14 October 2009: Scotland's National Collection of Aerial Photography

14 October 2009

The National Collection of Aerial Photography is one of the largest and most significant in the world, comprising over 1.6 million images of Scotland, and tens of millions of military intelligence photographs of locations across the globe.

With the earliest images of Scotland dating from the 1920s, the Collection traces the development of the nation throughout the twentieth century and beyond, from wartime and post-war RAF photography to aerial imagery produced by the Ordnance Survey to aid map-making, and photographs taken by RCAHMS own aerial survey team over the past 30 years.

Worldwide aerial photography also forms a major part of the National Collection, with millions of images from Second World War Allied and German aircraft, and more recent RAF aerial photography from around the world up to the 1990s.

The image here was taken by RCAHMS aerial survey team in 2006 and shows the Glasgow Science Centre and Imax Cinema, two major features of the Clyde Waterfront regeneration scheme. It is one of over 200 of the finest Scottish images from the Collection published this week in a new book.

Above Scotland: The National Collection of Aerial Photography is priced £25.00 and is available now from all good booksellers. You can also order direct from BookSource on 0845 370 0067 (Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm). A gallery of images from the book is available here.

A rapidly expanding selection of imagery from the Collection can also be browsed and purchased online through Canmore and a new dedicated RCAHMS Aerial Photography website, currently in beta format, which will be launched officially later this year. Full access is available in the RCAHMS public search room in Edinburgh, by appointment.