©️ Historic Environment Scotland.
Aviation technology provider Altitude Angel has partnered with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to grant drones access to more than 200 historic Scottish landmarks.
The initiative lets professional and recreational drone users capture aerial footage of notable sites such as Edinburgh Castle and the neolithic village of Skara Brae.
Previously, drone operators could only fly over these heritage sites by taking off from the nearest public land. Now, they will be able to take off and land within the sites themselves outside of visiting hours.
“If you’re coming from abroad and have the opportunity to fly over a historic site with no people around in the golden hour of the morning, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Altitude Angel spokesperson Stephen Farmer told Zag Daily.
Altitude Angel’s platform Drone Assist will enable drone pilots to submit flight requests which HES can digitally approve. The platform uses Altitude Angel’s flight planning technology, providing real-time data on airspace restrictions and facilitating responsible drone operations in sensitive areas.
Chris Forster, Chief Operating Officer at Altitude Angel, said: “Scotland is blessed with some of the world’s most beautiful and iconic buildings and scenery. To be able to capture these sites on film with the approval of those managing them is something we’re immensely proud to help bring about.”
Stephen believes the initiative will bring a new wave of tourism to Scotland and hopes to see it expanded into other regions in the future. Any fees paid by drone pilots will be re-invested by HES into the upkeep of their sites.
“We’re open to partnering with historic organizations outside of Scotland who want to apply the same technology to their sites,” Stephen said.
