Powerful insights

Delivering powerful insights

SCL provides a wide range of technical services to the UK’s land managers, with a strong focus on conservation.

SCL provides a wide range of advisory and monitoring services to the UK’s land managers.

Countryside

The complexities of modern environmental planning

We have a keen interest in landscape-scale environmental planning projects, and offer a range of consultancy services to facilitate the process.

Water

The value of consultation & mediation

We provide services that help bring landowners, public bodies and communities together to achieve common goals.

Deer population

How to manage wild deer?

We offer a wide range of deer management support services, including abundance estimation, population modelling, cull setting and management planning.

Excavator

Award winning research and development

Our peatland research and experimental trials have achieved wide recognition amongst the government agencies for their quality. In November 2015, our work was recognised with a Nature of Scotland Award from the RSPB.

Map

The power of digital mapping

SCL has expert in-house GIS capability to support all aspects of work that we undertake for our clients.

Waterfall

The importance of our water resources

SCL has the expertise and equipment to deliver a wide range of hydrological services to our clients, including hydropower assessment and river gauging.

Sphagnum

SCL offers a range of integrated services to evaluate the condition of peatlands on development and conservation sites.

The prospects for Scotland's peatlands

newsam

Delivering science on the ground

Why not look at our blog? It is updated regularly and describes the wide spectrum of services we offer our clients.

Windfarm

Delivering science for onshore windfarms

We deliver a wide range of services to our clients in the wind energy sector, from scoping through construction to operations.

Construction

Environmental monitoring on construction sites

Our staff hold Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards, have a First Aid at Work certificate and are trained to work under CDM regulations. SCL is registered with Achilles.

Capercaillie droppings

How to count animals in concealing habitats?

SCL has developed a wide range of indirect methods to quantify woodland animal abundance.

Peat Surveyor

Studying earth surface processes

SCL has expertise in upland geomorphology, and offers specialist technical services across a range of habitats including blanket bogs.

Pile Dam

Protecting and restoring our peatlands

SCL has wide ranging experience in developing blanket bog restoration methods and monitoring the outcomes after treatment work is complete.

Surveyor

Recruiting and retaining professional staff

Our staff are our greatest asset, and we’ve been an Investor in People for over 12 years.

Wood stack

Securing the future supply of UK timber

SCL delivers a range of survey and monitoring services in commercial forests including stocking density and crop inventory.

Heather

Assessing complex plant communities

SCL has a long history of involvement in plant ecology and is experienced in a wide range of site survey methods and monitoring techniques.

Woodland

Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) now offer a Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) for deer management planning, based on the deer abundance survey techniques we developed.

Ways to improve your woodland

Dragonfly

The benefits of detailed scientific study

SCL offers a wide range of animal ecology services, with a focus on delivering high precision monitoring to help our clients make informed decisions.

Innovation

Innovation: exploring new ideas

We have the capability and facilities to design and manufacture bespoke monitoring equipment.

Impacts

How do herbivores impact on habitats?

We investigate the impact that mammals have in all types of woodlands and open range habitats, often using a formal experimental approach.

Deer

Estimating deer population size

20 years of research and development by SCL has resulted in development of a high precision field method to estimate deer abundance in woodlands.

Sphagnum

Advanced eco-hydrological studies

Through expertise in hydrology and ecology, SCL can deliver a range of services designed to help our clients understand the processes at work on peatlands and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

Established 1998

Established in 1998

SCL has spent almost 20 years developing high quality, custom-designed environmental monitoring schemes in the uplands for our long-term industrial partners.

Reindeer

Grazing animals and their environment

We have expertise in quantifying grazing impact across a wide range of habitats and animal species.

Leaf

Scientific and technical review

Our staff have a critical scientific eye and are experienced in the field of technical review.

Broadleaf

The value of our native woodlands

SCL assesses new land for woodland establishment, designs & oversees planting programs and can deliver condition assessments through the life cycle of a new woodland.

SCL can assess new land for woodland establishment, design & oversee planting and deliver woodland condition assessment.

Weir box

Continual review

Over the last 17 years, we have continued to learn from the challenging work we undertake, and are constantly trying to find new ways of adapting or improving our techniques.

Over the last 17 years, we have continued to learn from the challenging work we undertake and are constantly trying to find new ways of adapting or improving our techniques.

Thuidium

Understanding the importance of detail

SCL has an in-depth understanding of all aspects of experimental design, statistical analysis and field craft, enabling us to deliver a wide range of high precision monitoring techniques to clients.