HES LiDAR Project 2017: 3D Terrain and Surface Data for Scottish Heritage Sites

LiDAR data captured in 2017 for Historic Environment Scotland across 8 specific sites, including Inveraray and Kilchurn Castle. The data was processed to a 0.25-meter resolution and supplied in multiple formats, including raw LAZ files and processed GeoTIFFs for both terrain and surface models. Each site's data area is documented within a provided GIS shapefile.

Use Cases

• Generate high-resolution Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) based on the 0.25m processed terrain data.
• Analyze landscape topography and site visibility for archaeological research based on the LiDAR-captured immediate surroundings.
• Create 3D visualizations and reconstructions of heritage structures based on the point cloud and surface model data.
• Conduct change detection studies by comparing this 2017 baseline with newer surveys of the same sites.

Strengths

• Data is captured at a high 0.25-meter resolution for detailed analysis.
• Covers 8 distinct Scottish heritage sites with defined geographic extents.
• Provides both raw point cloud (LAZ) and processed raster (GeoTIFF, ASCII) formats for flexibility.

Limitations

• Row count and total file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data tiles contain only information relevant to HES projects at procurement, potentially limiting coverage.

Provenance

Source

Cyient Europe Ltd, captured for Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

Collection Method

Airborne LiDAR survey and subsequent processing.

Time Range

2017

Freshness

Data was captured in 2017; last update date is unknown.

Geography

Scotland, United Kingdom, covering 8 specified heritage sites and their immediate landscapes.