Environment minister Màiri McAllan talks to Joshua Adeyemi of Black Scottish Adventurers. Photo: Ramblers Scotland

Outdoor enthusiasts and campaigners joined politicians to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s right-to-roam laws.

Ramblers Scotland’s #OutdoorsForAll event marked two decades of world-class rights under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

The act, giving the public the legal right to responsibly access nearly all land and inland waters was passed by MSPs on 23 January 2003 and given royal assent just over a month later.

Scottish environment minister Màiri McAllan spoke at the event this week, which was attended by many of the original campaigners from Ramblers Scotland and partner organisations who fought hard to win access rights.

Guests included Ramblers Scotland’s president, Mountain Leader Lucy Wallace, and the charity’s former presidents including retired Labour politician Dennis Canavan and naturalist Ben Dolphin.

Ms McAllan said: “Scotland’s landscapes are world famous; so too is our right to responsibly access them.

“There are so many benefits to spending time walking in our parks, woodlands and hills, including improving our physical health, nurturing mental wellbeing, tackling loneliness and many more. We should all be able to access these benefits and our world leading rights provide this.

“Going forward, we must prioritise action to address the barriers and challenges that some still face in accessing the outdoors. No-one should be prevented from benefiting because of their circumstances.

“Ramblers Scotland members played a leading role in campaigning for Scotland’s access rights and now much of their work is focused on upholding them. I wish to send my thanks to them and all of their volunteers for their time, commitment and enthusiasm for countryside access – enthusiasm which I wholeheartedly share.”

The #OutdoorsForAll event was hosted by Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess, who has received cross-party support for her motion calling for ‘funding for access management, ranger services and local access forums’.

Ramblers Scotland director Brendan Paddy said recent Scottish Government natural capital accounts place the value of £62bn on outdoor recreation alone, which is greater than the oil and gas sector.

He said: “The Land Reform Act 2003 is one of the stand-out achievements of Scotland’s devolved parliament, with our world-class access rights forming a cherished element of our national identity. The act has delivered so much for the nation’s health, happiness and economy in the past 20 years, with booming numbers of people accessing our outdoors.

“This month’s anniversary also provides a useful moment to reflect upon how access to the outdoors remains unequal, with people in affluent areas considerably more likely to walk than those in deprived parts of Scotland.

“I hope that in the years ahead we focus even greater effort and resources upon ensuring that everyone – whatever their background, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability or age – benefits from Scotland’s amazing outdoors.”

Scottish access rights apply equally to anyone travelling under their own steam, including walkers, cyclists, climbers, canoeists, swimmers, horse riders, paddle-boarders and others.

Rights north of the border compare favourably with those in England and Wales, which are governed by the more restrictive Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

The public has rights in Scotland, including wild camping, as long as they adhere to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, though the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority controversially introduced bylaws restricting wild-camping rights in parts of its area.