Facilities
Our new facilities are expanding our research capacity, with a focus on being able to understand and protect our environment and working towards the global challenge of reconciling the exploitation of natural resources with conservation. We are in an outstanding position to support a current generation of researchers tackling both basic and applied questions and seeking solutions to global challenges, from biodiversity loss to pollution and environmental change.
SCENE’s new research wing (costing £3.6m) opened in 2007, as the first part of a £7m re-development to enhance both our research and teaching capabilities. With improved amenities such as a molecular laboratory, sample storage facilities and additional office and living accommodation for visiting researchers and support staff, this has significantly increased research capacity at SCENE. Together with the new teaching wing under construction, we are creating state-of-the art facilities supporting the scientific understanding of our environment, how it works and how we can best protect it.
As a purpose built field station, SCENE offers residential accommodation for visiting groups and high quality accommodation for researchers. Training facilities include a well equipped lecture and laboratory space (for up to 45), teaching aids and field sampling equipment. Our research facilities include wet and dry laboratory space, aquarium systems and access to a wide range of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. In-house boat handlers and a variety of craft provide effortless access to Scotland's largest loch. We have high quality residential overnight accommodation including 2 apartments for researchers and 8 single-occupancy en-suite bedrooms. In total, we can host groups of up to 45, in addition to faculty. On-site high quality catering is provided to visiting field courses. The station can also cater for small workshops and seminar groups looking for a field location for a meeting (with accommodation as required); it can be booked for any length of time from a half day to several weeks.
In-house facilities
- Fully equipped wet and dry laboratories
- Constant temperature chambers
- Fish holding units
- Observation tanks
- Video recording and analysis equipment
- Artificial streams
- Technical support
- Local workshop
- Vehicles
- Full range of OS maps and bathymetric charts
- Field genetics facility
- Datasets
Field sampling
- Suite of aquatic and terrestrial sampling equipment
- 8 metre research vessel
- Portable, inflatable boat
- 6.5 metre research vessel
- 4 metre RIB speedboat
- Portable, inflatable boat
- Landrover (for off-road sites)
- Technically qualified staff (boat handling, animal handling etc)
Office
- Fully equipped office space, including broadband internet access
- Administrative support
- Library
Living spaces
- En-suite single rooms with communal kitchen and sitting room
- Apartments for researchers
- Multiple occupancy bedrooms
- Self-contained suites with beautiful views over the Dubh Loch and Ben Lomond
- Freshwater lochs and rivers
- Broadleaf and coniferous woodlands
- Mountain and moorland
- Loch Lomond islands
- Agricultural pastureland