At your own pace
East Lothian offers a great variety of landscapes for walking, cycling and horseriding, with the Lammermuir Hills to the south, a coastline of broad sandy beaches and rugged cliffs to the north and east, and an expanse of arable farmland, woods and rivers in between. A number of sites in East Lothian are owned or managed by East Lothian Council, including 68% of the coastline. These are managed to provide informal leisure opportunities for visitors, as well as for nature conservation purposes.

East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service
Forefront in the management of countryside sites is the Countryside Ranger Service. East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service has been in operation since 1970, and now has seven full time and four seasonal staff, dedicated to the management of sites in East Lothian for nature conservation and informal recreation purposes.

Access

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 came into effect in February 2005. The Act gives the public a right of responsible access to most land and inland water in Scotland. This extends from parks and open spaces in towns to more remote areas of the countryside.

The right is for crossing land or for going onto land for recreational purposes.
This is a right of non-motorised access, so it extends to walking, cycling, horse-riding, canoeing and other recreational pursuits. It does not cover motorised vehicles, unless it is a vehicle or vessel specifically adapted for and being used by a person with a disability.

This right of access to the outdoors comes with responsibilities. Your access rights and responsibilities are fully explained in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The three main principles of the Code are to:

• take responsibility for your own actions
• respect the interests of other people
• care for the environment

Further information on the Land Reform Act and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code can be found on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website.

For information about access to the outdoors in East Lothian, contact East Lothian Council’s Outdoor Access Officers or the Countryside Ranger Service. An important role is also taken by the Local Access Forum, which is made up of groups representing land managers, recreation and access groups and statutory organisations.