Recreational Gold Panning

Recreational gold panning is the outdoor leisure activity of panning gold from gold bearing streams and burns. Minimal equipment is required and it is a skill anyone can learn. Indeed, it has even been known for wheelchair users to pan for gold.

Leisure gold panners come from all walks of life from legal experts to geologists to authors to business owners to tradesmen and employees. Recreational gold panning is an outdoor pursuit which promotes fitness, health and friendship and brings you into some of the most beautiful parts of the countryside.

Responsibilities of Recreational Gold Panners

Obtaining Permissions to pan for Gold

Obtaining permissions from land owners and those who have rights to the gold before panning is undertaken is of paramount importance. Additionally, any special environmental or ecological considerations must be taken into account. It must always be remembered that gold panning is a privilege not a right.

Gold panning may not be available at certain times of the year, for example during the deer stalking or salmon spawning seasons, or during lambing, so discussing these issues with land owners and farmers to ensure any restrictions to access are observed is essential. Additionally, some sites may have special scientific designations, such as fresh water pearl beds which are protected by law and would be a criminal offence to disturb. Obtaining permission from land owners and ensuring you will not be panning where there are special scientific restrictions in place is every gold panners responsibility.

Currently the Crown Mineral Agents issue monthly licences for recreational gold panning where they have rights to the gold. However, the Crown Mineral Agents have recently conducted a nationwide review of gold panning and an announcement is expected soon to the effect that licences will no longer be required where they have rights. Additionally, it is expected that it may become legal to sell small amounts of recreationally panned gold from these areas to encourage tourism to stimulate local business. Please note this does not apply in areas where the Crown Mineral Agents have no rights to the gold, as in the county of Sutherland, where different restrictions may apply. This website will be updated to reflect any changes as and when they may be announced.

Using heavy equipment to mine gold for commercial gain falls outwith the scope and definition of recreational gold panning. Dredges, high bankers and other equipment used in commercial gold mining must never be used and river banks must not be damaged by digging or other methods of mining. Responsible gold panners will report any such activity to the authorities if any such activity is seen, along with details of vehicle registrations and photographs.

In short, responsible gold panning means obtaining permissions, parking and camping where authorised, not using illegal equipment, observing seasonal restrictions, not lighting open fires, taking your litter home, closing gates after you and generally following the Country Code.

Irresponsible gold panning

Without satisfying land owners and those who have rights to the gold and without due care being taken with environmental or ecological issues, gold panning should not take place. Failure to observe land owners' wishes has resulted in gold bearing rivers being closed. Irresponsible panning carries adverse consequences. The 'right to roam' is not to be used as an excuse to pan for gold without first obtaining permission from land owners to access their land.

Two examples of real life situations should suffice to highlight the problems that can arise from the actions of all those enjoying our mountains and countryside. A gamekeeper and his wife while travelling home through a remote glen in early winter drove by a parked car. There was no one in the car and there was no one to be seen. Child's toys were noticed on the back seat. The car was still there the following morning so the gamekeeper and his wife, frantic for the safety of the children, called the Police. It turned out someone had taken his two very young children up into the hills without first seeking the land owner's permission and had remained out for the night.

The Scottish Mountain Rescue service publishes volumes on how to survive in the Scottish hills. For example, proper boots and clothing are essential. Perhaps the most basic safety factor of all is to let people know where you are and when you expect to be home. For someone to take his young children out camping overnight in the Scottish hills in winter is irresponsible. To not tell anyone where they were and when they expected to be home fails to meet even basic hill walking safety guidelines.

Another story related by a land owner was that they were out with a stalking party and were about to take a shot when three heads popped up a few hundred yards ahead of them. No one knew these people were there because they had not asked for permission. No doubt they were exercising their right to roam which could have resulted in them being shot. This type of irresponsible behaviour is not in anyone’s best interests and has resulted in gold bearing rivers being closed to panning.

Health and Safety

Gold panning involves physical exertion both in getting onto rivers and in the work involved in finding gold. It is acknowledged that land owners bear no responsibility for any injury sustained as a result of our activities.

Equipment used in recreational gold panning

The basic equipment for gold panning would be a shovel, bucket, garden riddle and gold pan, as well as suitable clothing for working in rivers, such as waders, wetsuit or drysuit. With just these basic items anyone could learn the rudiments of gold panning. Other equipment could include gravel pump, underwater viewer, sluice, snuffer bottle and patio weeder. Consideration must be given to weight as all this equipment must be carried in a backpack.

Gold panning equipment

When first sampling a new area, gravel is shovelled into a garden riddle sitting on a bucket or goldpan. The gravel is sifted and put back in the river and the finer gravel panned.

When gravel has been cleared almost to bedrock a gravel pump is then used to pump out the heavier sediments. At this stage, underwater viewer and patio weeder are used to examine exposed bedrock. If gold is found in cracks, it can be sucked out using a snuffer bottle.

Using a gravel pump, garden riddle and bucket to pump silt from a river

Returns from recreational gold panning

Returns from leisure gold panning are meagre to say the least. Typical returns for a full day's outing for an experienced gold panner probably averages around quarter to half a gram. Most experienced gold panners would consider a gram for a day’s work to be a very good outing. Of course, there is always the allure of that elusive nugget which may be lurking under the next rock!

A good day's panning

Benefits to Local Communities from leisure Gold Panning

Gold panning brings many benefits to remote communities in the vicinity of gold bearing streams and burns, not least of which is patronage of local hotels and Bed and Breakfast establishments as well as trade in local shops. During the summer, this extra revenue for local businesses can be substantial.

Gold panning can be an all year round hobby

The benefits also extend to the Crown Estates and others who have rights to gold in the UK as new gold deposits are found. The Borland Glen gold deposits were discovered by a gold panner enjoying a picnic with his family who decided to prospect in the nearby burn. Without leisure gold panning, these gold deposits may have remained undiscovered to this day. It is unquestionable that there are fresh gold deposits waiting to be found and it is likely many of these deposits will be discovered by leisure gold panners, as in the case with Borland Glen.

Primary school children learning to pan at Kildonan in Sutherland

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