Our History

The National Collection of Aerial Photography, held by RCAHMS, is one of the largest and most significant collections of aerial imagery in the world.  It is an invaluable resource for historical research across a wide range of disciplines.

Scotland Archives

The National Collection contains the largest and most significant collection of historic and contemporary aerial imagery of Scotland.  It holds imagery declassified by the UK Ministry of Defence, released by the Ordnance Survey, commissioned by the Scottish Government and sourced from a number of aerial survey companies. It also holds imagery from the RCAHMS Aerial Survey programme.

Find out more about the history and development of the Scotland Archives.

The Aerial Reconnaissance Archives (TARA)

The National Collection also contains The Aerial Reconnaissance Archives (TARA) - millions of military reconnaissance images of locations throughout the world declassified by the UK Ministry of Defence. The archives range from Second World War Allied and German Luftwaffe reconnaissance photographs to Cold War imagery.  TARA images offer an unparalleled record of history as it happened, from imagery of the DDAY landings to the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Find out more about the history and development of TARA.