We have been lucky enough to fly our drones most weeks in Edinburgh this year as the demand for our project work has increased. Edinburgh is a spectacular city from the ground but a drone adds a whole new perspective. You can capture the Sea, the Castle, Princes street and The Mound all in one 360 panoramic aerial shot. But there are various hurdles you will need to get over to capture this footage.
Edinburgh – Permissions to fly a drone
At Drone Scotland we take health and safety very seriously and we never underestimate the challenges flying in Edinburgh can present. Firstly, you will require permission to take off/land on any council owned land. This generally has to be applied for in writing weeks in advance. We’ve included some links below.
Roads – Requests to fly from any part of the roads network of the City of Edinburgh should be made via “ROAD OCCUPATION PERMITS”
Trams / Rail – Requests to fly from or near any part of the tram network should be made through the through the “AUTHORITY TO WORK PERMIT” outlined in the Code of Practice.
Parks & Greenspaces – parks@edinburgh.gov.uk Download the Parks application form.
Roads Permits – roads@edinburgh.gov.uk Download the road occupation permit.
Land Owned or Managed by the council – Applications must be made to Public Safety – publicsafety@edinburgh.gov.uk
Flying your Drone close to Edinburgh Airport
Whilst many parts of the city do not fall into the FRZ, we find it’s helpful to alert the airport of your flight regardless. We were working on a project in Crammond a few weeks ago. Technically the area of the beach we were filming did not fall into the FRZ however we thought it best practise to call it in. ATC asked us to stay grounded for10 minutes to allow an inbound flight to land. Due to low cloud coverage, on the day, the aircraft could only be spotted once at low altitude. A great example of why all users of the airspace, including drone operators, should liaise with ATC to help ensure the airspace is safe for all aircraft.
Contact Police Scotland
If in doubt, contact Police Scotland Aviation department to ensure you are flying legally and safely in the City.
Drone Scotland
Drone Scotland provide aerial and ground video and imagery services across Scotland including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Perth, Inverness, Aberdeen and Ayrshire. For further information on our serviecs contact us below or at office@dronescotland.com
Glasgow Drone Services – 0141 302 4685
Edinburgh Drone Services – 0131 203 3077
Dundee and Perth Drone Services – : 01382 785 693.
Lanarkshire Drone Services – 01698 321 309
Ayrshire Drone Services – 01292 518 833
