West Lothian Archaeological Trust


The West Lothian Archaeological Trust was formed on 19 April 2012 and registered as Scottish Charity No. SC043118 on 26 April 2012, having been known informally, since 2007, as West Lothian Archaeology. The Trust also has an interest in sites in England, especially Gloucestershire
In May 2013, the Trust was approved as an Associated Partner of ArcheoLandscapes Europe, part of the European Union's Culture Programme, to represent its area of expertise. Also in May, the Trust launched The Scottish National Aerial Photography Scheme
In 2016, the Trust became a member of the successor to ArcLand Europe, ArcLand International.
The Trust reverted to non-charitable status as West Lothian and Gloucestershire Aerial Archaeology in April 2019.

Goals of the Trust

The aims of the Charitable Trust, as officially registered, are for 'the advancement of heritage and science by

Work of the Trust

West Lothian Archaeology specialises in kite aerial photography from the near ultra-violet through to the near and thermal infrared. KAP is one of many techniques of aerial archaeology and was first used in an archaeological context by Henry Wellcome over 100 years ago. For a detailed consideration of kite aerial photography in the near-UV and near-IR, see the online publications of Geert Verhoeven which are listed in the external links below. On-site aerial photography complements the non-invasive methods of geophysical survey and images can be used to create virtual 3D models and animations.
Kite aerial photography is a simple, cheap, technique. A Camera, or phone, is suspended on a kite line about 20m from the kite, on either a Picavet suspension or using a simple selfie stick.
The work of the Trust was published on its Community and Heritage Website and now on its Facebook page.
The Trust maintains a register of specialist kite aerial photographers.