TrailWise can record how each Track is currently recorded on two official local authority records, and also how the Ordnance Survey show the route on 1:50000 Landranger maps.

For help with any of the abbreviations listed below and more information besides see the Glossary in the online GLASS Library at (see www.glass-uk.org)

Definitive Map, or DMS:
This shows how the route is shown on the Definitive Map and Statement which the local authorities of England and Wales must keep (this does not apply to Scotland). However, all routes shown on the Definitive Map are without predujice to higher rights - so a way shown as a footpath may also have the right to ride a horse, but that right not be recorded on the Definitive Map.
See 'RUPPs FAQ' for special notes on RUPPs.

Definitive Maps generally have a reference number for each route they include and TrailWise provides space to record this information.

List of Streets or LoS:
This is a record of whether the route is included on the List of Streets Maintainable at Public Expense. Every local authority is required to keep a List of Streets which includes all publicly maintainable highways. Although it does not directly deal with public rights, there is a presumption that all rural ways included on the List of Streets carry public vehicular rights unless there is evidence to the contrary.

The List of Streets generally has a number for each route on it and TrailWise provides space to record this information. This is a Local Authority reference; also a new nationally unique numbering scheme may provide an alternate reference known as USRN (Unique street reference number)

Ordnance Survey:
This is how the sector is currently depicted on the latest Ordnance Survey 1:50000 Landranger map. These maps are widely used by individuals in the coutryside and are also available on-line for all of England, Wales and Scotland on Streetmap, Multimap, and the OS own websites. Note that all these may show differing detail depending how up to date the map is.

Strictly speaking, how a route is (or is not) depicted on the OS map is not an indicator of legal status. But in the absence of the other information described above (DMS, LoS), we can use it to draw some reasonable inferences. No-one would give a second thought about driving a car along a route shown on a road atlas, without consulting the various highway authorities!

As it's really only an external record, which may be used as a 'psuedo-status', OS map information is recorded in TrailWise as a variety of the EVIDENCE known about a route.

Scotways
There is no Definitive Map in Scotland, where the Rights of Way laws are rather different from England and Wales. An organisation called Scotways maintains an independant catalogue of some minor routes. Inclusion (or exclusion) in this catalogue is NOT legally definitive in the way that DMS entries are, but does carry some weight with the authorities. So we can base reasonable assumptions on Scotways

As it's really only an external reference used as a 'psuedo-DMS', Scotways information is recorded in TrailWise as a variety of the DEFINED information known about a route, like its name.