The legislation gives local authorities a wide range of new duties and powers. Informing the public and land managers about these is a key step in ensuring that they are used. More information on these duties and powers is provided in section 7. There is a strong expectation that public bodies will play a key role in helping to make the right of access work on the ground, and this will include the need to promote responsible access, to discourage irresponsible actions, and to ensure that any restraints on access are fair and reasonable. Public bodies must set a good example by fully meeting their obligations as land managers under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code .
Adequate funding is essential if public bodies are to meet their responsibilities.
Investment by public bodies in the provision and management of access has, to date, not matched the need. Making sure that the right of access works on the ground, and fulfilling the commitment to make full use of your duties and powers, will require the allocation of adequate resources from existing budgets and new sources. This would help to show where the priorities for investment are and what progress is being made towards good provision and management. As part of this, public bodies should make every effort to involve local communities and the new local access forums in their access work. By following the Code, public bodies can make a very significant contribution to making the right of access work on the ground.