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Using drones at Historic Scotland sites

Overhead drone image showing extensive archaeological remains on green grass beside a rocky shoreline.

Filming and photography with a drone offers a unique opportunity to appreciate and capture our sites from a whole new point of view.

When revealed from above, it becomes apparent just how magnificent some of the shapes and designs of the properties under our care really are.

The magnificent Caerlaverock Castle and its triangular layout that can only be fully appreciated from above. Blackness Castle is said to be the ship that never sailed, and from the air you can see just how much this stone marvel looks as though it is about to launch itself into the sea. Drones can also help with us with site inspections and conservation work, by allowing us to see parts of a site that would otherwise be difficult to get to.

overhead aerial view of a triangular medieval castle ruin surrounded by a moat, showing the shape of the castle’s roofless rooms, stairways and circular corner towers
Aerial view of Blackness Castle surrounded by water and countryside under clear blue sky.

Consent to fly drones

We welcome the opportunity for sites to be captured from above, however as drones become more popular and more widely used, we also have a duty of care to protect these historic monuments and ensure the safety of visitors and staff.

For this reason, anyone who wishes to operate a UAS recreationally from an area under the care of Historic Environment Scotland must obtain prior consent.

Application process

All recreational applications must go through an approval process so please leave at least 5 working days for us to process your request.

For all requests, pilots must produce:

  • a copy of the pilot’s CAA certification

  • a copy of the pilot’s Public Liability Insurance (min £5million)

  • a site-specific risk assessment with possible launch area and flight path

At some properties you may be asked to pay the admission fee to the site depending on where you are launching from.

For further information on the recreational drone flying process please email paul.spence@hes.scot or call 0131 668 8731.

If flying for commercial purposes, then please contact filming@hes.scot and we'll send you an application form to start that process.

For any further information please contact filming@hes.scot

A man in a yellow hi-vis vest flies a drone in front of a craggy, volcanic hill. Amongst his equipment there is a bright orange circular launch and landing pad.
One of our CAA-certified drone pilots at work in Holyrood Park.

Related reading

How we manage Properties in Care

We look after over 300 of Scotland's most important historic places on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Read an overview of our management of Properties in Care and the associated legislation.

How we manage Holyrood Park

Information on our approach to managing Holyrood Park.

Filming at Historic Scotland sites

Use this guide to find out what kind of filming we can facilitate at the sites we manage and what you will need to consider before making an application.