RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

We care about the

places you love to visit.

Scotland really is for everyone and we want to protect this. On every tour we uphold the three key principles of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (link below) and we take time to familiarise our staff and visitors with them. They are quite simply to:

1. Respect the interests of others.
2. Care for the environment.
3. Take responsibility for your own actions.

Scroll down to see how we do this and more...

Actions speak louder than words

Putting what we say into practice

There are many things we do, to actively look after Scotland and the places we visit.

We respect:

• the privacy of local residents
• other visitors by being polite and courteous
• the people managing their land and carrying out their work
• parking in designated zones to avoid disrupting traffic flow

We care:

• about preserving the past by not interfering with historical structures and leaving them how we found them
• about conserving the present and allowing nature to thrive in its environment
• about encouraging future growth and do this by keeping safe distance from wild animals and keeping pets (and children!) under control
  

We act responsibly:

• by travelling carefully and without causing noise
• by treading carefully over ground, avoiding private gardens and using designated paths
• by not discarding litter, including cigarette butts and fruit skin/peels/cores

On our day-tours:

• we have a single departure points to reduce additional mileage and minimise city pollution and congestion
• we have a no-litter policy, recycle waste, and avoid single-use plastic
• we use litter pickers and proactively assist with keeping the places we visit, clean and tidy.
• we promote the use of Edinburgh's public transport network.

On our eco-tours:

• we brief visitors on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
• we share news with visitors about conservation efforts
• we report any access issues for the benefit of all walkers
• we report any sightings of rare species
• we discuss biodiversity

At the Office:

• we are paperless (where possible)
• we recycle wherever possible
• we use energy efficient devices

It's Up to Us (IUTU) Campaign

Step Up to Save Scotland's Mountain Paths

"It’s Up to Us" is a campaign by Mountaineering Scotland and Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland to highlight the desperate need for long-term sustainable public funding for upland path projects.

In recent years our hills have become increasingly popular with more and more people getting out to enjoy them. When this is combined with the effects of climate change, harsh mountain weather conditions, the  well established paths are quickly deteriorating.

Unfortunately there's no public funding to fix problem areas so It's Up To Us. The 'Us' part are the hillwalkers, mountaineers and businesses operating in the outdoors that volunteer their time and make donations.

In 2025, the TCT team will be up at the impressive An Teallach (Ullapool) to join the first project.

Click the button below to find out more or make a donation