ABSTRACT
Countryside recreation is increasingly being regarded as a major contributor to the economic viability of marginal areas such as rural Scotland. Recreational opportunities in the Scottish countryside are delivered through a number of schemes funded by numerous countryside organisations. The provision of recreational opportunities in the countryside can be interpreted in many ways. Opportunities for informal recreation in the Grampian countryside arise through a number of mechanisms. The benefits associated with recreational improvements accrued to Grampian residents are estimated using the contingent valuation method, while the costs of provision are established in a survey of the expenditures of countryside organisations which provide recreational opportunities. Recreational opportunities in the countryside often display the public good attributes of non-excludability and non-rivalry. The cost of recreational enhancement was estimated using surveys of the expenditures incurred by local authorities, quangos and voluntary bodies dealing with countryside recreation in Grampian Region.
