Pupils in remote parts of Scotland could soon have their school meals delivered by drone, in what is believed to be a UK first.

Argyll and Bute Council is working on a trial of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for delivering school meals.

It is Scotland’s second-largest local authority in area - after Highland - and has 23 inhabited islands, the most of any UK authority.

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Most Argyll and Bute schools have on-site kitchens, but providing meals to some rural and remote schools relies on vans, taxis and ferries, with the weather often a factor in whether deliveries can be made in time.

Starting at Oban Airport, the trial involves delivering meals freshly prepared in Park Primary School in Oban to Lochnell Primary, which is about a mile away.

The drone being used has a maximum load of 3 kilogrammes and is operated by the Skyports company. Alex Brown, Skyports’ head of drone deliveries, said this was “clearly not sufficient for feeding a classroom of hungry students” but that the trial marked “an important stage in the development of deliveries of this type” and would “help to pave the way for wider-scale operations”.

All P1-P5 pupils are entitled to free school meals, as are all pupils in the early years, as part of Scotland’s 1,140 funded hours a year policy.

Argyll and Bute Council says drones would help take meals to all remote and island schools, reducing current delivery times and costs. They are also fully electric and so offer a carbon-free mode of transport.

Tes Scotland has asked for more details on how many schools could ultimately benefit from drone deliveries and, if the trial is successful, when this service could be in place.

Robin Currie, leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: ”The possibilities of using UAVs to improve services to our communities is quite staggering.

“Argyll and Bute is the perfect location to test the efficiency of drone technology. We have already seen how drones can deliver essential media supplies to our islands and now we want to make sure all pupils have access to healthy school meals.”

Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Pupils can’t learn and play on empty stomachs, so the ability to deliver nutritious school dinners to remote and island schools in a faster, more cost-effective and reliable way is hugely welcome.”

Skyports will demonstrate the use of drones at the Oban Airport open day on 25 June.

The trial deliveries of school meals by drone are part of plans by the council to create a UAV “innovations logistics hub” at Oban Airport. The council received £170,000 of UK government community renewal funding for a planning application with full design and costings, in order to bid to the UK Levelling Up Fund. Construction of the hub is due to be completed by March 2025.  

The plans build on the £70 million Argyll and Bute Rural Growth Deal proposal, which includes plans for a “vertiport” take-off and landing facility at the airport.