Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 May 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce the reportedly increased number of people roaming through livestock farms during the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether it will consider temporarily revoking the right to roam, particularly during lambing season.
The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with key stakeholders to understand the impact of reported increases in people exercising their access rights during the Covid-19 pandemic and to develop an agreed position. Officials have engaged and consulted with the National Farmers’ Union Scotland, Scottish Land and Estates, the Ramblers Association and Scotways, as well as with Scottish Natural Heritage.
As a result, on 9 April 2020 I released a statement - endorsed by all of the stakeholders mentioned above - setting out what ‘responsible access’ means in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement makes it clear that while access rights will continue to apply, exercising those rights responsibly means respecting the needs of other people, and emphasises that people will need to adapt their behaviour in the national effort to contain the disease’s spread. It stresses that farmers must be allowed to go about their business without interference or fear of unnecessary exposure to Covid-19. It also notes that land managers should respect access rights, which are particularly important at this difficult time, and if necessary should use helpful signs to indicate where access may be problematic and suggest reasonable alternative routes.
The full statement, setting out what exercising rights of responsible access under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 means during the coronavirus emergency is available on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/ministerial-statement-on-access-rights-during-covid-19/ .
This statement has been supplemented by further, more detailed guidance and signage, produced by Scottish Natural Heritage, which is available on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website: