Roadside grass cutting, weeds and overgrown hedges or trees

Our priority is to maintain the safety of public roads by keeping vegetation from causing obstructions or threatening the safety of road users. 

Roadside verges

We maintain approximately 10,000km of rural roadside verges, along with the verges in urban areas. Most maintenance is managed by our Landscape team and carried out by contractors. They are cut once a year, normally during late June or early July. 

It is an offence under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to drive on a roadside verge. Appropriate passing places should be used to avoid damage to the verge, and to vehicles as many hazards can be hidden under vegetation such as offlets, ditches, manhole covers or rocks.

Hedges and weeds

Maintenance of roadside hedges and weed killing is managed by our Landscape service and carried out by contractors. Weed killing is carried out twice a year in housing developments, usually in early June and in late August. Hedges are cut once a year during the winter.

Roadside trees

We don't own or maintain roadside trees. If a tree is causing an obstruction or hazard the owner must be contacted to take action. If it is not feasible to wait for the owner to take action, then the council may do the appropriate work and recover the costs from the owner.

Vegetation overhanging or causing obstruction

If vegetation is overhanging the carriageway, footway or obscuring street lighting or road signs, under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984  we have the authority to issue a notification to the owner to ask them to remove it within 21 days. If this is not done, a statutory notification is issued advising them they have 28 days to deal with the issue, thereafter the council may carry out the work and recover the costs from them.

View the examples of obstruction by vegetation.

Report an issue

You can report issues with roadside verges such as grass cutting, fallen trees or overgrown vegetation online. You can also view updates on already reported issues. 

Report a roadside verge, tree or vegetation issue

To find out what we do with your information, view the road services privacy notice (PDF 148KB).