Wondering where you can fly your drone in the UK — and get £5,000,000 public liability insurance cover? Welcome to Drone Scene!

The first of our Spring Scotland holiday Drone videos features Castle Fraser, run by NTS Scotland, which has a progressive drone policy. There is a sign at the entrance with details on how to obtain permission to fly. One quick PLI Insurance certificate download and email sent, and permission received within 10 minutes - with the proviso that no Castle overflights are made, and you stay within CAA Drone Code.

The weather was changeable, but brightened up when I took off, and the colours were sublime...

Definitely an interesting castle to visit, beautifully preserved with lots of history. I took some photos inside and may do a longer video with some of the history, but some of the focus was out, so not sure yet...

Anyhow, enjoy the majesty of this amazing Castle...

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Co-ordinates: 57.20305, -2.460688 • what3words: ///disengage.confining.amounting

Musbury Castle, often referred to as Musbury Hill Fort, is a striking Iron Age monument perched on a high ridge overlooking the Axe Valley in East Devon. Standing approximately 175 meters above sea level, it forms part of a notable chain of strategic hill forts in the region.

Constructed during the Iron Age (c. 800 BC – AD 43), Musbury Castle served as a fortified settlement and critical lookout. Its single circuit of earthworks defines it as a univallate fort. These ramparts were engineered to protect local inhabitants and livestock while asserting territorial dominance over the fertile valley and coastal approaches from the English Channel.

The fort's elongated footprint is clearly visible as it follows the ridge's natural contours, utilizing steep slopes to enhance man-made defences.

One of the key elements of the shots highlights the western rampart, now softened by vegetation. Originally, these banks would have been significantly higher and likely reinforced with timber palisades.

The expansive view of its setting illustrates why this location was chosen. Looking south toward the sea, the strategic depth of the landscape is clear, contrasting with the seasonal beauty of bluebells in the foreground and which carpet large parts of the site.

Its a National Trust location, but TOAL outside of that perimeter is easy as the summit of the spur offers a clear line of site to the castle site

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Co-ordinates: 50.74236, -3.018299 • what3words: ///giving.binds.station

Bracknell Council provided Drone Flying facility

You have to pre-authorise with the council with proof of liability insurance and CAA OP and RP registrations.

Only open Sundays from 12-4pm

Nice open space for basic training with the advantage that it is council authorised

Not permitted to type URLs here but the URL is not dissimilar to:
www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/outdoor-activities/flying-drones-and-model-aircraft

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Co-ordinates: 51.43079, -0.744927 • what3words: ///before.loaf.goals

One for the Roman military in Scotland history nerds.

Set on a windswept moor near Braco, the Ardoch Roman Fort is one of the best-preserved Roman military sites in Britain. Dating to the 1st century AD and linked to the campaigns of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, it formed part of the Gask Ridge—an early frontier line of forts and watchtowers. Today, its grass-covered ramparts and deep defensive ditches remain strikingly visible, hinting at a complex history of occupation, rebuilding, and troop movement. Walking the earthworks, you are tracing the outline of Rome’s northern ambition in ancient Caledonia.

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Co-ordinates: 56.2677, -3.875524 • what3words: ///crumble.creatures.pastime

St James parish church in the west sussex village of Birdham is a grade 1 listed building dating from the early 13th century. It has a very large graveyard.

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Co-ordinates: 50.79658, -0.832426 • what3words: ///gazes.cleanest.motel

Commanding a majestic ridge in the Blackdown Hills near Honiton, Hembury Hill Fort is one of the most significant and complex archaeological sites in Devon. Its history spans millennia, serving as a focal point for human activity from the Neolithic period through to the Roman occupation.

The site first rose to prominence around 3500 BC as a Neolithic causewayed enclosure, making it one of the earliest communal monuments in Britain. However, the formidable earthworks visible today primarily date to the Iron Age (c. 500 BC). During this era, it was transformed into a massive multi-ditch hill fort, likely serving as a tribal capital for the Dumnonii. Interestingly, after the Roman invasion in AD 43, the site was briefly repurposed as a Roman military fort, highlighting its enduring strategic value.

The fort’s position on the southern tip of a long spur is clearly evident. This "promontory" design allowed for natural defences on three sides, with the most massive man-made ramparts constructed across the level northern approach.

You can clearly see the deep, triple ditch and bank system. Even under a thick canopy of spring green, the sheer scale of these excavations is pretty impressive. These ramparts were once topped with timber breastworks, creating an intimidating silhouette against the Devon sky.

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Co-ordinates: 50.82055, -3.261331 • what3words: ///abundance.dose.dizziness

High above the Otter Valley in Devon, Dumpdon Hill Fort represents a classic example of Iron Age defensive architecture, set within an area of outstanding natural beauty. The site is a multivallate fort, meaning it is protected by multiple lines of earthworks, which are vividly preserved and visible in these shots.

Dating primarily from the Iron Age (c. 800 BC – AD 43), Dumpdon was likely a centre for local tribal power. Its strategic location on a prominent spur provided a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape, allowing inhabitants to monitor movement through the valley below. While many such forts were abandoned after the Roman conquest, Dumpdon remains a powerful testament to the engineering skills of pre-Roman Britain.

The double bank and ditch system is exceptionally clear. These ramparts were originally much steeper and likely topped with wooden palisades, creating a formidable vertical barrier for any attacker.

The scene is topped off nicely is the stunning carpet of bluebells all over the banks that surround the site.

Now owned by the National Trust, the fort is a site of both archaeological importance and ecological preservation.

A convenient (but easily missed) car park is in a small layby next to the location on Dumpdon Lane.

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Co-ordinates: 50.83041, -3.171505 • what3words: ///grace.rivers.dimes

A fine grade 1 listed parish church of St Georges in the West Sussex rural village of Donnington. The church dates from the early 13th century.

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Co-ordinates: 50.81319, -0.791478 • what3words: ///skins.grid.lions

Plas Newydd, Anglesey, sits on the edge of the Menai Strait, looking out across to Snowdonia. But what we see today is only one version of the house.

The full story of Plas Newydd, from its origins as a 15th-century hall house, through its transformation into a grand country residence, and the many changes that followed is quite interesting.

Inside, the house reveals a layered history — from the military legacy of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, who lost his leg at the Battle of Waterloo, to the theatrical world of the 5th Marquess, who turned part of the house into a private performance space.

Outside, the estate tells a different story. The landscape, shaped by designers like Humphry Repton, was carefully planned to appear natural, with views across the Menai Strait forming a key part of the design.

Over time, Plas Newydd has adapted repeatedly — from private residence to naval training site, and now as a National Trust property open to the public.

As all NT properties there is a cafe and toilets on site and you don't have to pay to use them!

I TOAL in two different locations, first one was with my Air 3S to use its 3 x zoom, just outside the entrance by the roadside (be careful as the entrance is on a long straight stretch of road and although the traffic isn't busy, when they do pass it's often well in excess of the speed limit!! The second was with my mini 4 Pro from the Conway Centre outward bound place not far from the house along the shoreline. The guy there said they weren't part of the NT but all that seperated them from the estate was a low chain slung across the pathway. An arthritic dwarf could easily step over so I went back next day early and .............

The estate is vast so if you want to explore give yourself at least 4 hours.

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Co-ordinates: 53.20258, -4.216055 • what3words: ///language.ratty.shark

A 12th Century earthworks castle, burnt by the Welsh in 1151. It was replaced in the next century with a stone fortress, a single tower of which survives. The ruins are those of a castle that commanded what was once a low-tide fording point across the Lougher Estuary. There is ample parking at Lougher bridge and the castle is a short walk up the hill.

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Co-ordinates: 51.66174, -4.077086 • what3words: ///delight.shame.expect