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Ownership, leasing or any other permitted use of land normally requires access to it to obtain the benefit of the land. The public are allowed to use roads and footpaths adopted by local authorities and, if the land in question borders an adopted road, access should be straightforward. If access is required over another person’s land, reliance on common law or statute may be possible but purchasers will generally seek some form of contractual agreement or servitude to be put in place where none exist.

If land is common or joint property, no separate rights of access are required by any of the owners to access or cross the land.

This Practice Note sets out the common access issues which might be encountered in property transactions in Scotland and the issues which a seller’s and buyer’s solicitor might be required to address. The same issues may equally arise in lease transactions as between landlord and tenant’s solicitors but for ease of reference