Challenge
Inaccessible, High-Risk Terrain
The mountain slopes surrounding the Rest and Be Thankful road (A83) in Scotland are plagued by landslides that regularly close this critical arterial route. Forest Research and Forestry & Land Scotland sought an innovative solution to stabilise the main slip sites by replanting with native birch trees. The terrain was exceptionally challenging—steep, mountainous, and nowhere was level—making traditional human or ground machinery access impossible or highly dangerous.
Solution
Precision Seeding by Drone
AutoSpray Systems was commissioned to use the XAG P40 spreading drone for aerial seeding of fine birch seed. The team first had to construct a temporary take-off and landing shelf on the mountain side. The drone was essential for its RTK positioning and terrain-tracking capability, which kept it at a constant, precise height above the constantly changing surface. The drone’s auto-resume functionality ensured that coverage was even, as it records the exact point where the hopper empties and returns to that spot after a refill.
Result
Millions of Seeds Planted
The project successfully distributed over 20 million seeds precisely across the difficult terrain. With an estimated 1% germination rate, this could result in over 200,000 new birch trees dedicated to stabilising the critical mountain slopes. This project was a powerful demonstration of the drone’s resilience, safety, and unique ability to deliver large-scale restoration and infrastructure protection in the most challenging environments without any human risk or ground disturbance.
- Birch Seeds Distributed 20 Million
- Targeted New Birch Trees +200,000
Project Partners
