Drone pioneer Argyll and Bute Council has won £250,000 to carry out trials of the technology to help road and bridge maintenance.
The authority secured the cash through a competitive bidding process under the UK Government’s Regulator’s Pioneer Fund.
Argyll and Bute Council already gained national recognition for trialling drones in delivering school meals and has ambitious plans to create the UK’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) logistics and training hub at Oban Airport through its Rural Growth Deal.
The new trials will explore a number of potential services on top of surveying and surveillance of infrastructure. The council will also look at delivery operations for cargo and monitoring of marine and agricultural environments.
Cllr Robin Currie, leader of Argyll and Bute Council: 'Our geography and ongoing budget cuts mean we need to develop innovative solutions to reach our remote and rural communities. We are extremely ambitious in our plans to establish the first UK UAV logistics and training hub, creating ground breaking opportunities.
'We know that delivering school meals by drone was a UK first and it’s fantastic to see the hard work recognised in our award nomination. We now want to explore what else is possible and look at the benefits to our communities and wider industry.
'The new funding will enable us to prove that drones can co-exist with piloted general aviation and deliver essential services in minimal time. At the same time, as we work across services to reduce carbon emissions, the use of green technology will help us achieve net zero by 2045.'
The council said will also continue to work with interested external stakeholders to further develop the use of drones in delivering essential items including medical equipment, test results and mail.
Planning permission is in place for the drone logistics and training hub and a business case for its operation is currently with the Scottish Government for approval.
Picture: Drone leaving Oban Airport - Kevin McGlynn.
