What has changed, and what is still unsettled
UK access law is not static. One nation's highest court has just confirmed a camping right; another jurisdiction's path-recording deadline may or may not survive the year. And every year, the same seasonal restrictions come round again. This page tracks all three.
Open questions
Positions that are genuinely unresolved. Anyone stating these confidently is guessing.
The deadline for recording historic rights of way
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act set a cut-off — currently 1 January 2031 on the statute book — after which unrecorded historic public rights of way would be extinguished. In December 2024 the Government announced its intention to repeal the deadline entirely. Until legislation passes, both statements are true at once: the deadline is on the books, and the Government has said it means to remove it.
Why it matters: The Ramblers estimate some 49,000 miles of historic paths are missing from definitive maps. Whether they survive turns on this.
Recently settled
Changes that have taken effect, with the authority for each.
Wild camping on the Dartmoor commons confirmed lawful
Following Darwall v Dartmoor National Park Authority [2025] UKSC 20 (21 May 2025), s.10(1) of the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 confers a public right to pitch tents or otherwise make camp overnight on the Dartmoor commons, as camping is a form of open-air recreation. This applies to the commons (not the whole National Park) — follow the park authority's backpack-camping map and code.
Why it matters: It is the only public right to wild camp anywhere in England, and it survived a challenge that would have removed it. The right covers the commons, not the whole National Park.
Source: Darwall v Dartmoor NPA [2025] UKSC 20 · Wild camping, nation by nation
The restrictions that come round every year
These are not changes in the law — they are the law working as intended, on a cycle. A red cell closes access outright or requires a permit; an amber cell leaves your right intact but conditions how you exercise it. The current month is marked when your browser can tell us what it is.
| Nation | Restriction | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | Deer stalking (stags) | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | No seasonal restriction in Mar | No seasonal restriction in Apr | No seasonal restriction in May | No seasonal restriction in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | Conditions apply in Aug | Conditions apply in Sep | Conditions apply in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| Scotland | Grouse shooting | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | No seasonal restriction in Mar | No seasonal restriction in Apr | No seasonal restriction in May | No seasonal restriction in Jun | No seasonal restriction in Jul | Conditions apply in Aug | Conditions apply in Sep | Conditions apply in Oct | Conditions apply in Nov | Conditions apply in Dec |
| Scotland | Loch Lomond camping byelaws | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | Access may be closed in Mar | Access may be closed in Apr | Access may be closed in May | Access may be closed in Jun | Access may be closed in Jul | Access may be closed in Aug | Access may be closed in Sep | No seasonal restriction in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| Scotland | Ground-nesting birds | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | No seasonal restriction in Mar | Conditions apply in Apr | Conditions apply in May | Conditions apply in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | No seasonal restriction in Aug | No seasonal restriction in Sep | No seasonal restriction in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| England | Discretionary CRoW closures · all year | Access may be closed in Jan | Access may be closed in Feb | Access may be closed in Mar | Access may be closed in Apr | Access may be closed in May | Access may be closed in Jun | Access may be closed in Jul | Access may be closed in Aug | Access may be closed in Sep | Access may be closed in Oct | Access may be closed in Nov | Access may be closed in Dec |
| England | Dogs on a short lead | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | Conditions apply in Mar | Conditions apply in Apr | Conditions apply in May | Conditions apply in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | No seasonal restriction in Aug | No seasonal restriction in Sep | No seasonal restriction in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| England | Ground-nesting birds | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | Conditions apply in Mar | Conditions apply in Apr | Conditions apply in May | Conditions apply in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | No seasonal restriction in Aug | No seasonal restriction in Sep | No seasonal restriction in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| England | MOD danger areas · all year | Access may be closed in Jan | Access may be closed in Feb | Access may be closed in Mar | Access may be closed in Apr | Access may be closed in May | Access may be closed in Jun | Access may be closed in Jul | Access may be closed in Aug | Access may be closed in Sep | Access may be closed in Oct | Access may be closed in Nov | Access may be closed in Dec |
| Wales | Discretionary CRoW closures · all year | Access may be closed in Jan | Access may be closed in Feb | Access may be closed in Mar | Access may be closed in Apr | Access may be closed in May | Access may be closed in Jun | Access may be closed in Jul | Access may be closed in Aug | Access may be closed in Sep | Access may be closed in Oct | Access may be closed in Nov | Access may be closed in Dec |
| Wales | Dogs on a short lead | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | Conditions apply in Mar | Conditions apply in Apr | Conditions apply in May | Conditions apply in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | No seasonal restriction in Aug | No seasonal restriction in Sep | No seasonal restriction in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| Wales | Ground-nesting birds | No seasonal restriction in Jan | No seasonal restriction in Feb | Conditions apply in Mar | Conditions apply in Apr | Conditions apply in May | Conditions apply in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | No seasonal restriction in Aug | No seasonal restriction in Sep | No seasonal restriction in Oct | No seasonal restriction in Nov | No seasonal restriction in Dec |
| Wales | MOD ranges · all year | Access may be closed in Jan | Access may be closed in Feb | Access may be closed in Mar | Access may be closed in Apr | Access may be closed in May | Access may be closed in Jun | Access may be closed in Jul | Access may be closed in Aug | Access may be closed in Sep | Access may be closed in Oct | Access may be closed in Nov | Access may be closed in Dec |
| N. Ireland | Withdrawal of permissive access · all year | Access may be closed in Jan | Access may be closed in Feb | Access may be closed in Mar | Access may be closed in Apr | Access may be closed in May | Access may be closed in Jun | Access may be closed in Jul | Access may be closed in Aug | Access may be closed in Sep | Access may be closed in Oct | Access may be closed in Nov | Access may be closed in Dec |
| N. Ireland | Site opening arrangements · all year | Conditions apply in Jan | Conditions apply in Feb | Conditions apply in Mar | Conditions apply in Apr | Conditions apply in May | Conditions apply in Jun | Conditions apply in Jul | Conditions apply in Aug | Conditions apply in Sep | Conditions apply in Oct | Conditions apply in Nov | Conditions apply in Dec |
access closed or permit required · right intact, conditions apply
What each one means
- Scotland · Deer stalking (stags)
- Access rights still apply, but taking estate advice avoids disrupting a stalk. Check Heading for the Scottish Hills / Hillphones.
- Scotland · Grouse shooting
- On managed moors. Access rights are unaffected; expect activity and take care around shooting parties.
- Scotland · Loch Lomond camping byelaws
- In defined Camping Management Zones a permit or designated site is required, despite the general access right.
- Scotland · Ground-nesting birds
- Avoid disturbance on moorland; keep dogs on a short lead or close at heel.
- England · Discretionary CRoW closures
- A landowner may close or restrict open access land for up to 28 days a year without giving a reason, with longer restrictions available for land management and fire risk. Check Natural England before travelling.
- England · Dogs on a short lead
- On CRoW access land dogs must be on a lead of no more than 2 m, and at all times near livestock.
- England · Ground-nesting birds
- Restrictions apply on some moorland, typically over the nesting season.
- England · MOD danger areas
- Live firing closes access on the Dartmoor ranges, Otterburn, Warcop and others. Firing times are published; red flags and lamps mark active ranges. Where each range publishes its firing times.
- Wales · Discretionary CRoW closures
- As in England, access land can be closed or restricted by the landowner. Check Natural Resources Wales before travelling.
- Wales · Dogs on a short lead
- On CRoW access land dogs must be on a short lead, and at all times near livestock.
- Wales · Ground-nesting birds
- Restrictions apply on moorland over the nesting season.
- Wales · MOD ranges
- Live firing closes access at Epynt/Sennybridge and other ranges. Check published firing times. Where each range publishes its firing times.
- N. Ireland · Withdrawal of permissive access
- Access rests on the landowner's consent and can be withdrawn at any time, including seasonally for lambing or shooting. There is no right that survives the withdrawal.
- N. Ireland · Site opening arrangements
- Forest Service and National Trust sites publish their own hours and seasonal closures, which govern most practical hill access here.
When each summary was last checked
Access summaries carry a review date because a page that does not is asking you to trust it indefinitely. If the date below is old and you are relying on a fine point, go to the legislation itself — every nation page links it.
- Scotland
- Reviewed August 2026
- England
- Reviewed August 2026
- Wales
- Reviewed August 2026
- Northern Ireland
- Reviewed August 2026
Local byelaws, seasonal restrictions and closures can override any general position on this page, and the position can change after our review date. Where it matters, check the source and the local authority before you travel.