Privileged access - Protecting our wild places

For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in the countryside. Ironically, this has threatened the survival of some rural habitats, especially those frequently visited for recreational activities. 

That pressure is all too obvious on the beautiful MacGillycuddy Reeks, in Co Kerry, which are visited by up to 100,000 hillwalkers each year. This has inevitable consequences, especially for the busiest paths which are often damaged by erosion caused unintentionally by walkers or weather.

Access to the countryside is a fraught issue and many people consider it a right even if the land they wish to visit is privately owned. This has been recognised by various compensation schemes that encourage landowners to allow free access to their property. It may be time, however, to reconsider those principles. There are many examples to environments being dangerously degraded by unfettered access. Maybe it’s time to consider access to our wilder places a privilege rather than a right and legislate accordingly?