DC a Young people in Scotland who have grown up with the Right To Roam should be seriously concerned at attempts to erode and misinterpret this important legislation. It was with great concern that I read the posts a few weeks back (see here) and earlier this week (here) about the attempts from some in Scotland…
Tag: access rights
On 20th December 2022, four and a half years after the Drumlean Case (see here), Lord Carloway and two other of Scotland’s most senior judges issued another judgement in the Court of Session (see here) which described access rights as “the right to roam”: “[1] The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 introduced new rights of…
The term “access taker” appears to be becoming part of lexicon of those charged with overseeing access rights, including our two National Park Authorities. While messages directed to the public don’t yet use the phrase (see here) – “welcome access taker” has a horrible ring – behind the scenes this is how many access officers…
What message does this sign, exhorting people “to protect our wildlife, habitat and heritage”, give when it has been screwed into an ancient oak tree? With all sorts of creatures boring holes into oaks four shiny screws may not spell the end for this tree, though it will for the mosses and lichens behind it. …
Our two National Park Authorities, along with Scotland’s 32 local authorities, are Access Authorities. Among other statutory duties under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act these are supposed to protect access rights and set up Local Access Forum (LAF)s to advise them about the exercise of those rights. This post looks at how the LLTNPA have…
Last month, in a great piece of investigative journalism (see here), Rob Edwards from the Ferret obtained a copy of a document called the “Salisbury Crags Rock Risk Management Options Appraisal 2021” from Historic Environment Scotland (HES). This revealed that HES are seriously considering trying to close the Radical Road in Edinburgh permanently. Although I,…
On Friday the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) announced a swingeing increase (see here) in the fees it charges campers: from £3 to £4 or 33% per night for anyone wanting to camp in a permit area – places without any facilities – in one of the camping management zones; and from…
On Monday I went for a wander around Glen Ample from Loch Lubnaig in Strathyre, starting at the car park used by hillwalkers for the popular round of Stuc a Chroin and Beinn Each. I had not walked the first part of the route, between Ardchullarie and the Ardchullarie hydro (see here), for many years….
It is now three and a half years since Historic Environment Scotland (HES) closed the Radical Road below Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh and it was good to see the BBC pick up the story last week (see here). HES has also been in the news recently (see here) and (see here) because of its proposals to…
Following my post on Fires, hypocrisy and access rights I was alerted that Highland Council, rather than fulfilling their statutory duty to uphold access rights, had themselves been putting up “No Fires” signs. These signs are contrary to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) which was approved by the Scottish Parliament: The meaning of “Wherever…
[NB My apologies, I have corrected an error in the first version of this post and have used Assynt in the title, which I cannot change without destroying weblinks, when it should have said Coigach – see comment below] While staying near Ullapool last week I came across this sign, which was new to me,…
On 28th December Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Ltd (CMSL) issued this sledging policy on their website and a similar statement on their facebook page. It epitomises everything that is wrong with the current management Cairn Gorm and is unlawful. The statement appeared to have prompted by the bedlam at the patch of snow that has been…
Over three weeks after Storm Arwen, a message about storm damaged paths still runs across the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) website. Click on the link Current path closures and you are taken to two headings, “Temporary path closures” and “Current path closures.” This post takes a look at how the CNPA is ignoring the…
The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA)’s consultation on their draft National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) officially closes on Friday, apparently at 5pm. So far, I have only considered the draft plan from a climate and nature conservation perspective but will continue covering other aspects of the plan after the consultation closes. Before that, however, I…
The divurgence between how people in Glasgow have welcome people to the COP -26 summit has been been most interesting. On the one hand sections of the population profiteering through exorbitant charges for accommodation – one wonders if any of the hotels or landlords charging delegates £1000s to stay will invest those profits in making…
After my post on NatureScot and the Scottish Countryside Rangers Assocation’s statement on the role of countryside rangers in Scotland (see here), a couple of readers questioned whether access rights were being afforded any more respect on the ground as opposed to what is being said in the policy world. They were right to do…
The Herald yesterday revealed that Argyll and Bute Council have had an offer to buy the car park at the foot of the Cobbler accepted. The sum has not yet been disclosed. Unfortunately what should have been good news, bringing a piece of private land into public ownership for the benefit of the public, is…
When the Scottish Parliament resumes in Edinburgh on Monday, MSPs should go and take a look at the access problem that is visible from their doorstep. The Radical Road below Salisbury Crags has now been closed by Historic and Environment Scotland for almost three years following a rockfall. The prolonged closure raises issues of national…
Out of Doors on Radio Scotland yesterday (see here) had a great piece on Network Rail’s attempt to close the “private” level crossing at Dalwhinnie (from 35.30), an attack on people’s ability to exercise their access rights. This was first covered in the Badenoch and Strathspey Herald two weeks ago (see here) and now become…
Last week I was sent this picture of a sign spotted outwith the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Loch Chon campsite (see here) in Strathard. It is a con. The Scottish Government stated right from the start on the pandemic last year that our access rights as set out in the Land Reform…
Last week I went walking and camping in the north west of Scotland with friends and did something I have always wanted to do, spent the night on the summit of A’Mhaighdean. Magic! In doing so, some of our small party left Glasgow, where the coronavirus travel restrictions still applied (see here). I believe we…
Yesterday, I drove down to Glen Afton from Glasgow for a run over the hills. I had a reasonable excuse for doing so. I was so frustrated by the stupidity and unfairness of the latest coronavirus regulations (see here) that if I hadn’t gone out I might have done something that risks spreading Covid-19. Like…
Having repealed the legal restrictions on travel on the 26th April, eight days ago the Scottish Government re-imposed them (see here for the Statutory Instrument) on people living in Moray and Glasgow, after deciding not to move these two local authorities to Level 2 like the rest of the country. One day it was perfectly…
The idea of developing facilities for campervans at the Coire na Ciste car park is, in principle, quite sensible. Even though the Glenmore campsite has opened up this year, there are a lack of facilities in Glen More and a shortage of informal places to stop off overnight. Meantime, the Coire na Ciste car park,…
It is eleven months since I raised concerns about the implications of the police charging two hillwalkers at Crianlarich with Culpable and Reckless Conduct (see here). In January, two women from Fife were charged with the same offence after they had called the mountain rescue on Ben Lomond (see here). Now the police have charged…