Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division position on access, field margins and agri-environment funding

The following statement was circulated to Principal Agricultural Officers in 2015, and the Scottish Government AECS scheme team confirmed in June 2026 that they are still content with the previously agreed lines. To reinforce this, they have included the same statement within the 2027 Greening guidance (due to be published), highlighting that the agreement remains in place and providing a link to the Outdoor Access website. They will ensure that this matter is fully considered and incorporated into future scheme design.

Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) position on access, field margins and agri-environment funding:

The legal rights for responsible outdoor access in Scotland apply to agricultural field margins, as well as to grassland, grass strips and water margins. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code gives guidance on what is expected of land managers in working alongside responsible public access, and what is expected of those exercising their access rights on agricultural land.

RPID cannot provide blanket reassurance that penalties will never be applied if breaches to specific areas of management of areas under support schemes operated by RPID are identified, but will consider any case on its merits before doing so, taking account of individual circumstances. RPID does however support and encourage all land managers to continue to co-operate on responsible public access.