Access to land in Scotland is not quite how you describe it - the way it
works is that specific areas of land can be designated "Open Access" and are
shown as so on maps. This means that there is indeed open access except at
specific periods during shooting seasons. But this only applies to areas of
Scotland which are open moorland, mountain and forest where people tramping
all over it can't do too much damage. Any land which is actively farmed or
cultivated or is parkland, utilities, industrial, domestic or maybe a nature
reserve with fragile habitat will not be designated Open Access and there
are no specific rights to access it other than on public rights of way.
And an interesting point regarding public access (complete with the
accompanying dogs) and its effect on wildlife is that during the last Foot &
Mouth epidemic in the UK when access to all countryside was closed to the
public for a year, many species of birds and other wildlife did
spectacularly well.
And regarding Australia and rules - we did find that Australia is
surprisingly bureaucratic about certain things - but the rules appear to be
routinely ignored for example when they interfere with what Australians
regards as their god-given right to drive all over beaches!!
Rosemary Royle
Wales, UK
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