Today, Friday, September 5, a new cycling route was launched in the municipalities of Loon op Zand, Tilburg and Vught: the fourth in the series of Scottish Highlanders Cycling Routes, part of the international Liberation Route Europe network.
Developed in collaboration with the municipalities of Loon op Zand, Tilburg and Vught, the 51-kilometer route takes cyclists through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the region, including the National Park Loonse en Drunense Duinen. Along the way, 11 Floor Vectors mark locations where history unfolded, commemorating the role of the Scottish Highland Division during the liberation of the Netherlands in World War II.
Like the other Scottish Highlanders Cycling Routes, launched earlier this year, the new trail is designed to combine outdoor activity with local history. It follows in the footsteps of the Scottish Highlanders who fought to liberate this part of the Netherlands, shedding light on their experiences and the stories of civilians who lived through those events.
The launch was celebrated with a group cycle along part of the route, giving participants a chance to discover the landscape and learn more about the history it holds.
With this new route, the series now offers four interconnected cycling trails across North Brabant, each highlighting a different chapter in the story of the Scottish Highlanders’ advance.
Wout van Aalst, Project Officer at the LRE Foundation, emphasized the importance of this milestone:
“It is a great satisfaction to have completed the project by adding this last route in Loon op Zand, Tilburg and Vught to the three previous ones in Heusden, Waalwijk, Meierijstad, Boxtel and Sint-Michielsgestel. Together, these trails form a meaningful way to explore both the landscape and the history of the Scottish Highlanders’ contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands.”
The full route and its stories are available on the Liberation Route Europe website and app, making it easy for visitors to navigate the trail and engage with the history along the way.
