Scotland’s outdoor habits revealed over 10-year period

23rd September 2013

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has today published the latest results from the Scottish Recreation Survey which has surveyed more than 100,000 people in Scotland over almost a decade on their use of the outdoors.

The Scottish Recreation Survey (ScRS) annual report for 2012 is the 10th and final report in the series.

The survey, which ran between 2003 and 2012, shows that since 2004 an increasing number of outdoor visits have been made in and around Scotland's towns and cities, with local parks or other open spaces the most popular type of destination.

This has been accompanied by a decline in the number of visits taken by car and an increase in visits taken on foot.

The most recent survey data show that 79% of adults living in Scotland visited the outdoors for recreation in 2012, taking an estimated 297 million visits. Forty-two per cent of people visited at least once a week.

Total expenditure on visits to the outdoors in 2012 was estimated to be around £2.6 billion.

Pete Rawcliffe, the People and Places Unit manager at SNH, said: “The Scottish Recreation Survey has yielded some significant results. It shows the important contribution the outdoors makes to the economy, as well as its role in increasing physical activity and improving health. The information gathered has been particularly useful in showing the importance of providing good quality green spaces and path networks close to where people live.

“Visiting the outdoors brings people into contact with nature, provides refreshment and relaxation and the opportunity to spend time with friends and family – that is something tangible and of benefit to us all.”

The ScRS has now been replaced by a new survey called Scotland's People and Nature Survey from which results will be available mid-2014.

Detail on published reports:

CR604: Scottish Recreation Survey: Annual summary report 2012

The Scottish Recreation Survey is a continuous monitoring study, launched in 2003, which measures participation in outdoor recreation among adults in Scotland. The survey provides information on the types of outdoor visits people take, identifies social and economic links with recreational use of the outdoors and measures awareness and understanding of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Link to report: http://www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=2052

CR605: Scottish Recreation Survey: Technical report 2012

The Scottish Recreation Survey is a continuous monitoring study, launched in 2003, which ran until the end of 2012. The survey measured participation in outdoor recreation among adults in Scotland during this period, providing information on the types of outdoor visits people take, identifying social and economic links with recreational use of the outdoors and measuring awareness and understanding of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Link to report: http://www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=2051

Scottish Natural Heritage is the government's adviser on all aspects of nature and landscape across Scotland. Our role is to help everyone understand, value and enjoy Scotland's nature now and in the future. For more information, visit our website at www.snh.gov.uk. SNH media is also now on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SNH_Tweets