ACCESS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES - SCOTLAND

Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC)

Before travelling to Scotland and before planning an itinerary for a holiday it is worth taking a bit of time to familiarise yourself with how Scottish Access Rights work.  Scottish Access Rights is the term used to describe the rights and associated responsibilities that canoeists (along with walkers, climbers, cyclists and other outdoor recreational groups) have to take access in the great Scottish outdoors.

• Everyone has the right to take access to most land and water in Scotland providing they do so in a responsible manner;
• The key principles of acting responsibly are to care for the environment, take responsibility for your own actions and respect the interests of other people;
• SOAC does not give you any rights of vehicular access, therefore driving or parking on private land without permission is not allowed, even if it is a very short distance to get your boat to the water;
• There are many misunderstandings about ‘wild camping’ in SOAC, so therefore do your research before you visit Scotland.  See our Access and Environment pages and read the Paddler's Access Code leaflet;
• The SCA promotes a range of Biosecurity measures, including the simple act of always draining your boat before leaving a paddling site. We therefore encourage all paddlers to familiarise themselves with our web-based guidelines;
• Canoeing and angling exist well together in Scotland.  However, the last day of the fishing season on the Tay is October 15th and as the last few days of the season are considered prime dates in the angling calendar, the Tay Descent is deliberately a week after the end of the season.