The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 created a framework for responsible access to land and inland water, formalising the tradition in Scotland of unhindered access to open countryside, provided that care was taken not to cause damage or interfere with activities including farming and game stalking. This parallels the gradual introduction of similar access rights to England and Wales with the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, while retaining a distinctive approach set out in an Outdoor Access Code specifying the rights and responsibilities of land managers, countryside users and recreational managers. It also introduced rights for rural and crofting communities to buy land in their area, and ended the historic legacy of feudal law in Scots law.

See also

• Land reform
• Property law
• Right of public access to the wilderness
• Registers of Scotland

External links

• Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, 2003 asp 2
• Scottish Executive: Rural Development
• Scottish Outdoor Access Code
• MCofS - Know the Code

2003 in law | Acts of the Scottish Parliament | Agriculture in Scotland | Economic history of Scotland | Property law | Real estate | Wilderness areas