The Housing (Scotland) Bill - A balancing act of Landlord and Tenant rights?
One of the biggest problems facing rural communities in Scotland, is a shortage of affordable housing. The lack of available housing,…
Land and Rural Business
Is your land suitable for a wind farm and battery storage project?
The last nine months has seen a huge increase in the number of inquiries made to farmers and rural land owners from developers seeking to…
Land Ownership in Scotland | New Offences for failure to Register
As we enter the New Year, many people may have set themselves resolutions for how they want to better themselves in the months to follow.…
Opportunities for landowners amid Network Rail electrification project
By not seeking legal advice, many landowners could be missing out on financial and other incentives, explains Thorntons land and rural…
The Renewables Green Rush
As we slowly edge closer to the Scottish Government’s target of net zero by 2045, the question of how we will continue to power the country…
The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill
The Scottish Government has now unveiled their highly anticipated Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill.
The Bill seeks to…
Tree Felling Permissions in Scotland
You may have seen recently in the news that a 300 year old tree has been cut down at Hadrian’s Wall. The tree, which has been made famous…
Wild Swimming and Outdoor Access Rights – The Perfect Storm?
Although further boosted by the pandemic, outdoor swimming and other water based activities have increased in popularity in recent years,…
Managing Public Access Rights
The 'right to roam' has been in the news again recently, with the decision by the Inner House of the Court of Session in a case where an…
Life is a picnic this July
Happy National Picnic Month! Across the UK, we have recently experienced some amazing weather, making it a perfect time to grab your tartan…
Mountain Biking and Taming the Wild Trails
Mountain biking has gained traction in Scotland, with its popularity seemingly climbing steeply overnight. This has been noticed by…
Summer Safety: Wildfires and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
Wildfires in Scotland may once have seemed a remote possibility, however they have in recent years become a reality and in the last week,…
Protecting livestock
Spring is in the air and with holidays now in mind, people will be preparing to flock to the Scottish countryside, many of whom with their…
Food, Drink and Agriculture Update: Change is coming
Farmers and producers are facing challenges on all fronts when it comes to food and drink production. Perhaps the biggest issue is…
The Clarkson Effect
Love him or loathe him, this week saw the return of Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime. Having already seen the rather unlikely face of…
National Planning Framework 4 gives new support to rural and agricultural communities
The National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) which was adopted by the Scottish Ministers on 13 February 2023 sets out national planning policy…
Don’t get your fingers burned: follow the Muirburn Code
A highland Crofter who was recently convicted of Muirburn offences, caused damage to eight acres of land because he did not take due care…
The Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land
As part of the continued Land Reform agenda of the Scottish Government, the latest element is The Register of Persons Holding a Controlled…
The war on waste disposal
BBC Scotland recently aired a programme exposing ongoing criminal activity by organised gangs profiting from the illegal disposal of waste…
Digging up the past - a costly mistake?
A reported case this week is a firm warning for landowners in respect of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the bite that they have in…
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code
Recent figures from Cycling Scotland showed that, despite the travel restrictions in place for the majority of the year from March 2020 to…