Local residents living in Huntly and the surrounding area are being invited to volunteer one hour of their time to participate in The Macaulay Institute’s “Landscape Research Week”

Taking place from Monday 13 June to Friday 17 June at Stewart’s Hall, Huntly, the aim of the event is to gain an insight into people’s opinions of options for future landscapes and to improve methods of modelling such landscapes.

Professor David Miller from The Macaulay Institute’s Landscape Change Science Area, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people to see, use and react to the very latest technology for exploring different landscape options. Our virtual reality theatre is the first mobile facility of its kind in the UK and the Huntly event is the first time it will be used to involve the wider community in our research programme. We are keen for as many people as possible to come along and take part.”

The Macaulay Institute is looking to attract more than 200 participants, including members of the public, farmers and land management agency staff. Individuals and groups, which are particularly encouraged, are asked to book a time to participate or drop in on the hour between 9am and 8pm each day. Children as well as adults are welcome. School pupils from Drumblade Primary and Gordon Secondary Schools will also be participating from 2pm to 3pm each day.

The focus of the research is the Clashindarroch area, west of Huntly. Three main research projects will form the basis of the week-long study in which local residents are being asked to take part. These will focus on examples of future landscapes, including woodland change and wind turbines.

In each case, volunteers will be asked their opinions on the use of maps and computer visualisations, including ‘walk-throughs’ of virtual reality environments, for assisting in the understanding of changes in landscapes.

There is no charge for attending any part of the events during the week and refreshments will be served. Anyone interested in participating should contact Jane Lund at The Macaulay Institute, on tel: 01224 498200, email: enquiries@macaulay.ac.uk for a timetable of sessions.

Children will be entered in prize draws for the under 18s.

As a thank you for participating, the names of all attendees during the week will be entered in a prize draw. Winners will be notified in the week beginning 22 June. Prizes will include bottles of whisky, cashmere scarves, gift tokens and chocolates.

The Macaulay Institute is the premier land use research institute in the UK. Two hundred and seventy staff are based at the Macaulay Institute at Craigiebuckler in Aberdeen. The Macaulay Institute aims to be an international leader in research on the use of rural land resources for the benefit of people and the environment and is involved in research across the globe; from Scotland to Chile and China. More about the Macaulay Institute can be found at www.macaulay.ac.uk.

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The Macaulay Institute’s Landscape Research Week is based on three main research projects, as follows:

Woodland change – this collaborative project between The Macaulay Institute and Forest Research, which is part funded by the European Commission under the VisuLands project, involves research into the computer modelling and representation of woodland change. Local residents will be asked for their opinions on the use of computer visualisations and maps for assisting in the understanding of changes in woodlands, and a ‘walk-through’ Of the landscape using a virtual reality environment of areas around Clashindarroch.

Wind turbines – The Macaulay Development Trust in collaboration with Heriot Watt University is conducting research into the computer modelling of wind turbines. Local residents will be asked their opinions on the use of interactive computer visualisations for capturing opinions on the siting of wind turbines. (Please note – this is not a part of the official planning process for the proposed Clashindarroch windfarm).

Landscape perception and experience – this project, funded by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, is looking at the effectiveness of computer modelling in representing landscapes compared to the experience gained when really there. Local residents will be asked to experience a ‘walk-through’ of a virtual reality model of an area around Clashindarroch and exchange impressions with a group of people walking through the landscape for real.