Also referred to as a proof diet or proof hearing, this is a court hearing at which evidence is heard from witnesses before the sheriff makes the final decision. In certain circumstances, the sheriff can dismiss the case, which means that they do not think that there is a case to hear. It means that the case is over and there are no winners or losers. - http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/downloads_and_tool...

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Note added at 1 hr (2015-05-15 10:34:51 GMT)
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Civil Procedure

Whatever type of civil action is raised, it is likely that hearings will take place before a date is fixed for a proof. These hearings will assist in clarifying the issues in dispute. A diet of proof is where a sheriff will hear evidence in the case and, in the case of an ordinary action, will issue a written judgment. Where actions are summary cause or small claims a sheriff may give his/her decision verbally from the Bench at the conclusion of the proof diet. There is no legal requirement for an individual to use a solicitor to conduct the case, though in most ordinary actions the legal issues can become more complex.

In the sheriff court an ordinary action begins with the lodging of a writ (a formal written application) with the sheriff clerk. The sheriff clerk grants warrant to serve the writ on the defender (i.e. opponent) and he/she has a period of 21 days to lodge a notice indicating a wish to defend the action. If a notice is received by the sheriff clerk, they will fix dates for various steps in the procedure and there can be a number of hearings before a diet of proof is fixed. If the case is not defended, then the order which the pursuer applied for may be granted together with an award of expenses. - https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/taking-action/attending-a-cour...