There are two key points

Stop mountain bikers riding on footpaths

Use the profits from the sale of Wainwrights guide books, these have done far more damage to Lakeland fells

If they did have a compulsory fee, how on earth would you police it? There are many, many ways of getting onto the hills, and someone will always find a way up there.

The countryside should be open to all, no matter if the fee would go to good causes like path repair.

In 1932 several hundred people decided to walk the hills around Kinder Scout despite the threat of prosecution from the landowners who treated those hills as their private fiefdom. But the trespassers had the guts to deliberately break the law, even if it meant prison.

Personally, should there ever be a fee for walking the hills, I would break the law and trespass time and time again onto them.

The land belongs to all of us. Everyone therefore has a natural right to access it. And this means without paying any toll.

I agree wholeheartedly with Sam here; the access we have in Scotland is second to none and the history of its making is well worth studying. To backtrack by paying would inevitably be the thin end of the wedge with those who consider the wild places as simply a business opportunity taking full advantage of the situation under any number of 'green' guises.

Hillwalking and mountaineering bring in approximately £150 million per annum in indirect spending to the Scottish economy and as a Director of the Footpath Trust have been dismayed by the ease in which central governement has off loaded the responsibility of financing Core Paths in upland areas by blaming Regional Councils who are so strapped for cash that they can barely cover essential services. In theory all our Core Paths (which include some mountain paths like those on Stac Pollaidh) should be under the aegis of Highland Council but neither they nor SNH have the money. In Scotland we are now in the situation where many if not most of our upland and many lowland Core Paths will no longer be maintained, the last one to be so, Stac Pollaidh, will run out of money in a few years.

The Footpath Trust is currently under possible 'new management' by the Henry Hindmarsh trust, a charitable arm of the MCofS. It would seem only fair that some of the indirect spend that currently goes to central government is ploughed back into the hill paths which have been repaired and maintained by the Footpath Trust all of which willl require annual maintenance.

Rather than going down the 'paying for access' dead-end route, lobby your MSP or MP and put pressure to release some of the indirect spend by us, the hillwalkers and mountaineers, back to the hills and wild places again.

If there was a collection box at start points on the most eroded routes I think the huge numbers of people they attract wouldn't mind chipping in a few quid for the upkeep of their favourite places. In fact, I can think of a couple of places where many people happily pay a formal toll to use a path. (Clapham Beck and Lathkill Dale!)

I believe all mountain users be it climbers,bikers or skiers should pay an annual nominal fee say around £25. For your £25 you would receive some form of insurance card that if needed you can be rescued by MRT at no cost. Non card holders would then be requested to pay a percentage of the rescue costs.

The fees collected should be distributed evenly between mountain rescue teams and mountain preservation programmes.

Some people make a living from encouraging others into the mountains, either by advertising their services to guide parties, or writing articles enthusing about their trips. They might be a target for charging, particularly those who bring groups over the hills--a large number of feet on a track in a space of a few minutes is particularly bad in erosion terms.--

if you are interested in access rights and charging, see the following link and read the 'Ben Nevis hot topic' section.......we are on a slippery slope!

http://www.scottishislandsaccessrights.co.uk/

Why not charge people for breathing? After all, they expel carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming.

People could also be charged for walking down the street, a bit like a toll road perhaps (only on popular paths like London's Cross Street)?

Or maybe we could all work towards a sustainable population.

Don't we have enough problems with new rules and regulations screwing up our lives - just ask anyone hassled by plastic polis for photography etc... For this to work it needs policing - another army of fluorescent jackets to avoid, in an environment visited to get away from all that ****!

Here in Edinburgh we have hills in the city, where do you draw the line? And once a small fee is introduced for anything, it will grow - and the hills will join lots of other things we were able to do on the long list of unaffordable luxuries.

Meanwhile the hills are covered in offroad vehicle tracks (legally - estate management) and deer paths.

Finally this would be profoundly illegal here in Scotland.

Just a note to say if this is the result of a MSc from a hole in the hedge college it should be duly ignored on academic grounds.

However like all really bad ideas this is one we sadly will be hearing more of.

Let's nationalise all the sporting estates and convert them into National Parks. I'd be prepared to pay an annual park fee, but this is the only context in which I would willingly pay for hill access.

I've never had any problems with paying for permits or for access to National Parks in any of various foreign countries.

I've therefore occasionally thought that an annual UK National Parks permit scheme could be the pay forward.

You can then structure everything within National Parks to favour permits holders, without infringing the actual right of access of non-permit holders. This can be through things like car parking rules, and discounts to goods and services within the Parks.

In line with Gavin previous comment I think an comprehensive national scheme is the only possible way forward. However, I don't think there is the slightest chance of anything as forward thinking or controversial ever happening.

We all pay for National Parks as taxpayers. Lets end the argument there shall we.

Let's say a very generous estimate of £100 million annual budget for National Parks in England and Wales.

Let's say a conservative 20 million taxpayers..

By my estimate that's an average £5 each taxpayer for all 13 (inc South Downs) National Parks, or 39p each for a year.

We're very generous aren't we?

Voluntary donations have to be the way to go though.

If walking on footpaths causes erosion, don't walk on the footpaths. In fact I have been told that to avoid widening the paths, walk a reasonable distance away from the eroded section.
Seriously though if people can give time to footpath repair, most of us who earn a reasonable sum can donate to the repairs at least once a year.
As Steve says this should be voluntary and I personally would be willing to donate £50 once a year if it was mandated solely for path repair and upkeep of the fell access. Not everyone could or would or should pay and therefore I would be totally against coercion, fences, ticket machines, proof of purchase and all the other costly prerequisites for a charging system.

andyr

Peter Stuart - whilst I agree MTBers should respect the footpath/bridleways divide to avoid scaring ramblers, it's irrelevant in terms of erosion.

I doubt if this idiotic idea is still being read but here goes: has anyone given consideration to those 1000's of pensioners who have low incomes (yes they do exist) and families on low incomes, for whom the joy of walking in all areas of countryside not just the fells is a lifeline? As I approach retirement (without the benefit of as public servant or final salary pension) fell walking is one of the few inexpensive pleasures I am looking forward to. Spare wrinklies a thought!!

This whole topic is just barmy nonsense. I don't know who this nit-wit student is who has come up with this idea but he wants his or her's benefits stopping!
Natural erosion of the landscape causes far more damage than a few boots. Does it matter if a well used path gets wider and wider? I would say that was something to celebrate, it means more people are getting out into the hills, enjoying it and doing their health a whole lot of good.
Ponsy organisations like the National Trust- of whom I am a member by the way, and hysterical so-called 'environmentalists' should be told to shut-up! On the one hand we are told of the cataclysmic effects caused by glaciers carving out entire valleys, and volcanic and tectonic action thrusting up whole mountains and moving continents; Then we are asked to get worried by the action of a few Vibram soles!!! Get real folks!

A Boot Tax? Mmm...
A MTB Tax? Mmm...
A Rucksack Tax? The bigger the bag the higher the tax.
I thought Income Tax, Value Added Tax, Councl Tax, Car Tax and National Insurance would be enough but it looks like I was wrong.
Born Free: Taxed To Death.
Mountain Rescue teams do great job so why don't they get full Government backing anyway? Is it because they are mostly volunteers?
Daft Idea.
A hikers license could be put in place like a fishing license or Road Fund license with a skills check every season. Pass the test, get the license & go for a walk.
Better Idea.
Enjoy the outdoors & pay what you can when you can. It cost £5 to park up at Edale. Use some of the car park money to fund erosion control.
Lets look after it so the next lot can enjoy it.

Use offenders to rebuild the paths, like the good old USA chain gangs.

All this "pay" or "don't pay" stuff is all very well, but how on earth would this be implemented and policed? If we all had to have a ticket or permit to hike the hills, we would have to have a load of wardens or similar doing spot checks. Personally, I don't relish the thought of meeting a ticket inspector as I scramble up to some up country peak or stroll along a dale.

Sounds like a "jobs worth" charter to me.

For this reason alone - if not all the others already stated, this crazy and unworkable idea needs to be consigned to the litter bin.

All this nation seeks to do is 'screw' it's own people for as much money as it can...we pay a vast amount of money in taxes which is in effect for the upkeep of this nation, yet billions of pounds of OUR cash is squandered on the oppressive EU, illegal wars & foreign aid. Take us out of the EU bring our troops home & put an end to ALL foreign aid. I go walking amongst other things to escape the hell this overpopulated hovel this nation has become & NO i will not pay for the use of the countryside. There are far too many small minded &*%£%* sat in offices with nothing better to do than look at how they can screw us even more.