BackPacker, that's not the case in the UK. The MSA on the CAA chart is the height of the tallest obstacle, or highest land + 300 feet
I think you are mixing meters and feet here, MSA is highest obstacle or land + 300
METERS or 1000', look it up! But as a few people have said, you do not have to be above this if VFR, many PPLs are taught to put down the MSA on a nav without it being explained why - indeed I think some instructors do not even know this - this is the minimum height to climb to if you were unable to maintain VFR, if things got that bad and it means you need to climb into CAS then certainly I would say they you do it, calling a Mayday at the same time if not instrument qualified, but certainly coordinating in some way with ATC.