Survey reveals alarming cuts to outdoor access jobs in Scotland - Joint press release issued by Ramblers Scotland on behalf of Scottish Outdoor Access Network

Landowners and outdoor groups are jointly calling for better resourcing to support Scotland’s world-class access rights - as a new survey highlights alarming cutbacks in countryside access jobs.

Scottish Outdoor Access Network (SOAN) polled all 34 access authorities on how they manage access, a topic which has hit the headlines during the Covid era due to booming numbers of people heading outdoors.

The survey showed that during 2019/20:

• Six authorities do not employ a single Access Officer; skilled professionals who find practical solutions to access challenges, and ensure the local authorities carry out their statutory duties
• The equivalent of just 36.5 full-time Access Officers now work across Scotland; down 27% from 2015/16 and 44% since 2005/6
• A third of access authorities do not directly employ any full-time Countryside Rangers; frontline staff who welcome and educate visitors, and manage important sites on the ground.

SOAN believes the reduction in access-supporting jobs is symptomatic of a wider, worsening trend of under-investment in visitor management.

SOAN stressed that the Scottish Government’s funding for access has flatlined for more than a decade at £8.1million a year - but said that many hard-pressed local authorities are sadly choosing to invest their access allocation on other issues.