Where can I fly my drone in the UK and get £5,000,000 Public Liability Insurance cover? Welcome to Drone Scene!

Wondering where you can legally fly your drone in the UK? Drone Scene helps you find great flying locations and provides £5m Public Liability Insurance Insurance cover for complete peace of mind when flying throughout the UK and Europe.

What is Drone Scene? Drone Scene is an interactive drone flight safety app and flight-planning map — built by drone pilots, for drone pilots. Trusted by tens of thousands of hobbyist and professional operators, it’s the modern, feature-rich alternative to Drone Assist, featuring thousands of recommended UK flying locations shared by real pilots.

What makes Drone Scene the number one app for UK drone operators? It brings together live data including NOTAMs, Flight Restriction Zones (FRZs), Airports, Airspace Restrictions, and National Trust land boundaries, alongside trusted ground-hazard layers and detailed airspace intelligence — giving you the clarity and control to plan safe, legal flights on desktop or mobile, with no installation required.

×You must be logged in to see NOTAMs, Airspace Restrictions, National Trust boundaries and other interactive map layers.

Basildon Park added to National Trust in South East by clinkadink on 10/09/2023

Parking & TOAL: 51.493479, -1.115587

The masterpiece of John Carr of York, this Palladian villa was built for Sir Francis Sykes between 1776 and 1783. It is a beautifully balanced building of warm Bath stone consisting of a main central block joined to individual pavilions by single-storey linkages.

Sykes was the youngest son of a Yorkshire yeoman farmer who made a fortune working for the East India Company on the great Sub-Continent. He held many important posts including Factor & Chief of Kasimbazara and resided at the Court of the Nawab of Bengal, until ill-health forced him to return to England in 1768. He bought Basildon from the estate of Viscount Fane, three years later. Sykes was a close friend of Warren Hastings, the Governor-General of India, who lived at nearby Purley Hall and, along with a number of other 'nabobs' resident in the vicinity, he helped give Berkshire its reputation of being the "English Hindoostan". He was created a baronet in 1781.

Basildon was inherited by Sir Francis' grandson and namesake in 1804, when parts of the house were still incomplete. Unfortunately, Sir Francis Junior inherited massive debts from his spendthrift father and, in 1838, the estate was sold to James Morrison MP, one of the richest of the early Victorian merchant princes. He was a famous art-lover who became instrumental in the setting up of the National Gallery. He exclaimed of Basildon, "What a casket to enclose pictorial gems!". His architect, John Papworth, undertook a number of sympathetic alterations at the house between 1837 and 1842, after which the family took up full residence in the best of Victorian traditions.

The last of the Morrisons died in 1910, after which Basildon often stood empty. It was used as a convalescent home for Berkshire regimental soldiers during the Great War, but subsequently fell into an increasing state of dilapidation. The estate was purchased by the 1st Lord Iliffe in 1928 in order to expand his Yattendon lands and the house was sold on to a George Ferdinando. This man had planned to have the place systematically demolished and re-erected in the United States! A scheme which, fortunately, never came to fruition, though many of the decorative fittings can now be seen in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Miraculously, in 1952, Basildon was repurchased by Lord Iliffe's son and his new bride who set about restoring the place to its present splendour. Many fixtures and fittings were bought from other country houses whose fate was not so fortunate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basildon_Park

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.49878, -1.121342 • what3words: ///stealthier.curated.tumble

The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 10/09/2023. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

Where to fly your drone

Filter ()
Steall Waterfall, Glen Nevis, Fort William South (By AlbionDrones)

The second day of our NC500 trip, after spending the first night in Fort William, an extra to our planned trip, a drive into Glen Nevis and a walk up to Steall Falls, the UK's 2nd largest waterfall.

The day was much improved over the torrential rain of the previous day, and with a long drive ahead and plenty of places planned to stop, we set off early - after a great breakfast at the Cruachan Hotel - to see the falls.

Arriving early, we had the place almost to ourselves. The drive along a twisty single-track road is not for the faint of heart, but upon arrival at the small car park, we saw only one other vehicle. The walk to the Falls is not an easy one, lots of steps, waterfalls and streams to cross and some treacherous terrain. Walking poles came in handy, good boots are essential, and a good level of balance and mobility would be recommended.

However, the reward of reaching the almost alpine valley and seeing the Falls is definitely worthwhile. I wish we had allowed ourselves more time to walk and explore - it would have been great to fly the valley up to the falls with the AVATA2, skimming over the rocks to reveal the distant falls, but time was not with us, so we decided not to fly the AVATA this time - rest assured, we will return!

Lots of areas to fly from in the valley atop the walk, however the falls can also be seen after about a 10 minute walk form the car park - in the distance at a range of about a mile or so.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 56.77014, -4.979821 • what3words: ///clocks.grumbling.perused

Fountains Abbey, Harrogate (By D0c.Col)

Fountains Abbey is one of the most spectacular and best-preserved monastic ruins in England, located near Ripon in North Yorkshire. It’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Studley Royal Park, including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey and Fountains Hall.

Founded: 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks who left St Mary’s Abbey in York seeking a simpler, more devout life as a Cistercian – known for their austerity, self-sufficiency, and agricultural innovation.

Peak Prosperity: By the 13th century, Fountains Abbey had become one of the richest monasteries in England, owning vast lands and thriving through wool production.

Dissolution: In 1539, during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey was seized and closed. Its lands were sold to private owners, and the buildings fell into ruin over time.

Studley Royal Water Garden
Created in the 18th century by John Aislabie and later his son William, this landscape garden incorporates the abbey ruins into its design — an early example of Romantic landscaping. Features include ornamental lakes, canals, temples, follies, and carefully composed vistas. The combination of the abbey’s medieval ruins and the Georgian water gardens makes the site unique in Europe.

As it is a National Trust run estate TOAL is limited, however, there are a few spots on the adjacent road on by the west entrance where VLOS can be maintained that I've marked on the map.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.10999, -1.580925 • what3words: ///venue.shielding.nightfall

The 'Wee Hoose', Little Loch Shin, Lairg (By AlbionDrones)


Something a little different today, the wonderfully quirky 'Wee Hoose' in Lairg, a place that always makes me smile when we see it.

I have long wanted to fly it, but every time we have passed there were nesting birds or the weather wasn't right, this time though, we were good to go, and although it is only a short flight and video, it captures the essence of the place...

Car parking is free and just over the road...

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 58.02356, -4.403653 • what3words: ///slap.protrude.airbag

Saint Mary the Virgin parish church, Arun (By grandad1950)

Saint Mary the Virgin parish church in East Preston in West Sussex is a grade 1 listed building dating from 1150.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.8125, -0.489763 • what3words: ///zinc.kennels.built

Heatons Bridge, West Lancashire (By Bradders101)

This was part of a walk I completed from Burscough to Scaribrick Marina. The canal takes you past Heaton's Bridge and the WWII military pillbox. In addition there are some fantastic pictures spray painted on the nearby bridge each side of the canal.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.59982, -2.902703 • what3words: ///otter.helps.ladders

Hurtwood Park, Waverley (By grandad1950)

Hurtwood park polo club in Surrey has several 'pitches' and so gives a lot of room to fly. Obviously not a good location if there are polo matches on.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.14023, -0.430087 • what3words: ///mend.froth.emulating

Lewes Leisure Centre, Lewes (By grandad1950)

Lewes Leisure centre has a fine athletics track and multiple football pitches as well as a traditional indoor Leisure Centre. I guess it can be busy at weekends but lots of room to fly.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.8689, 0.018834 • what3words: ///disco.husky.cork

Bealach na Ba, Ross and Cromarty South West (By AlbionDrones)

The iconic Bealach na Ba, 'Pass of the Cattle' on the NC500, Applecross, WesterRoss, Scotland.

The road over the historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that switch back and forth up the hillside and gradients that approach 20%. It has the greatest ascent of any road climb in the United Kingdom, rising from sea level at Applecross to 630 m (2,070 ft) in about 6 km (3.7 mi), and is the third highest mountain pass in Scotland.

A feature of the NC500 and mobbed during summer months we planned our recent NC500 trip to ensure we were able to take in this wonderful place for the first time - the last section of the NC500 we had left to do.

The drive is steep and twisting, and can be extremely busy, but in late October we only saw a handful of cars, and were fortunate that the weather was perfect, views that stretched for miles and late afternoon light with some drama in the skies.

There is a decent car park at the top, with plenty of space, amazing views over to Skye, Arochar, Rum and Eigg (when the weather plays ball), and the road has recently been resurfaced. As to difficulty, in a modern car it is not too bad, in a camper van it would be challenging. I would rate it not quite as difficult as Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, but not far behind...

No facilities at the car park, but plenty in Applecross and Lochcarron

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 57.41174, -5.701411 • what3words: ///gymnasium.wonderful.elders

Queens Park, Stoke-on-Trent (By Mark.G)

Longton Park, officially named Queen's Park, was established in 1887 on 45 acres donated by the Duke of Sutherland to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It was designed by the Duke's land agent, John H. Garrett, and was the first public park in the Potteries, officially opening in 1888. The park's design from the 1880s remains largely unchanged, making it a good example of a late Victorian municipal park.
The park is a family park with a large play area, tennis courts and open grassland, also a band stand, central cafe and 2 lakes with lots of wildlife.

TOAL in the middle of the large grassed area. The park is not overly busy but use your judgement to determine if the area is 'too' busy for flying.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.97704, -2.142253 • what3words: ///shin.lined.bids

St Nicolas, Arun (By grandad1950)

St Nicolas parish church is a grade 1 listed building dating from the 11th century in the West Sussex village of Poling. The church is surrounded by countryside and some well marked footpaths

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.8314, -0.514501 • what3words: ///prove.arts.wide


Show All Locations

Our Recommended Retailer

Grey Arrows Drone Club recommends purchasing drones and drone accessories from Leicester Drones Ltd, our partnered retailer of choice, where our Club members are eligible for a discount on most purchases.

Service provided by