Ms Lothian brings a wealth of experience to the role, with particular expertise in family law, conveyancing, wills and powers of attorney, guardianships, compromise agreements and general civil matters. She is an accredited family law mediator, a member of the Family Law Association, and currently serves as the dean of the Lanark Faculty of Procurators.

This appointment also represents a return to Ness Gallagher for Ms Lothian, who began her legal career at the firm in 2003 and spent 13 years there before joining Smail & Ewart, where she has worked for the last eight years.

She said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be rejoining Ness Gallagher – a firm that gave me my start in law and shaped so much of my early career. Opening a base in Lanark is a fantastic opportunity to grow the firm’s presence and to continue offering high-quality, accessible legal services to the community I care deeply about.”

Edward McCarron, director of Ness Gallagher, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Ailie back to the firm. Her strong ties to Lanark, combined with her extensive legal expertise and reputation, make her the ideal person to lead our expansion into the town. This move is part of our ongoing strategy to grow our footprint across Lanarkshire, while continuing to deliver the personal, trusted service that Ness Gallagher is known for.”