“Right to Roam” is an easy phrase; it trips off the tongue and conjures up a romantic picture of a happy-go-lucky hiker wondering care-free across the hills. It’s an easy shorthand that many people use to sum up their idea of how they may access the countryside in Scotland since the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 came into effect.

The truth, of course, is somewhat different. Access users in Scotland have a right of responsible access to the countryside, not such a simple thing to say, and not so simple in reality. The key to harmonious use of the countryside is the word responsible, and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) is here to guide all non-motorised users as to what responsible or irresponsible behaviour is; on the part of both the land manager and the access user.