Walks, cycleways and riding routes

The Midlothian Core Paths Plan was approved in May 2009:

• Core Paths Plan maps (PDFs)
  

About Core Paths

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 came into effect in February 2005.

The Act placed various duties on the Local Authorities, one of which was to draw up a plan for system of paths "sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout their area".  These paths were to be known as Core Paths.

All Local Authorities in Scotland were required to draw up a plan of Core Paths for formal consultation.

The Core Paths process

The Core Paths Plan was prepared through an extended period of informal and formal consultation which provided an excellent opportunity to engage with local communities, path users and land managers.

The Plan aims to balance the public's demand for recreational routes with the needs and requirements of land managers.

The Plan shows the maps of the Core Paths and the wider network of paths. The Plan also contains other information including details of the consultation and decision-making process.