Beryl Leatherland

Overview
The highlight of our year was the appointment of Hebe Carus to the post of A&C Officer after 14 months without an officer in place. Committee members had previously rallied round to deliver our work programme, so Hebe's arrival was very welcome. We have secured funding for the post for two years, but need to acquire further funds to ensure continuing employment thereafter. A&C operates entirely on external grants and to date no subscription income has been used in funding the work of the committee or our officer.

Access
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) may well be in place but there are still many instances of unsatisfactory situations. We have helped members to resolve cases involving infringements of the legislation by supporting their approaches to local authority access officers, although there is perhaps a lack of enthusiasm on the part of local authorities to become involved in enforcement issues. MCofS members are encouraged to complete the online review forms produced by Eleanor MacGregor of SNH who is monitoring the implementation of the Act and Code. Some of the committee have become members of their Local Access Forum (LAF) and we continue to view recruitment to LAFs as a priority.

The Hillphones scheme is well used and Dougal Roy reports that it will continue, possibly in a slightly different form, in the stag stalking season in 2007. Dougal also represents us on the Angus Glens and Forest Edge groups and is currently participating in discussions with partner organisations to progress our long-term aim of developing a web-based access database, but funding continues to be a major hurdle.

Access to hills that involves crossing railway lines was addressed formally at a recent National Access Forum (NAF) meeting with Network Rail at which Hebe represented the MCofS. The definition of wild camping in the SOAC is causing local problems to such an extent that the NAF set up a separate sub-group to address this and I am a member. The MCofS guidance leaflet on wild camping has been used by all parties as a reference point for good practice.

Without an officer, and with insufficient volunteer time, we were unable to run our own access symposium this year, but I contributed a workshop at the annual LAF symposium organised by the Ramblers and Sustrans and it was gratifying to see many of our members there. Later this year, Hebe will contribute to this event.

We were invited by the Forestry Commission Scotland to participate in scoping exercises and discussions concerning reafforestation and alignment of paths to enable good access to hills in some areas of Scotland. Mike Newbury and Dougal Roy undertook site visits, which resulted in significant improvements in Gleann a'Chaolais (South Ballachulish) and agreements on the lines to paths to Grey Heights and the NE ridge of Ben More (Crianlarich).

Conservation
The most significant event has been the public enquiry on the proposed Beauly-Denny transmission line. The MCofS is represented by Chris Townsend in the B-D Landscape Group, along with partners from the John Muir Trust, the Scottish Wild Land Group, the NTS, the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland and the Ramblers Association. At the time of writing the inquiry is progressing steadily and the case against the line appears strong, but there is a long way to go yet. The final outcome will depend absolutely on the judgement of the Reporter. The Landscape Group has acquired the services of a committed solicitor on an expenses-only basis and we have appealed with some success for donations to fund the efforts of the group, but still more funds are needed

The MCofS is a member of the Perthshire Alliance for the Real Cairngorms (PARC) and this year supported John Swinney's bill to have the Perthshire hills in the Atholl area and upper Glen Shee included in the Cairngorms National Park. I prepared our evidence and was a witness at the Environment and Rural Development Committee. Unfortunately, despite our efforts and that of other environmental groups, the bill was narrowly defeated by 5 votes to 4 at the committee stage. This issue will inevitably be revisited at the quinquennial review of the National Park around September 2008.

The Henry Hindmarch Access and Conservation Trust contributed to funding representation on Skye windfarms and the Beauly-Denny inquiries and is consequently much depleted. If you are able to make a donation, please do so!

We have contributed to various consultations originating from the Scottish Executive and others. Most of our responses are put on the website. Occasionally the MCofS is a named consultee and in these cases we always respond; in other cases we feel it is inappropriate to respond as the issue is not relevant to our work or member interests. In other instances we are involved in responses prepared by LINK partners. It is our intention to widen our activities and influence in these areas by engaging the membership more widely and actively.

The consultations we have responded to over the year include the Western Isles Interconnector draft proposals, Snaring in Scotland, SPP6 Draft Document (via LINK), Enjoying the Outdoors (via LINK), Scotland's Futures, Loch Katrine woodlands paths scoping study, review of Permanent Development Orders, Glenfinglas road construction, draft Guidance for Core Path Plan Local Inquiry, and we have objected to the Muailheabhal and Lochluichart windfarm proposals.

The A&C Committee has become the MCofS's largest, mostly through co-option. We always have a need, however, for additional local contacts throughout Scotland and even more volunteers would be welcome. Special mention must be made of Carolyn Anyan who, along, with Mike Newbury, has been diligently archiving and filing for us and the office in general.

Finally, after four years as a Vice President and chairing the A&C Committee, I will stand down at the forthcoming AGM. I feel very privileged to have worked with the committee over the years and thank them all for their support, tenacity and sheer hard work. I shall continue in a co-opted capacity to support the work of both the committee and Hebe and contribute via participation with LINK and representation on the NTS Council.

Representation on Other Organisations
In addition to instances described above, during the year members and others have represented the A&C committee on the following: Access and Conservation Trust; Deer Commission for Scotland Round Table; Local Access Fora (Argyll and Bute; Fife; Loch Lomond & Trossachs NP); Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Board; Montane Scrub Advisory Group; National Access Forum; National Trust for Scotland; Nevis Partnership; Perthshire Alliance for the Real Cairngorms (PARC); Scottish Environment LINK (Landscape Task Force; MoD Scottish Liaison Committee); SNH/NGO Round Table; Traprain Law Advisory Group.

Upland Footpath Trust - Nick Halls, trustee
The Upland Footpath Trust (UPT) is a charity co-founded by the MCofS, BMC, Ramblers Association and the Outdoor Industries Association. The original title of British Upland Footpath Trust was changed to UPT in 2005.

The founding principles of UPT are being reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the current circumstances, particularly the emergence of coastal paths, long distance paths, off-road cycling and also the outcome of legislation. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which extends access rights to cyclists and horse riders, and the Disability Discrimination Act 2006 both encourage more heavily engineered and intrusive path work. Focus on the core path network in Scotland, mostly involving lowland paths, is also encouraging path building techniques that are antithetical to UPT principles if applied in upland areas.

Nick Halls, Mike Newbury and Hebe Carus attended a meeting of the Upland Path Advisory Group (UPAG) which, under the aegis of SNH, brings together all organisations concerned with upland paths in Scotland. Concern was reiterated about lack of path maintenance and the continuation of dependence on over-engineered, expensive capital works designed to last without maintenance, which are often intrusive and out of keeping with the landscape. UPAG continues to recommend dedicated revenue budgets to fund ongoing maintenance and pre-emptive action to reduce the need for expensive capital works to restore avoidable landscape scars.

It remains imperative for the MCofS to remain engaged with path work issues and it should continue to support UPT. The MCofS draft Corporate Plan will contain a strategic commitment to path work.

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