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. The Trust was established to support the activities of West Lothian Archaeology which was formed in 2010, having been known previously as West Lothian Aerial Archaeology. In May 2013, the Trust was approved as an Associated Partner. of ArcheoLandscapes Europe (ArcLand), part of the European Union Culture Programme, to represent its area of expertise. Also in May, the Trust launched The Scottish National Aerial Photography Scheme (SNAPS)

In 2006, the Trust became a member of the successor to ArcLand Europe, ArcLand International.

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

(b) Promoting the use of kite aerial photography as a low-cost, inclusive, environmentally friendly technique for archaeological/heritage photography and promoting the use of any other techniques which may be deemed appropriate by the Trustees.

The West Lothian Archaeology Group and Archaeological Trust specialise in kite aerial photography (KAP) from the near ultra-violet through to the near and thermal infrared (Thermography). KAP is one of many techniques of aerial archaeology and was first used in an archaeological context by Henry Wellcome 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 (archaeology) and images can be used to create virtual 3D models and animations.

The work of the Trust is published on the Community and Heritage Website of Armadale, West Lothian.

The Trust maintains a register of archaeological/heritage kite aerial photographers in the UK and Ireland.

In April 2014, the Trust set up a Facebook page on Kite Aerial Remote Sensing.

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