ELECTRICAL engineering student Natasha Barton, 20, prepares for planting as she soaks up the sunshine at Edinburgh College's solar meadow.

The five-acre site in Dalkeith, which opened in April last year, has more than 2500 panels harnessing energy from the sun. Construction of the meadow, designed and installed by SSE Energy Solutions, cost £1.2 million and is expected to save the college thousands on energy bills.

Picture: Gordon Terris