Mobile Mapping Across the Scottish Highlands
Published on by Toni Abrahams
Survey Solutions was commissioned to conduct a mobile mapping survey across the Scottish Highlands for a major electricity infrastructure project. The client planned to install new cables across northern Scotland and needed an accurate, detailed record of the existing road network to inform planning and design.
The survey covered challenging terrain northwest of Inverness, including remote roads, forestry, peatland and steep hillsides. Vehicle-mounted LiDAR scanning and Ground Control Point (GCP) installation were used to capture reliable geospatial data along the proposed routes.
The Challenge
The remote location and varied terrain created significant logistical and technical challenges. Many routes crossed hard-to-reach areas, requiring careful planning to achieve complete coverage without compromising accuracy.
Access also required careful management. Given the project’s sensitive nature, Survey Solutions worked closely with local landowners and the public to secure permission, reach the routes and minimise disruption.
The team also had to process and combine large volumes of data from multiple routes into a single, consistent dataset.
Our Solution
Survey Solutions used a vehicle-based mobile mapping system, mounting an MX60 LiDAR scanner on a Land Rover Defender. This setup enabled the team to efficiently capture detailed three-dimensional data along remote and challenging sections of the road network.
Ground Control Points supported the accuracy and georeferencing of the data. Mobile mapping enabled extensive stretches of road to be surveyed efficiently, reducing reliance on conventional methods along every route.
Throughout the project, the survey team coordinated with landowners and the public to manage access and carry out the work responsibly.
After fieldwork was completed, the LiDAR scans were pre-processed in the office and merged into a single dataset for further use.
The Outcome
The project delivered a detailed mobile mapping dataset of the surveyed road network in the Scottish Highlands, supporting the client’s electricity cable planning.
By combining vehicle-mounted LiDAR with ground control surveying, Survey Solutions captured detailed spatial data across a geographically challenging area.
The project highlighted the value of mobile mapping for large-scale infrastructure schemes where long routes, difficult terrain and sensitive access arrangements make traditional surveying more complex.
Survey Solutions’ specialist equipment, technical expertise and careful stakeholder coordination enabled the survey to support this important infrastructure project.
