Tag: virtual tour

Climate solutions from peatlands to parasites

Scientists create virtual tour showcasing research to tackle Scotland’s climate crisis

As world leaders arrive in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), scientific experts have created a virtual tour showcasing research to tackle Scotland’s climate crisis.

Researchers from across SEFARI (a consortium of six globally renowned Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes) have joined forces to highlight how innovative research is helping Scotland adapt to, and mitigate, the impacts of climate change.

Covering everything from peatlands to parasites, the Google Earth tour includes videos by scientists from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), James Hutton Institute, Rowett Institute, Moredun Research Institute, BioSS and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). 

Supported by SEFARI Gateway, the tour takes in collaborative research in the Forsinard Flows and at SRUC’s Kirkton and Auchtertyre farms into the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Visitors are transported to Scotland’s rainforests, to hear how scientists are protecting the vulnerable species living there, and into the world of parasites to learn how these opportunistic organisms are adapting to climate change as part of research at the Moredun Research Institute.

The team at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh demonstrates how rain gardens can regulate the flow of water during extreme weather events, helping urban environments combat the impacts of both flooding and drought, while researchers from the Rowett Institute explain how novel crops such as hemp can help sequester carbon, promote biodiversity and restore the health of our agricultural land.

Visitors can experience the seascape of Aberdeenshire, where research into people’s perceptions has helped to develop visually appealing coastlines that also deliver renewable energy, and visit the James Hutton Institute’s Climate-Positive Farming initiative at Glensaugh farm, where a transformational approach to farming is helping to achieve net zero targets, while protecting and enhancing biodiversity and ensuring a sustainable farm business.  

Finally, at SRUC’s GreenCow facility near Edinburgh, researchers explain how state-of-the-art respiration chambers are being used to identify measures to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from cattle production systems. 

Dr Lorna Cole, an Agricultural Ecologist at SRUC, said: “Last year saw me working from home, lecturing Wildlife and Conservation Management students and home-schooling two teenagers.

“This really highlighted the value of interactive online teaching resources that are both accessible and accurate.”

Professor Lorna Dawson, SEFARI Gateway Lead for Environment and principal scientist at the James Hutton Institute, said: “The best thing about this virtual tour is that everyone can join, in their own time, from the comfort of their home or office, to learn more about how we are working together in collaboration and cooperation, across the institutes and with our partners, to help tackle the important issues of climate change and biodiversity loss – ensuring that Scotland’s people, biodiversity and industries continue to thrive now and into the future.” 

To join the tour, visit: https://bit.ly/OnSEFARITour

Invisible Cities launches new 360 Virtual Tour of Edinburgh

Discover the Scottish capital from anywhere in the world  

Alternative tour guide company  Invisible Cities has developed a new virtual tour of Edinburgh using innovative 360° technology. 

The initiative evolved from a year of Covid-19 restrictions when the in-person city walking tours that the social enterprise specialises in were not always possible. 

Developed in partnership with 360 Virtual Studios, which provides virtual technology marketing solutions for the arts, culture and tourism industries, the tour allows viewers to discover the spectacular sights of the Scottish capital from wherever they are located around the globe. 

Available in full 3D reality for those who own goggles or through a cardboard version supplied by Invisible Cities, the new tour will be launched at a special virtual event on Zoom on November 3rd when participants will be able to ask questions and hear about Invisible Cities’ future plans. 

Tickets are priced £10 per person and those who sign up in the UK can also order a special Tour Box containing goodies such as chocolate, tea and coffee from fellow social enterprises and further information on Edinburgh and how this virtual came to life-to be delivered for them enjoy while they watch the excursion unfold. 

Zakia Moulaoui Guery, CEO of Invisible Cities says: “The pandemic has made us look for alternative ways of touring the world and launching our 360 Virtual Tour of Edinburgh is such an exciting step for us.

“We are very grateful to 360 Virtual Studios who supported us every step of the way with this. The use of virtual technology is not something we could have done on our own. It was also made possible thanks to Adapt & Thrive funding.

“We can’t wait for people to discover Edinburgh in a brand-new way and our tour box just adds a little bit more comfort to the whole experience.” 

Invisible Cities trains people who have previously experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city.  They offer a number of themed family-friendly tours across the UK in cities including Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, York and Cardiff.  

Adapt and Thrive is a Scottish Government’s funded programme which aimed to support third sector organisations financially affected by the pandemic to change, flex, innovate, or grow so they can be resilient and financially sustainable during and post COVID-19.

360 Virtual Studios’ Managing Director: Michelle Milnes says: “360 Virtual Studios are absolutely thrilled to partner with Invisible Cities in helping to open up our beautiful capital city to be viewed by a global audience, whilst generating vital funding for this wonderful social enterprise.

“As innovators of virtual technology in Scotland, we’ve already seen how virtual tours have provided a vital income stream for many organisations during lockdown. We’re excited to see how our 360 virtual video can give a boost to these sectors in a post-pandemic world.” 

For more information on Invisible Cities visit https://invisible-cities.org/    

Wedding venue says “I do” thanks to innovative virtual tour tech

State-of-the-art 3D walkthrough allows brides-to-be to explore from home

A WEDDING venue had hi-tech help to survive lockdown, thanks to a Scottish virtual tour pioneer that is enabling desperate brides-to-be to “visit” the venue during the pandemic.

Newhall Estate in Carlops, Midlothian, is a hugely successful choice for couples tying the knot, but it faced a catastrophic loss of business when it had to turn away visits as a result of lockdown.

However, state-of-the-art virtual tours built on Matterport technology have brought betrothed couples flocking back – after experts cleverly adapted technology that is normally used to sell houses. It is believed to be the first wedding venue in Scotland to use the technology.

The project is one of the first successes for newly-launched 360 Virtual Studios, which is rolling out a suite of new products and services for galleries, museums, events spaces and retailers – aimed at helping them recover from the pandemic, which has hit those sectors disproportionately hard.

Jak Kennedy, Director at Newhall Estate, branded the technology “a gamechanger” and insists it will not only help them survive the pandemic, but will be an ongoing benefit long after lockdown lifts.

He added: “This technology has given couples the confidence to book our venue without seeing it in person and has been a crucial element helping to keep us afloat during the pandemic.

“It allows us to make best use of time because staff and customers no longer have to make multiple visits to check the layouts and measurements as it is all available in exact detail at any time online.

“Our interactive floor plan has been a game changer for couples organising sleeping arrangements for the main house and has helped people plan for guests with specific requirements.

“We have had extremely positive feedback from couples who have booked their wedding with us stating the technology is brilliant and has given them a sense of confidence by having the ability to view all of the main rooms at their discretion.

“We were not getting bookings in without individuals visiting the venue before, but thanks to the virtual tour and interactive floor plan people have been happy enough to book without seeing the venue in person. It is an absolutely invaluable tool that we will continue to use.

“Indeed, it’s likely that we’ll rely on it even more – not less – when lockdown finally lifts and our wedding season get into its full glory again.”

360 Virtual Studios is the brainchild of award-winning entrepreneur Michelle Milnes who already runs a highly successful property marketing business.

She said: “I was approached by a range of different organisations during lockdown 2020, from the arts, tourism and hospitality sectors. That was a very powerful message that our cutting-edge technology can help businesses far beyond the property market.

“It’s been a slow burn since 2014 building up awareness of what we can do. However, the pandemic has pulled the future forward and the public are now truly seeing the potential of the virtual tours in a way that might otherwise have taken five to 10 years to achieve.

“It is fantastic to hear how powerful this has been for Newhall Estate. We’ve proven beyond all doubt is that this technology does far more than showcasing properties for sale.

“This is just the beginning. On the strength of what we have achieved here, we have now launched 360 Virtual Studios aimed specifically at galleries, exhibition spaces, venues and specialist retailers. The potential is incredible.”

The firm’s 3D virtual tours are built on state-of-the-art camera equipment and software, from Matterport. This allows them to create detailed virtualisations of any setting, where a virtual visitor can take a hyper-realistic, self-guided 3D tour.

The visitor can take the tour wherever they choose at their own pace, while examining a high resolution, true-to-life rendition of the layout, furniture, fixtures and even the views from windows. Unlike a video or photographs 3D tours can be viewed from all angles.

The Newhall Estate virtual tour allows customers to get an accurate representation of main rooms in the venue with the additional benefit of being able to take specific measurements, which is useful for planning the layout of an event.

The Scottish baronial venue can accommodate 29 people, while three self-contained cottages offer rooms for 11 more.

In addition, interactive floorplans allow viewers to put the tours in context and orientate themselves around the venue. The tours themselves have the technology to show dimensions and detail.

Parent company Property Studios has 32 staff, turnover close to £1m and national contracts with 30 estate agents and 12 major homebuilders. Typical virtual property tours rack up 1000 visits within a few days.