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In Scotland, everyone has the right to be on most land and inland water for recreation, education and for going from place to place providing they act responsibly. These access rights and responsibilities are explained in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code has replaced the Country Code. Access legislation has also changed in England and Wales and their new Code is called the Countryside Code.
The key things in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code are to:
- take responsibility for your own actions and act safely;
- respect people’s privacy and peace of mind;
- help land managers and others to work safely and effectively;
- care for your environment and take your litter home;
- keep your dog under proper control;
- take extra care if you’re organising an event or running a business.
Equally, land managers have to manage their land and water responsibly in relation to access rights and:
- respect access rights;
- act reasonably when asking people to avoid land management operations;
- work with the local authority and other bodies to help integrate access and land management;
- respect rights of way and customary access.
Throughout this resource we refer to a shorter version of the above:
The 3 key principles to:
- Respect the interests of other people
- Care for the environment
- Take responsibility for your own actions
More detailed information on your responsibilities in the outdoors can be found in ‘Exercising Access Rights Responsibly – At a Glance’. Information on your rights can also be found.
Also available are contact details for individuals and organisations that can give you more information and support.