Cycle Way route runs from Kyleakin at the Skye Bridge roundabout to Breakish, on the north side of the A87 trunk road. Parts of the route are on existing old single track road abandoned when the trunk road was upgraded, and parts are new sections of connecting pathway. Full details are provided in the GI Spec document and Schedule. The purpose of this investigation is to provide information on the ground and groundwater conditions to enable detailed design of new proposed structures, the general active travel route and to assess geotechnical risk. The main objectives of the ground investigation are: - To investigate the ground conditions across the Scheme including thickness of any artificial ground, depth to rock head and thickness of upper weathered zone; to undertake geophysical logging of selected rotary cored boreholes within rock; - To obtain samples for the purposes of geotechnical testing to determine soil stiffness / densities and rock strengths; - To obtain samples for geo-environmental testing to enable characterisation of the ground conditions beneath the site and inform risk assessment and re-use/disposal options; - Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests (DCPs) to be undertaken at each trial pit location to inform CBR for cycleway pavement design. - Installations within the boreholes to facilitate ground water and gas monitoring to establish the groundwater and gas regime of the site. The investigation comprises intrusive methods as outlined in the Skye Cycle Way Ground Investigation Specification document, and detailed throughout Schedule 1 and within Schedule 2 of the document. A pass/fail quality gate will be applied in assessment of bids as outlined in the additional documents.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565187 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Website Contract Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Works |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) |
| Locality | INVERNESS |
| Postcode area | Inverness |
| Postcode | IV1 1JJ |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM2 Highlands and Islands |
| ITL 3 | TLM20 Highlands and Islands |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Electoral ward | Inverness Central |
| Westminster constituency | Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire |
| Delivery location | TLM63 Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Arran and Cumbrae, and Argyll and Bute |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 45 - Construction work

### Codes

- 45100000 - Site preparation work
- 45120000 - Test drilling and boring work

## Release History

- 24 Sep 2026 at 01:00 - Tender - PCS Notice - Website Contract Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565187

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP565187
  Skye Cycle Way Ground Investigation Works - Provide information on the ground and groundwater conditions to enable detailed design of new proposed structures, the general active travel route and to assess geotechnical risk for the Skye Cycle Way Phase 1.

## Notice URLs

- http://www.hitrans.org.uk
- http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=827037
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx
- https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/courts-and-tribunals/courts-tribunals-and-office-locations/find-us/inverness-justice-centre/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000827037.json.