The coastline around Stonehaven is one of the north-east’s most popular and frequently photographed areas of natural beauty.
Now, a new initiative will encourage people to snap pictures of the seaside in an effort to tackle the problem of coastal erosion.
A purpose-built camera frame has been set up at the south end of the beachfront road, above the Cowie River, for people to take photos from the same fixed spot.
Images can then be uploaded to a dedicated Facebook page or sent via email, with a date and time, to eventually produce a time-lapse video of how the coastline is evolving.
The “CoastSnap” project is the first scheme of its kind in Scotland, and comes following warnings from experts that the north-east isn’t prepared for the potentially devastating effects of coastal erosion.
Stonehaven has been named as one of the towns which is potentially under threat.
Gavin Penman, Aberdeenshire Council’s projects manager, said: “Natural beaches form the first line of defence against high tides and stormy seas in many coastal towns all over the world.
“As sea levels are predicted to rise and storms get worse, understanding the behaviour of these natural systems has never been more important.
“I would encourage residents and visitors alike to take photographs to help us collect monitoring data.”
Aberdeenshire Council completed a study into the coastal flood and erosion risk within Stonehaven Bay last year.
The new measure has been developed in partnership with JBA Consulting, with the aim of better understanding beach behaviour and informing future decisions on how to best manage erosion.
Douglas Pender, of JBA Consulting, said: “Beach environments are under a variety of pressures, such as climate change and rising sea levels.
“By using this simple approach, it is hoped a vast amount of information can be gained which ultimately provides knowledge for coastal planners and managers.
“We understand this is the first of these coastal monitoring fixings in Scotland and, if the Stonehaven scheme is a successful in evaluating beach movement over time, we may consider other locations.”
More than 2,000 miles of coastline across Scotland is thought to be at risk of erosion through rising sea levels, with accompanying threats to roads and railways.
People can access the initiative via social media at www.facebook.com/CoastSnap-Stonehaven-100594964836035/ or on Twitter via @StonehavenSnap, while pictures can be emailed to to Coastsnap@jbaconsulting.co.uk
