The work was carried out in summer 2021 and has delivered a significant improvement in the stability of the osprey nest livestream, as well as a huge reduction in the time required for uploading videos to its network and social media channels. Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre & Wildlife Reserve, near Dunkeld, now benefits from increased content combined with free public Wi-Fi for visitors.
Jamie Clague, Director, Dunedin IT, said, “Loch of the Lowes is a prime example of how leisure and tourism providers can use technology to improve the guest experience beyond simply improving business operations. It wasn’t just about working the card machine in the shop; the reserve uses technology to help people feel connected to nature both onsite and – thanks to the webcam and social media content – from anywhere in the world.”
Loch of the Lowes has relied on technology to bring its wildlife to a larger audience since installing a camera trained on the osprey nest in 2004. However, regular internet outages often shut down the livestream. Slow connection speeds also often required staff to leave their other responsibilities to upload social media content. In addition, the poor internet connection meant that staff could not access membership information or run the till at the gift shop, both important additional sources of income.
Emma Castle-Smith, visitor centre assistant manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust (pictured below) explained, “An important part of our job is to keep people engaged with wildlife, even if they’re unable to visit the reserve. The faster and reliable internet connection means our staff are free to do what we do best: talk about the environment and wildlife on the reserve and help people connect to nature. Thanks to the WiFi throughout the visitor centre and hides, we’re also seeing more visitors share their experience with friends and family online, amplifying interest in Loch of the Lowes and hopefully encouraging more people to feel connected to nature.”
The visitor centre provides an important window into the lives of iconic Scottish wildlife including ospreys, red squirrels and beavers. It helps people feel more connected to nature and learn how they can act to save it.
