| Summary: | An initial investigation of the extent of private landownership and occupancy of rural land, and of the importance of the countryside recreation points to an inter-relationship between private landholders and tourism and recreation in Scotland. The objective of the thesis is to elucidate this interrelationship based on the postulationn that landholders provide facilities for recreation and tourism and experience public access in general. Investigation of the existing literature reveals that, despite expressed interest and concern, very little actual information is available on the extent, nature and, effect of the interrelationship in Scotland. Various public agencies are active in this field. An associated objective of the thesis is to use the results of the research to contribute suggestions for public policy making. Two principal surveys of landholders were, carried out: first, a series of detailed interviews with landholders providing facilities; secondly, a postal survey of a random sample of landholdings throughout Scotland. The response rates achieved were high. The results obtained from these surveys are analysed to present information on the extent to which landholders are involved in providing facilities for recreation and tourism and in experiencing de facto access on their holdings. The relationship between these activities and the characteristics of landholding is investigated. The nature of facility provision is studied in detail. An examination is made of the attitudes of landholders to the development of facilities and of their reaction to de facto access. The effect of tourism and recreation on landholdings is investigated. A particular aspect of this is the assessment of the economic results of tourism and recreation enterprises. Social costs and benefits from tourism and recreation on private landholdings are discussed. In conclusion, the results of the research are applied in the formulation of a number of suggestions for future policy in Scotland.
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