privacy and peace of mind. When close to a house or garden, keep a sensible distance from the house, use a path or track if there is one and take extra care at night.
Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively. Do not hinder land-management operations and follow advice from land managers. Respect requests for reasonable limitations on when and where you can go.
Care for your environment. Do not disturb wildlife, leave the environment as you find it and follow a path or track if there is one.
Keep your dog under proper control. Do not take it through fields of calves and lambs, and dispose of dog dirt.
Deer stalking
Red deer beside Loch More
If you’re planning to walk in the Scottish hills from 1 July to 20 October, you should take reasonable steps to find out where deer stalking is taking place. As well as providing income, regular culling ensures that there is enough grazing for the herd and other animals, and that the fragile upland habitat is not damaged.
The Hillphones service provides information to enable hillwalkers and climbers to find out where red deer stalking is taking place during the stalking season, and to plan routes avoiding stalking operations. For more information go to www.snh.org.uk/hillphones.
Grouse shooting
The grouse-shooting season runs from 12 August to 10 December, with most shoots taking place during the earlier part of the season. Be alert to the possibility of shooting taking place on grouse moors and take account of advice on alternative routes. Avoid crossing land where a shoot is taking place until it is safe to do so.
Low-ground shooting
Low-ground shooting can take several forms. Pheasant and partridge shooting takes place during the autumn and winter in woods and forests, and on neighbouring land. Avoid crossing land when shooting is taking place. Avoid game bird rearing pens and keep your dog under close control or on a short lead when close to a pen.
Fishing
Access rights do not extend to fishing and the regulations are complex so you need to know the regulations before doing any fishing.
Cycling
Cyclist on the path to Glen Barisdale, Knoydart (Route 30). It’s quicker to walk!
Access rights extend to cycling. Cycling on hard surfaces, such as wide paths and tracks, causes few problems. On narrow paths, cyclists should give way to walkers and horse riders. Take care not to alarm farm animals, horses and wildlife.
If you are cycling off-path, you should avoid going onto wet, boggy or soft ground, and avoid churning up the surface. Effectively when climbing the Corbetts this means that you can use your bicycle on the estate roads and tracks to access the mountain, but the paths and off-path sections are likely to be too wet to be able to cycle without causing damage.
Wild camping
Access rights extend to wild camping. This type of camping is lightweight, done in small numbers and only for two or three nights in any one place. Avoid causing problems for local people and land managers: do not camp in enclosed fields of crops or farm animals and keep well away from buildings, roads or historic structures. Take extra care to avoid disturbing deer stalking or grouse shooting. If you wish to camp close to a house or building, seek the owner’s permission.
Leave no trace by:
taking away all your litter
removing all traces of your tent pitch and of any open fire
not causing any pollution
These rights do not extend to those using motorised transport.
Lighting fires
Wherever possible, use a stove rather than an open fire. If you do wish to light an open fire, keep it small, under control and supervised. Never light an open fire during prolonged dry periods or in areas such as forests, woods, farmland or on peaty ground, or near to buildings or in cultural heritage sites where damage can be easily caused.
Human waste
If you need to urinate, do so at least 30m from open water or rivers and streams. If you need to defecate, do so as far away as possible from buildings, from open water, rivers and streams. Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf.
Dogs and dog walking
Ptarmigan on Beinn Bhan
Access rights apply to people walking dogs provided that their dog is kept under proper control.
Your main responsibilities are:
Ground-nesting birds: During the breeding season (April–July) keep your dog on a short lead or under close control in areas such as moorland, grasslands, loch shores and the seashore to avoid disturbing birds that nest on the ground.
Farm animals: Never let your dog worry or attack farm animals. Don’t take your dog into fields with young farm animals.
Public places: Keep your dog under close control and avoid causing concern to others, especially those who fear dogs.
Dog waste: Pick up and dispose of carefully.
Fuller details can be found at www.outdooraccess-scotland.com.
Roadside camping
There is no legal right to roadside camping from a car. At one time it was common practice and this led to pollution problems in popular areas such as Glen Coe. You will find people camping beside the road, particularly in remote glens, but you should realise that you have no right to do so. You should obey any prohibition signs and you must leave if requested to do so by the landowner. Take particular care not to cause any form of pollution.
Motorhomes are a good base if you are walking in Scotland and there is rarely any difficulty finding somewhere to park. Caravans are much less flexible and should use caravan sites. Many of the single-track roads with passing places that are still common in the Highlands are not really suitable for caravans.
Roadside camping is legal under the access laws if you are walking or cycling.
Mountain Bothies
The author in Kinbreack Bothy, north of Loch Arkaig (Route 22)
The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) is a charity that maintains about 100 bothies in Scotland. These are shelters, usually old crofts, which are unlocked and available for anyone to use. Almost all of the bothies are in remote areas and are only accessible on
