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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Tycoon wins access law exemption | Tycoon wins access law exemption |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| One of Scotland's richest women has won a landmark legal ruling to ban ramblers from entering the grounds of her Perthshire estate. | One of Scotland's richest women has won a landmark legal ruling to ban ramblers from entering the grounds of her Perthshire estate. |
| Stagecoach tycoon, Ann Gloag, had already angered walkers by erecting a fence around Kinfauns Castle estate. | Stagecoach tycoon, Ann Gloag, had already angered walkers by erecting a fence around Kinfauns Castle estate. |
| The ruling at Perth Sheriff Court means she is the first private individual in Scotland to exempt her land from right-to-roam legislation. | The ruling at Perth Sheriff Court means she is the first private individual in Scotland to exempt her land from right-to-roam legislation. |
| The Ramblers Association and Perth and Kinross Council fought the action. | |
| The Land Reform Act, which enshrines right-to-roam laws, was one of first flagship policies of the first term of the newly created Scottish Parliament. | |
| Ramblers Association Scotland director Dave Morris said the ruling undermined the intentions of the legislation. | |
| He said: "We think the sheriff has not really understood the land reform legislation and we are particularly unhappy that he's apparently not taken much account of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. | |
| "This gives a green light to landowners to go around the countryside erecting fences without planning permission. | |
| "This is a very serious adverse judgement and may in fact undermine all of the intentions of the land reform legislation." | |
| Security concerns | |
| Mr Morris said that Mrs Gloag was granted retrospective planning permission after erecting a fence around part of her estate. | |
| However, Perth and Kinross Council had said that access rights applied within the fence. | |
| Mrs Gloag then brought the case, at Perth Sheriff Court, amid concerns over security at her estate. | |
| In his judgment, Sheriff Fletcher said that the "nature of the building and its prominence" meant a larger section of surrounding land was required by Mrs Gloag to ensure her family's privacy and enjoyment of the house. | |
| Mr Morris said the group now had 28 days to decide whether to appeal the decision and it would be approaching Perth and Kinross Council and the Scottish Executive to discuss options. |