Core Path Plan
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (the Act) gives a right of responsible, non-motorised access to virtually all land and inland water in Scotland. It also introduces the term ‘core path’. So what is a core path? A core path can be anything— a right of way, farm track, an old drove road, a route published in a guidebook, basically anywhere whether there is a route on the ground or water, or not.
Although the Act allows anything to be a core path, the Scottish Government has set out some characteristics of a core path. They should be signposted at key access points, all boundary crossing–gates, stiles and gaps through fences, hedges and walls. should be accessible to all legitimate users and the path surfaces can be anything from grassy country paths to tarmac surfaced paths.
The Act states that all Access Authorities (Local and National Park Authorities) have a duty to produce a core paths plan for their individual areas. Under the Act, Stirling Council has a responsibility to develop a Core Paths Plan for its area outside of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park; which addresses the needs of all types of user. A core paths plan is described as a system of paths (‘core paths’) sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout their area.
The following pages will tell you more about the core paths plan process.
