Pupils in some of Scotland’s remotest schools could be having their lunches delivered by drone, if a new trial is a success. In what is thought to be the first move of its kind in the UK, Argyll and Bute Council is teaming up with drone specialists Skyports to trial the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in delivering school meals.
Flying from Oban Airport, the trial will involve drones delivering meals prepared in Park Primary School in the the town to Lochnell Primary, which is also in Oban and is just 1.5km (just under one mile) away. With Argyll and Bute – which is Scotland’s second-largest local authority area – having 23 inhabited islands, council leader Robin Currie said the use of drones could bring “quite staggering” opportunities to improve services.
He said: “We are committed to connecting remote and island communities to vital mainland services. The possibilities of using UAV’s to improve services to our communities is quite staggering. Argyll and Bute is the perfect location to test the efficiency of drone technology.
