NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) state in their submission that
Scotland’s People & Nature Survey indicates that there were 643 million visits to the outdoors in 2019-20, of which 295 million visits (46%) were accompanied by a dog; dog walking was the primary motive for 42% of visits
Therefore, dog walking is a significant reason for people accessing the countryside, and NatureScot point to the contribution of dogs to national outcomes on accessing the countryside.