Rural Disputes
When advising those who live, work or operate in the rural sector on disputes, our focus is always on finding solutions. We are experienced in all methods of doing that, pragmatically and cost-effectively.

Our rural disputes specialists are part of the wider Rural Property and Business team. They are all immersed in the sector, using their extensive and detailed knowledge of it to offer clients comprehensive advice and solutions, and working seamlessly with the wider team when additional specialist input adds value.

We always try to resolve disputes without litigation, exploring suitable methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR, where appropriate. If litigation is necessary, we have all the required experience in the Court of Session, the Scottish Land Court, the Lands Tribunal for Scotland, and the sheriff courts throughout Scotland.

Our expertise includes:

Agricultural tenancy disputes and subsidy appeals
Farming partnership and succession disputes
Actions of division and sale
Rent disputes and rent determination
Boundary disputes (including ransom strips and encroachment)
Title conditions (including servitude and real burden disputes)
Ownership disputes including relating to missives, land registration, title rectification applications and appeals
Disputes relating to occupancy rights over rural land including grazing lets, licences to occupy, and shooting lets
Removal of unlawful occupiers, including animals
Public rights of way affecting land, including the right of responsible access and occupier’s liability
Energy, environmental and sustainability disputes, including rectification of wind farm leases, wayleave disputes, land pollution claims, disputed compensation claims and waste management disputes
Disputes involving riparian rights including environmental issues and water pollution, fishing and sporting right disputes flooding matters, including statutory compensation claims in connection with flood risk prevention and management operations
Water and flooding, including statutory compensation claims in connection with flood risk prevention and management operations
Health and safety, food safety and licensing
Contractual and supplier disputes including disputes relating to farm machinery
Debt recovery
Nuisance claims
Professional negligence disputes
Dispute relating to livestock, including ownership and parentage matters as well as livestock worrying and civil liability for damage caused by animals
Residential property matters, including lease disputes, termination of leases, recovery of possession, property damage and high hedge disputes
A wide variety of crofting matters, including options for dealing with crofting tenure to allow development on croft and common grazing land, succession to crofting tenancies, rectification of the Crofting Register, and common grazing apportionment

Meet our key contacts

Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

Meet our full team

Elaine Brailsford

Consultant

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Emma De Sailly

Senior Associate

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Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

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Alexandra Lane

Director

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Shona Lean

Solicitor

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Hamish Lean

Partner

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Thomas McFarlane

Senior Associate

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Emma Robertson

Partner

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Ross Simpson

Senior Solicitor

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Related articles and insights: Rural Disputes

31 March 2026

Avoiding disputes under the Sale of Goods Act 1979: practical guidance for rural businesses in Scotland

Contributor: Thomas McFarlane

The rights, obligations and remedies provided by the Sales of Goods Act 1979.

30 March 2026

Don’t Stop Me Now: Locked gates and access rights in Scotland

Contributor: Stephanie Hepburn

The law treats locked gates differently depending on whether the access they prevent arises from a private servitude right, a public right of way, or the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

30 March 2026

Sheep worrying

Contributors:
Stephanie Hepburn, Vicky Christie

An outline of the current Scottish legislation on sheep worrying, what steps farmers and landowners can take to protect their flocks, the types of penalties that exist, and how our Rural Disputes team can assist with any related issues.

24 March 2026

Real burdens: a real problem for rural development?

Contributors:
Shona Lean, Stephanie Hepburn

A ‘real burden’ is a legal restriction on how a piece of Scottish land can be used. This can create problems for people who want to diversify rural businesses.

19 March 2026

Discharging real burdens in Scotland – why applications to the Lands Tribunal may fail

Contributor: Stephanie Hepburn

The decision in Murrayfield Curling Ltd v Murrayfield Ice Rink Ltd illustrates some of the reasons for which the Lands Tribunal can refuse applications to vary and/or discharge title conditions in Scotland.

10 February 2026

Community Right to Buy: What has changed in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025?

Contributors:
Stuart Greenwood, Tanya Yesipova

With the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 receiving Royal Assent in December 2025, we look into what changes were introduced to the Community Right to Buy reforms?

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