16Acquisition by local authority of land to enable or facilitate exercise of access rights
(1)Where it appears to the local authority to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the exercise of access rights in respect of any land to which this section applies that the land be acquired by them, the authority may—
(a)acquire it by agreement (whether by purchase, feu, lease or excambion); or
(b)with the consent of Ministers, acquire it compulsorily.
(2)The land to which this section applies is land other than—
(a)land in respect of which access rights do not extend by virtue of section 6(1)(a)(ii), (d), (e) or (f) above;
(b)land which has been exempted by order made by the local authority under section 11(1) of this Act.
(3)A local authority shall hold and manage any land acquired by them under this section so as best to facilitate the exercise of access rights.
(4)The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 (c. 42) shall apply in relation to a compulsory purchase under this section as if this section had been in force immediately before that Act.