Rights of way and accessing land
Use public rights of way
You can walk on all public rights of way.
Some public rights of way are also open to horse riders, cyclists or motorists.
You can use:
- footpaths - for walking, running, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- bridleways - for walking, horse riding, bicycles, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- restricted byways - for any transport without a motor and mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- byways open to all traffic - for any kind of transport, including cars (but they’re mainly used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders)
Rights of way in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Public rights of way are marked with signs or coloured arrows, for example yellow for footpaths, blue for bridleways.
You can find the route of public rights of way:
- on Ordnance Survey and other maps
- on some council websites
Rights of way in Scotland
You can find rights of way through the charity Scotways.
Report problems with a right of way
Contact the local council to report a problem, for example obstructions, poor maintenance or a misleading sign.
Change a public right of way
Contact the local council about adding, changing or removing a public right of way temporarily or permanently.
You can contact the Local Government Ombudsman if you think your council has not dealt with your enquiry properly.