The Beat the Street Active Nation game has launched - with 3,738 participants in North Ayrshire and Argyll signing up in its first few days.

And together, they have walked, cycled and rolled their way to nearly 10,000 miles.

Beat the Street Active Nation takes place across Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Dalry, Beith, Glengarnock, Kilbirnie and the Isle of Arran, plus Helensburgh, Dunoon, Rothesay and Campbeltown, across Argyll and Bute until Wednesday, March 27.

The fun competition encourages the whole community to ditch the car and to consider active travel.

Players can join a school, community, workplace team and there are prizes for the teams that travel the furthest with vouchers for books and sports equipment on offer.

With an individual leaderboard and lucky ‘spot’ prizes just for taking part, there’s something for everyone.

For schools and community teams, there is a total points leaderboard and an average leaderboard, so opportunities for teams of all sizes to win prizes.

Residents may have seen beeping and flashing sensors called ‘Beat Boxes’ have been placed on lampposts around the towns involved to help participants explore the local area and all it has to offer and to find new active travel routes.

To play, players need a card which can be collected from one of the distribution centres listed at www.beatthestreet.me/ActiveNation.

Alternatively, players over the age of 13 can download the free Beat the Street app to play the game on their phone.

The first week of the game is themed ‘Go Play’ for players to get to grips with the rules and subsequent weeks have a different focus, from Go Explore to Go Wild and Go Travel.

Beat the Street Active Nation is delivered by Intelligent Health in partnership with North Ayrshire Council, and Argyll and Bute Council.

It is funded by Paths for All's Active Nation Fund.

Councillor Tony Gurney, North Ayrshire's cabinet member for green environment and economy, said: “The Beat the Street Active Nation game is off to a great start!

"Well done to everyone who has signed up so far and please keep encouraging your friends, family and neighbours to get involved.

"There’s nothing quite like seeing your community with fresh eyes when you walk, cycle and run around the area in a way that you just don’t when you’re in the car.”

More information will be available at www.beatthestreet.me/activenation and on social media at @BTSActiveNation.