Aberdeenshire Local Outdoor Access Forum

Welcome

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 requires that 'local access forums' be set up across Scotland to advise local authorities on putting the new legislation into effect.

The Aberdeenshire Local Outdoor Access Forum (ALOAF) covers the area of Aberdeenshire apart from the Cairngorms National Park and Aberdeen city. ALOAF members are independent of Aberdeenshire Council and represent a broad range of experience, chosen in late 2004 and subsequently, from four fields of countryside interest: recreational use, land management, community use and agencies such as Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission.

The Forum meets several times each year to consider a variety of access topics, for example:

• making the countryside more accessible and enjoyable for non-motorised users, e.g. walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and canoeists (on inland water, which is covered by the Act)
• The preparation of the Council's Core Paths Plan by 2008
• Offering assistance with the resolution of access disputes within the Forum area
• The development of recreation and access strategies for the countryside, ensuring that they cater for a wide range of people
• The improvement of the rights of way network

All formal meetings of the Forum are open to the public.

Aberdeenshire Local Outdoor Access Forum has published it's first report (pdf 46kb) covering Forum activities from 2005 to 2008

The Aberdeenshire Local Outdoor Access Forum abides by a set of formal Operating Principles (pdf 735 kb)

For more information about the Forum please contact the Chairman, Mr Ken Thomson, tel. 01224 743655, email: k.j.thomson@abdn.ac.uk or the Outdoor Access Officer, tel. 01467 628481.