Has anybody seen one of these before?
I was doing a run on the Glenfiddich estate the other week that involved running through the tracks that form part of the Dorenell wind farm and I passed five of these things. The first two went off (blue flashing lights, siren etc) as I went past but the next three didn't. Maybe coincidence or maybe somebody in a monitoring station somewhere clocked me and turned them off. They were a bit annoying/intimidating but I figured that I had every right to be there so just ignored them. Wondering why they were put there though.
Ooh. I might have to go take a look and run a few loops.
I wonder if they have some work planned/going on and just want to know if there are any stravaigers around to be aware of. I've certainly seen them used as site security in other locations. I suspect the "Police" bit is a bluff.
Exterminate!
Yeah, I saw a couple installed at the perimeter of a small construction compound near Aldeburgh last summer, one is just visible on the left in this photo. I think it was work related to power transmission, perhaps somehow linked with the preparatory works for Sizewell-C in this case.
Exterminate!
Yes, there was definitely a bit of that vibe going on. Especially when you come across one in the middle of nowhere as a storm is brewing 😀
I wonder if they have some work planned/going on and just want to know if there are any stravaigers around to be aware of.
I've lived here nearly 30 years now and still had to look that one up. "someone who wanders, strolls, or roams about aimlessly or casually" That sums up my trail running pretty well 😀
I'm guessing they've either had stuff nicked from the site or had neds using the access roads as racetracks.
I'm sure the police bit is a bluff (or at least it goes to a control centre who could then contact the police) but the whole thing is rather at odds with the agreement that I though was reached when permission was given for the windfarm to improve access to the estate for recreational use. To be fair, they have done a bit of work improving trails and adding signs on other parts of the estate but it's not exactly welcoming when blue lights and sirens go off as you jog past one of these.
Yeah, I saw a couple installed at the perimeter of a small construction compound near Aldeburgh
Yes, that does look exactly the same. Thanks. So not just a thing up here then I guess.
If you're on a ROW or equivalent, and not up to no good, nowt to really worry about.
Looking at the ASEL label, it says 'when activated may call the police' which sounds a bit different to 'this is monitored by the police ' so I'd guess it's private security not law enforcement.
I suspect the "Police" bit is a bluff.
In the context of the sentence the word is part of maybe not. These things look a bit like R2D2 but they're not autonomous. The device isn't going to call the police - it's basically just a self-contained CCTV camera for use in locations that are off-grid. The notice is just advising you that someone is monitoring the site.
Where you typically see them during periods of temporary work in areas where heavy plant is in use and needs to be left on site over night / weekends etc. Work such as......
they have done a bit of work improving trails and adding signs on other parts of the estate
If its a wind farm I'd image copper theft will be a concern too. Its basically an alternative to having to have some poor hapless security guard sit there all day and night
It's not there to monitor or repel or intimidate anyone - not least given what you've decribed as work to improve access and signage. Its there to protect the assets needed to do that work.
If you turn it upside down the full terms and conditions are written on the bottom. Something about having 21 seconds to comply. Also inside theres the deathstar plans and some small print about a small 2m wide thermal exhaust port
Surprised you've not seen them before?
They are absolutely everywhere down here, from farmyards, to building sites, to forestry work, to empty office car-parks.
They'll just be there because either someone's risk assessment says they need to monitor the site to make sure people aren't putting themselves in danger (boy racers or 'urban explorers'), or to satisfy insurers to prevent people just stealing equipment / materials.
I guess they are like grey squirrels then; taking their time to migrate north 😀
I’m no fan of the surveillance society but judging from the scrotes round here I can see they might be needed - illegal hare coursing, deer coursing, damaging farmland, stealing farm equipment. Joys of country life.
Get yourself a black and white horizontally striped jumper, a black beret, black trousers and a black over the shoulder sack,maybe even a swirly felt tip drawn mustache. Then tip toe past it, maybe tip toe out the bushes, look directly at it and tip toe back in again.
Get yourself a black and white horizontally striped jumper, a black beret, black trousers and a black over the shoulder sack,maybe even a swirly felt tip drawn mustache...
I don't think the estate owners are overly concerned about unlicensed French onion sellers
They'll just be there because either someone's risk assessment says they need to monitor the site
This, last time I came across one it was stood next to some forestry management equipment at CYB. They're pretty common
"Those are typically wildfire / anti-arson surveillance units used on remote moorland and forestry trails in Scotland." said the AI bot.
The unit in your photo appears to be supplied or monitored by ASEL, a Scottish security/alarm company.
In recent years, estates and forestry operators in parts of:
- the Highlands
- Cairngorms
- Borders
- grouse moors
…have increased use of these because wildfires on peat moorland can become extremely serious and hard to reach quickly.
There's a solar farm near me where those things have appeared recently. One of them is positioned so that it sets off when I ride along the footpath definitely bridleway near the fence. Feels rather dystopian, being on a public right of way and being warned off by a machine. Though did give me a laugh as it reminded me a bit of this;
Time to organise some fun with locals - regular passers by who are wearing a dinosaur inflatable costume, then a picachu costume, a streaker, running backwards, crawling past, pop up rave for 5 mins the dark complete with disco lights etc...
Reminds me...
My Dad had a sign on his shop saying he had a silent alarm. He wrote on the sign in black pen "direct to the police!"
It was a very effective deterrent, as the shop was never burglar after that sign went up 🤭
I've seen those in the south east in (closed) car parks/bits of wood where they've parked up logging vehicles. They make a hell of a noise when you walk up to see what they are.
Given the number of wind turbines they've installed on the Glenfiddich Estate, it doesn't come as a surprise. I lived for a short while in Glenrinnes, the next glen over and the estate decided they'd make it as difficult as possible to get there, despite there being a number of tracks - freshly locked gates and 8ft ladder styles aren't much fun with a dog or a bike. They also removed a number of bridges too making it fun to be riding along and suddenly finding a 20 foot gap impeding progress.
I'm sure the police bit is a bluff (or at least it goes to a control centre who could then contact the police)
I’ve seen them on various sites where the business has shut down, and been fenced off, so they’ve been set up in case of vandalism and/or fly tipping. A local gamekeeper who lived on a lane running between crop fields has a couple of cameras set up to record number plates to tag fly tippers and hare coursers, I had a chat with him one evening when he pulled up in front of my car after I’d parked in a field entrance, to try to photograph aurora. He had a night vision camera with him as well.
We have them in our office if there's scheduled maintenance over a weekend that could disrupt power (site has to have working CCTV at all times), I can confirm the alarm is insanely loud within the confines of an office room.
