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However only since the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in 2001 has it been truly recognised that rural recreation and tourism are key drivers of the rural economy and provide a strong economic rationale for the conservation management of rural areas.
Initiatives stemming from the CROW Act, 2000 and the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003 have led to an increased awareness of public access opportunities and improvements to existing and new routes in the countryside. In England there are gradually increasing access opportunities to “mountain, moor heath, down and registered common land” whilst in Scotland these rights apply to all land so long as it is for “recreation, educational activity or for the purpose of carrying on, commercially or for profit.” As a consequence of new legislation greater powers and obligations have been imposed on local authorities.
In Scotland, we have been increasingly involved in access in and around villages, towns and cities, as a result of growing policy making commitments to providing access for all and the need for functional, as well as recreational links. Our work has also considered how rural communities could be developed in order to better link with tourism market opportunities, including those offered by Scotland’s new national parks.
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