One of the world's largest aerial photography collections is now available to University of Edinburgh researchers - with computing and digitisation support to match. The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) holds more than 30 million images captured across decades and locations around the globe. For researchers, it's more than an archive: it's a long-term visual record of how landscapes, cities, infrastructure, coastlines, and ecosystems have changed over time.Access is fully funded for approved academic and non-commercial projects. National Collection of Aerial Photography, AIRBUS_GEONEX_0041_90_0331_WEB. All rights reserved. A unique research dataset NCAP is more than an image archive. It is a long-term visual record of how landscapes, infrastructure, settlements, and ecosystems have changed over time. Researchers can use the collection to: examine landscape evolution measure environmental change reconstruct historical environments track urban development support archaeology and heritage research develop AI and computer vision methods create high-resolution historical maps compare past and present land use & much more Every image captures a moment in time. Together, they reveal change across generations. At NCAP, we want to ensure that we work with outstanding researchers from across the University of Edinburgh. That is why access to the dataset is fully funded for approved academic research projects. Dr Allan Williams Head of NCAP What EIDF offers In collaboration with NCAP, the Edinburgh International Data Facility can support approved academic and non-commercial research projects by providing: access to the aerial photography archive guidance on data discovery and selection support for image digitisation where appropriate access to derived products and mosaics where available support in exploring how the data can be used for research, analysis, and AI workflows Access is fully funded for approved research projects. Why work with the NCAP collection? Some of the most important research questions require a long-term view. Historical aerial photography makes it possible to explore how places have changed, compare past and present landscapes, and generate insights that cannot be obtained from contemporary data alone. Why the scale matters: Some of the most important research questions need a long-term view. NCAP offers a rare combination of:scale historical depth geographic coverage high-resolution visual evidence interdisciplinary research potential Whether you are studying environmental transformation, urban development, infrastructure, cultural heritage, land use, ecological change, or the impacts of climate change, NCAP can provide valuable historical context. Bring your research questions to life We welcome expressions of interest from University of Edinburgh researchers, academics, PhD students, postdoctoral scholars, and interdisciplinary teams. Whether your work is in environmental science, archaeology, geography, AI, ecology, history, urban planning, agriculture, climate science, or another field, the NCAP collection can help unlock new ways of understanding change over time. If you would like to explore whether NCAP data could support your research, please get in touch to discuss your project. Bring your research questions to life We welcome expressions of interest from researchers, academics, PhD students, postdoctoral scholars, and interdisciplinary teams.Whether your work is in environmental science, archaeology, geography, AI, ecology, history, urban planning, or another field, NCAP can help unlock new ways of understanding change over time.Get in touch with us now. This article was published on Thursday 24 September 2026
