http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: The Scottish Outdoor Access Code aka 'Right to Roam' en Sun, 31 May 2026 06:01:59 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-379726 Wed, 21 May 2025 13:43:07 +0000 chdot 379726@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/21/wild-camping-on-dartmoor-is-legal-supreme-court-rules" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/21/wild-camping-on-dartmoor-is-legal-supreme-court-rules</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378945 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:03:36 +0000 chdot 378945@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Slightly related -</p> <p>“</p> <p>Initially launching with 15 spaces, from Cornwall to Scotland, the plan is to expand to other sites in the Rewilding Britain network. As part of the initiative, £1 from every CampWild membership will be donated to Rewilding Britain. “Every membership will directly contribute to rewilding efforts, ensuring that the very places we explore continue to thrive for generations to come,” said Backhouse. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/mar/11/new-scheme-to-offer-campers-unprecedented-access-to-wild-spaces-across-britain" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/mar/11/new-scheme-to-offer-campers-unprecedented-access-to-wild-spaces-across-britain</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378943 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:10:00 +0000 fimm 378943@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I <em>wrote</em> to The Guardian asking them to stop calling it "right to roam"! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378940 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:21:32 +0000 chdot 378940@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@fimm</p> <p>“Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives you a Right of Responsible Access, not a "right to roam". “</p> <p>Yes</p> <p>Unfortunately it has become useful/ignorant ‘common parlance’. </p> <p>“</p> <p>Unlike those in England and Wales, where Guardian analysis from last year found that less than half of the land is “open access”, Scotland’s national parks are fully open to everyone because of its right to roam law. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/11/galloway-national-park-scotland-campaign-controversy-naturescot-ngnp-gnpa" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/11/galloway-national-park-scotland-campaign-controversy-naturescot-ngnp-gnpa</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378927 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:28:06 +0000 ejstubbs 378927@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>From a document on the <a href="https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/sites/default/files/2018-10/Paper%20-%20Novel%20activities%20-%20electric%20bikes%20and%20drones%20-%203%20February%202016.pdf">Outdoor Access Scotland web site</a> dated February 2016:</p> <p><blockquote>The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, Section 9 (Conduct excluded from access rights) states -<br /> <em>(f) being on or crossing land in or with a motorised vehicle or vessel (other than a vehicle or vessel which has been constructed or adapted for use by a person who has a disability and which is being used by such a person)</em></p> <p>Pre-existing roads legislation and regulations provide precise definitions on what are termed “Electrically-Assisted Pedal Cycles” (EAPCs), particularly for use when determining if an EAPC is not a ‘motor vehicle’ in terms of the roads legislation. These criteria may be useful when needing to distinguish between those electric bikes that could be used on all paths without any real problem, and those faster/heavier types that might create practical problems.</p> <p>Schedule 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 does not include any provisions to modify any of this pre-existing roads legislation, so the two areas of civil and criminal law co-exist.</p> <p>Given...EAPCs which comply with [roads legislation] criteria are specifically not a ‘motor vehicle’ under roads legislation, it is generally taken as valid that – if compliant with these criteria - EAPCs are similarly treated as not being a ‘motorised vehicle’ under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act.</blockquote></p> <p>There is a reference in the briefing paper to an 'advert', presumably intended to clarify this for the general population. I can't say I've ever seen any such advert - but then again I have so far worked under the same assumption as outlined in the briefing paper (which I only unearthed today) and I have to date never been challenged while exercising my rights of responsible access on my EAPC-compliant eMTB. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378924 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:48:54 +0000 acsimpson 378924@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm sure I've asked this before but motorised vehicles presumably includes any bike with a motor over 250 watts. Does it also include pedelecs too as they are only defined under the road traffic laws? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378922 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:25:48 +0000 fimm 378922@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Can't read the article, so I will just say that the Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives you a Right of Responsible Access, not a "right to roam".</p> <p>And yes, access rights do not apply to "any form of motorised recreation or passage". </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21709#post-378918 Sun, 09 Mar 2025 22:46:12 +0000 LaidBack 378918@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Living rurally this seems relevant as a basis for discussion. Not having a car or a dog makes me an outlier though.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thenational.scot/comment/24992848.rhoda-meek-right-roam" rel="nofollow">http://www.thenational.scot/comment/24992848.rhoda-meek-right-roam</a><br /> <blockquote>Those basics include the fact that your vehicle does not have the “right to roam”. Your feet do. Your horse does. Even your bike does. </blockquote> </p>