Thomas Haywood Aerial Photography

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Thomas Haywood Aerial Photography

Drone Pilot, approved by the CAA to fly commercially for Aerial photos and films. Insured with liabi

Photographer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, covering General, Commercial, People and Landscapes

15/06/2026

Riddle me this…

Two giants cross a Highland valley side by side.

One was built for iron horses more than a century ago.

The other carries modern traffic through the Highlands every day.

Beneath them, one of Scotland’s biggest transport projects continues to take shape.

Where am I?

Aerial photography has a unique way of revealing the bigger picture, showing history, engineering and landscape all in one frame.

Leave your guess below.

11/06/2026

Pitreavie Castle from a completely different perspective.

These images show an aerial mapping project created using a DJI Mini 5. The outputs include an orthomosaic map, a georeferenced site overlay and a Digital Surface Model showing changes in elevation across the estate.

This type of mapping can be used for:

📍 Estate management
📍 Planning applications
📍 Historic building records
📍 Drainage studies
📍 Environmental monitoring
📍 Land surveys

What surprises many people is that this survey was flown manually. With careful planning and accurate flying, a lightweight drone can produce mapping data with impressive levels of detail.

Aerial mapping creates a permanent digital record that can be measured, analysed and compared over time.

10/06/2026

A favourite moment from a recent Highland filming trip.

Just after capturing a DRS freight train and the LNER Highland Chieftain passing near Dalwhinnie, the drone climbed to reveal this incredible view across Loch Ericht.

What stands out is how transport and landscape coexist so naturally. The railway, road, village and loch all weave together through one of Scotland’s most spectacular settings.

Sometimes the wider view tells the best story.

What catches your eye first?

09/06/2026

A weekend behind the camera at the BikeOut Festival in Hathersage, Peak District.

The brief was to document the event, photograph participants throughout the weekend and create the official group photograph.

With rain on Saturday and much brighter conditions on Sunday, it was a reminder that photography often means adapting quickly to whatever the weather decides to do.

Some of the best moments came while moving with the riders, capturing the atmosphere of the event and the incredible scenery that makes the Peak District such a special place to cycle.

A fantastic weekend with a welcoming LGBT cycling community and plenty of memories captured along the way.

08/06/2026

Passenger trains often get the attention, but freight tells a brilliant story too.

GBRf 66779 “Evening Star” working a heavy biomass train through Hathersage in the Hope Valley.

The real visual moment? Watching a heavy train take time to get moving, power, patience, landscape and purpose all in one frame.

Aerial filming helps show rail freight in context, not just the train, but the terrain it works through.

05/06/2026

On Sunday I covered the Tour of the Kingdom Sportive organised by Dunfermline Cycling Club.

The aim was simple, capture as many riders as possible across four locations on the route and give participants photographs they could look back on with pride.

By the end of the day I had taken 921 photographs, carefully edited down to create a quality gallery that told the story of the event.

From the cobbled streets of Culross to the climbs through the Fife countryside, it was fantastic to see so many cyclists taking part.

A great day of cycling, photography and teamwork.

04/06/2026

A great day at the Glasgow Business Show at Hampden today.

Networking events are about much more than collecting business cards. They are an opportunity to meet people, learn about different industries and build relationships that can lead to future opportunities.

They are also a fantastic place to capture authentic business photography. Real conversations, genuine interactions and the energy of the event tell a much stronger story than staged photographs ever could.

Looking forward to seeing where some of today’s conversations lead.

03/06/2026

This battery energy storage site in West Lothian sits beneath the flight path of Edinburgh Airport.

That meant obtaining the correct permissions and carrying out detailed planning before any flying could take place.

It’s a good example of how professional drone operations involve much more than simply launching a drone.

For sites like this, aerial mapping and photography can support:

• Site planning and feasibility studies
• Construction progress monitoring
• Asset management and inspections
• Environmental reporting
• Marketing and stakeholder communications

From the first survey peg in the ground to a fully operational site, aerial data helps tell the complete story.

Many people see a drone photograph. The project team sees valuable information.

02/06/2026

This property at Windlestraw in the Scottish Borders had previously been on the market.

A fresh drone mapping survey provided an up to date record of the property and surrounding field, creating both an orthomosaic and a Digital Surface Model.

The orthomosaic provides an accurate overhead view of the site, while the DSM uses colour to represent elevation, helping visualise slopes, terrain and potential water flow paths.

For buyers, land agents, surveyors and planners, having current information can be just as important as having detailed information.

Drone mapping helps turn a landscape into data that supports better decisions.

01/06/2026

Nearly 90GB of photographs this weekend and every gigabyte tells a story.

Saturday was spent photographing the wedding of a good friend. Wedding photography is something I only do for close friends and family, so it is always a privilege to be asked.

Sunday was spent covering the Tour of the Kingdom cycle sportive, moving between four different locations to capture as many of the 200 riders as possible.

This aerial image was taken on the climb up Cleish. Rather than focusing purely on the cyclist, I wanted to show the scale of the Scottish landscape around them. The winding road, rolling hills and open countryside all help tell the story of the challenge facing every rider.

Do you prefer photographs that focus on the action, or those that show the wider story?

Address

Edinburgh

Website

http://www.thomashaywood.com/

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