Scottish Outdoor Access Code awareness monitoring, 2021-23.
Abstract
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC), introduced by the 2003 Land Reform (Scotland) Act and drawn up by NatureScot, provides guidance on what 'responsible behaviour' means in different places for those exercising their outdoor access rights and the reciprocal responsibilities for those managing land in Scotland. This report sets out findings from three waves of SOAC awareness monitoring conducted in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The main findings are as follows: (1) Around half of people are aware of SOAC. Awareness of SOAC is higher among people who visit the outdoors. (2) Awareness of Scotland's access rights to land and inland water is high - only one in ten people said they were not aware of their rights. (3) Public awareness of SOAC is growing, while awareness of access rights remains constant. (4) When asked about what messaging relating to responsible outdoor behaviour people had encountered, the most commonly recalled topics were about avoiding littering, responsible dog walking and preventing wildfires. (5) The influence of demographic factors can be seen on awareness of SOAC and access rights, particularly rurality, socio-economic grouping, and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile. Those in urban areas, lower socio-economic grouping and the most deprived quintile reported lower awareness of SOAC and their access rights. Younger people and minority ethnic respondents also tended to have less knowledge and awareness of SOAC and their rights.