In most cases, no. Solar panels are classified as Permitted Development in Scotland, which means you do not need planning permission for a standard domestic installation.
When you do need permission — You will need to apply for planning permission if your property is a listed building, is in a conservation area, or if the panels would protrude more than 200mm from the roof surface. Ground-mounted arrays over a certain size may also require permission.
Stirling and Falkirk specifics — Both Stirling Council and Falkirk Council follow the same Scottish Permitted Development rules. We have installed systems across both areas without planning issues. If your property is in a conservation area (such as parts of Stirling city centre or Bridge of Allan), we check with the council before proceeding.
What we handle — Mackie Electrical Services manages all the regulatory paperwork for you, including DNO notification (G98 for systems under 3.68kW, G99 for larger systems), MCS certification, and any planning checks required. The DNO notification can take up to 45 days for G99 applications, but your system generates from day one.
You do not need to contact the council yourself — we do it all.