An exhibition exploring Scotland from above is opening at Fort George this Friday 17 January. ‘Celebrating Scotland’s Landscapes’ explores the country from above, using images from the National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), to showcase the familiar landscape in new ways and revealing histories that stretch back millions of years.
The exhibition delves into key themes including ancient settlements and recent ruins and the ways people have made an impact on the natural world, tracing our first marks on the landscape and exploring how people have interacted with the landscape for thousands of years.
Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said:
“We’re thrilled to be kicking off 2025 by bringing this exciting exhibition to one of our iconic sites and an imposing fortification, Fort George. ‘Celebrating Scotland’s Landscapes’ looks at our heritage from a new angle, thanks to Scotland’s amazing collection of aerial photography that continues to inspire our understanding of the past.
We look forward to welcoming visitors to experience these impactful images for themselves and to dive into the history of how we have shaped and lived with the landscape, all from a different perspective.
NCAP is one of the largest in the world, with over 30 million images in its care. More information about NCAP can be found at ncap.org and on canmore.org.uk, or the Collection can be explored on airphotofinder.ncap.org.
‘Celebrating Scotland’s Landscapes’ is open daily from Friday 17 January until Sunday 27 April 2025. Entry to the exhibition is included with entry to Fort George.
From 1 October to 31 March, Fort George is open daily from 10am to 4pm (last entry 3pm). From 1 April to 30 September, the site is open daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm).
Daytime entry to sites is free for Historic Scotland members.
About NCAP
NCAP, part of Historic Environment Scotland, holds one of the world's most significant aerial photography collections with 30 million images. This archive offers a unique view of key moments in world history, including rare images from the 1920s and Ministry of Defence declassified reconnaissance imagery from the Second World War and Cold War.
NCAP has become the leading repository for managing aerial photographic collections, continuously acquiring imagery from various survey and research projects while pioneering new digitisation efforts to make these collections more widely available. With access to images from every continent, many of which were previously unavailable to the public, NCAP provides a unique dataset that is attracting new users and applications. In the coming months, new online resources will make it even easier to discover these collections.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance. We are also the lead on delivering Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
- Historic Scotland, Scran, Canmore, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, and Edinburgh Castle are sub-brands of HES.
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For further information, please contact:
Laura Ely
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
07721 959 962
communications@hes.scot