These pages are dedicated to the memory of Dr Alexander Wilson (Later Regius Professor of Astronomy) of Glasgow University and his student, Thomas Melvill, for their pioneering work, in 1749, on the use of kites as an aerial platform for scientific research.

See also kite aerial photography pioneers Arthur Batut and George Lawrence (2). E. Douglas Archibald (2) is often credited as the first kite aerial photographer but his images (as far as we know) have not been published. Following normal scientific practice, credit should therefore go to Arthur Batut. It has also been reported that 'As early as 1858 Laussedat experimented with a plate camera supported by a string of kites', but if he did it was without success.

 Henry Wellcome was using kite aerial photography on an archaeological site around 1913.

Honorary Member

James Gentles

Website  Galleries  Innovation  Photographic Service

James has provided an inspirational lead in the low-level aerial photography of West Lothian and has demonstrated excellence and innovation in the field of kite aerial photography.

Jim Knowles FSA Scot

 Group Archaeologist 

Linlithgow

jimWestLothianArchaeology.org.uk

Archaeology, geophysics and kite aerial photography

Jim's first degree is in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Bradford. He then undertook a postgraduate degree in computing to extend his knowledge of computational programming. His career in archaeology, so far, has been wide and varied. He has undertaken all aspects of archaeological field work across many different areas, from prehistoric to battlefield and industrial archaeology. He has developed a particular expertise in field and geophysical survey methodologies. In addition to his role as a field archaeologist, he became part of a small survey team to digitally record buildings and archaeological sites. He has used modern (GPS and Laser Scanner) and traditional equipment (EDM) to record features and buildings. The information was then processed to create plans or models of the geospatial data using dedicated software. Jim has a specialist knowledge of archaeological prospection, including the use of magnetic, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar and chemical methods to detect and identify archaeological areas of interest. Also, he has a specialist interest in scientific analysis, including chemical and metallurgical, and in computer use, including 3D modelling, database manipulation, spatial information use and programming. 

Rosie Wells FSA Scot

Group Secretary    Armadale

Kite aerial photography, genealogy, archival research and administration

Rosie started her working life in advertising and public relations and ended her career as a teacher.  Her first degree was from Warwick University and her postgraduate teaching qualification from Oxford University.  Rosie is the founder of this website (www.armadale.org.uk), which incorporates the Group's archaeology pages.

rosieWestLothianArchaeology.org.uk

John Wells FSA Scot

Armadale

Kite aerial and broad spectrum photography

John is a graduate of the universities of Warwick, Salford and Oxford (Corpus Christi College). After leaving Oxford, and until retirement, he was a research scientist at Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories in Gloucestershire. John's primary interest is in developing, and promoting, cost-effective techniques of archaeological/heritage photography in a community context, from the near ultra-violet through to the thermal infra-red and, when needed, merging images into virtual 3D models using user-friendly software.

johnWestLothianArchaeology.org.uk

Cade Wells

Chartered Electronic Systems Engineer

Machine vision and emerging technologies

Cade's first degree was an MEng in Computer Systems Engineering from Bangor, Wales. His EngD was awarded jointly by the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Heriot Watt for his work on machine vision.

Members outside West Lothian

Heidi Walker

Group Illustrator

Paganhill

Illustration and kite aerial photography

After preliminary courses at The Slade and Stroud Art School, Heidi graduated with a first class honours degree in Illustration (with John Hullah Award) from the University of the West of England. She completed her studies with a Masters in Sequential Design and Illustration from Brighton University. Heidi works as an illustrator.

David Stott

Group Consultant

Archaeology, scientific research and kite aerial photography

Researcher with the multidisciplinary, multi-centre, DART Project, based at Leeds University. David models contrast formation parameters for archaeological deposits in hyper-spectral data and is a graduate of the universities of Glasgow (Archaeology) and Edinburgh (GIS).

Kieran Baxter

Kite aerial photography, digital media, animation and visualisation

Kieran graduated with a BA first class honours in Animation and Electronic Media from the University of Dundee. He has combined his enthusiasm for kite aerial photography and study of digital media to investigate methods of visualisation for heritage and archaeology. Currently working towards an MSc in Animation and Visualisation at Dundee, Kieran is engaged with the use of techniques such as photogrammetry to generate interpretative content.

Forum Members of the West Lothian Archaeology Group

with their interests

Although there are established bodies for recording new archaeological sites and data, we thought that it would be useful to set up a webpage with the contact details of interested individuals and where queries and information could be posted for preliminary consideration and discussion if needed.

Forum members are individuals and organisations who have an interest in the archaeology of West Lothian (buildings, 'sites of ', estates, local history, field work, documentation, maps, geology, technology etc). This list will not be selective, but it will reflect those who can provide and/or wish to be kept informed of archaeological matters. In this way, we hope to encourage the exchange of information, to raise the profile and knowledge-base of West Lothian's archaeology.

The West Lothian Archaeology Group will apply photographic and non-invasive geophysical techniques to investigate sites.  The use of kite aerial photography is a primary interest.

Contact Rosie if you would like to be listed

Christine McPherson Interest: Field archaeology.  cemcp80operamail.com

John Garth Wilkinson Preston-born, he trained as a linguist, graduating from the Universities of Birmingham and Granada with a degree in Spanish and French, and gaining post-graduate educational qualifications in Sheffield and Edinburgh (Moray House). His lifelong interest in art urged him to switch to primary, where he taught in Lothian for over twelve years before going freelance as artist, photographer and writer in 1985 and working for a number of puppet companies in Scotland, England and Spain as designer and translator. He was a founder member of West Lothian Artists. He began learning Welsh and studying British mythology as background to a fantasy work he was writing: this developed into an interest in place-names, and he wrote, illustrated and published West Lothian Place-names in 1992 (afterwards online at www.cyberscotia\west-lothian-place-names) with later articles in Nomina and in Scottish Place-Name Society publications. He spent over a decade building up a circumstantial case for Cairnpapple’s being ‘The Middle Sanctuary’: the site known to the Romans as Medionemetum. This developed into four volumes (c2000 pages) based initially on place-names and mythology but rapidly expanding into many fields. Since early retirement from part-time art teaching in 2007, he has dedicated most of his spare time to a comprehensive updating of his place-name works (forthcoming). He is a member of West Lothian Writers (with some poetry and prose published in the Ironstone magazines) and cartoonist-in-residence for The Harburn Times. johngarthwilkinsonhotmail.co.uk

Kinneil Fortlet, Antonine Wall, Bo'ness (Formerly in West Lothian)  Near IR KAP

Local Organisations

West Lothian History and Amenity Society