Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967

24 Acquisition by local planning authorities of land for public access

(1) Where it appears to a local planning authority, as respects any land in their area which is or which gives or forms part of access to open country,—

(a) that it is requisite that the public should have access to that open country for open-air recreation ; and

(b) that in the circumstances it is expedient that for that purpose the land should be acquired by the local planning authority,

the authority, if it appears to them impracticable to obtain such access by an access agreement or access order, may, with the consent of the Secretary of State, acquire the land by agreement, whether by way of purchase, feu, lease or excambion, or acquire the land compulsorily.

(2) A local planning authority may carry out on land acquired by them for the purposes of this section, and for the time being held by them for those purposes, such work as they may consider requisite for providing convenient means of access to the land or otherwise for the said purposes.

(3) While land acquired by a local planning authority under this section is held by them for the purposes thereof, it shall be the duty of the authority so to manage the land as to give to the public access for open-air recreation to so much thereof as appears to the authority to be practicable, having regard to the nature of the different parts of the land, to anything done thereon which may result in danger to the public or to persons employed thereon unless public access to the land or to adjoining land is restricted, and to all other relevant circumstances.