Royal Scottish Geographical Society - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

style="font-size: larger;" | **Royal Scottish Geographical Society**

Established	1884
Abbreviation	RSGS
Patron	Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
President	The Rt Hon The Earl of Lindsay
Vice Presidents	HRH The Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... The Viscount of Arbuthnott John Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott John Campbell Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott, is a Scottish peer, and was Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire... KT CBE DSC MA FRSE FRSA FRICS FRSGS Professor V B Proudfoot OBE BA PhD FSA FRSE FRSGS Professor W Ritchie OBE BSc PhD FRSE FRICS FRSGS Lord Nickson KBE DL Lord Wilson of Tillyorn KT GCMG
Chairman	J Barrie Brown
Vice-Chairman	Bruce M Gittings BSc MSc FSAScot
Location	Perth Perth, Scotland Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Members	2,500
Income
Staff	4 full-time, 1 part-time, numerous volunteers
Homepage	www.rsgs.org

The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is a learned society

Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...

founded in 1884 and based in Perth

Perth, Scotland

Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...

. The Society has a membership of 2500 and aims to advance the science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

of geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

worldwide by supporting education, research, expeditions, through its journal (the Scottish Geographical Journal), its newsletter (the Geographer) and other publications.

The Society operates fourteen regional centres across Scotland which are the focus for a high-profile programme of more than one hundred illustrated talks annually; namely at Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

, Airdrie

Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...

, Ayr

Ayr

Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...

, Dumfries

Dumfries

Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...

, Dundee

Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...

, Dunfermline

Dunfermline

Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...

, Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, Scottish Borders

Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...

, Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Helensburgh

Helensburgh

Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....

, Inverness

Inverness

Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...

, Kirkcaldy

Kirkcaldy

Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...

, Perth

Perth, Scotland

and Stirling

Stirling

Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...

. Based on its expertise and library, the Society also provides a service intended to answer geographical queries about Scotland and beyond.

The RSGS provides a uniquely Scottish flavour, with particular interests in working with Scottish Universities and educators in developing the discipline worldwide. This is distinguished from the Royal Geographical Society

Royal Geographical Society

The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...

, which although with a United Kingdom-wide remit, focuses on England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

and Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

The Royal Scottish Geographical Society Library is held and maintained by the University of Strathclyde

University of Strathclyde

The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...

and the Society also holds a significant map and photography collections (at least 200,000 items), together with a substantial archive dating back to its foundation, all of which are subject to a Heritage Lottery

National Lottery (United Kingdom)

The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...

-funded project called Images for All which aims to record, list online and to broaden access to this material.

Now housed within the Lord John Murray House in Perth, the Society was formerly based the Graham Hills Building of the University of Strathclyde (1994 - 2008), and before that had in its own premises at 10 Randolph Crescent in Edinburgh.

History

The originator of the idea for a national society of geography in Scotland was John George Bartholomew

John George Bartholomew

John George Bartholomew FRSE was a British cartographer and geographer. As a holder of a royal warrant, he used the title "Cartographer to the King"; for this reason he was sometimes known by the epithet "the Prince of Cartography".Bartholomew's longest lasting legacy is arguably naming the...

, of the Bartholomew map-making company in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

. Bartholomew felt that there was a low quality of map craftsmanship within Britain and a lack of geographical societies as compared with the rest of Europe, and set out to investigate the situation in other countries, particularly in Germany. As a result of this he began work in establishing a geographical society for Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

Bartholomew was assisted by Mrs A.L. Bruce, the daughter of the explorer David Livingstone

David Livingstone

David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...

. She herself was a keen geographer, with a particular interest in Africa. They sought the support of Professor James Geikie

James Geikie

James Geikie was a Scottish geologist.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of James Stuart Geikie and younger brother of Sir Archibald Geikie...

, Professor of Geology at the University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...

. Geikie had a keen interest in the advancement in geographical research and teaching, willingly giving his support to the project, and in December 1884 The Scottish Geographical Society (S.G.S.) was established. Recruiting members from many of Edinburgh's most prominent men and women, the Society managed to establish support from influential quarters. Whereas the Royal Geographical Society

Royal Geographical Society

The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...

took its membership from the leisured rich of London and those of a military or governmental background with a desire to travel, the S.G.S. membership was more diverse, with members from scientific and academic backgrounds, providing a broader yet more intellectual emphasis to its aims, as well as members of the general public, who joined more through interest or knowledge of the new discoveries than from any real interest in their own country.

The aims of the Society were diverse, yet exploration was seen as having less emphasis than research and education. The first edition of the Scottish Geographical Magazine stated: -

"... it is therefore one of the first objectives of the Scottish Geographical Society to advance the study of geography in Scotland: to impress the public with the necessity and inestimable value of a thorough knowledge of geography in a commercial, scientific or political education."

Again the SGS differed from the RGS, where the SGS concentrated on education and research, the RGS stressed exploration and discovery, and the gathering together and dissemination of information from such activities. These differences could be attributed to the membership of each society. The SGS was founded at that point in the nineteenth century when the scientific climate prevailing in Scotland, and in particular Edinburgh, influenced the direction of the Society's goals and activities. With many academics as members, education and research were always going to be important issues, whereas with the RGS a member-base consisting of servicemen and civil servants trained in the classics pushed their work in a differing direction.

At that time Edinburgh was the focus of geography within Scotland, with an active and lively scientific community from within which the seeds of a more balanced and scientific approach to geography would emerge. Yet, within a year of its foundation, the Scottish Geographical Society had established branches in Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow to cater for the strong local interest and active participation in its work. This contrasted with the approach of the RGS which had, in its first 50 years, made no attempt to expand its activities outwith London.

Chief amongst the RSGS's early achievements were its support for the quietly successful Scottish National Antarctic Expedition

Scottish National Antarctic Expedition

The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition , 1902–04, was organised and led by William Speirs Bruce, a natural scientist and former medical student from the University of Edinburgh. Although overshadowed in prestige terms by Robert Falcon Scott's concurrent Discovery Expedition, the SNAE completed...

(1902-04), and the establishment of Scotland's first professorial chair in Geography

Geography

, at the University of Edinburgh.

Membership

Membership of RSGS is open to all, regardless of geographical location. Members are entitled to free attendance at most Royal Scottish Geographical Society Illustrated Talks, which are held at RSGS Regional Centres throughout Scotland. Members receive the Scottish Geographical Journal, the Society's learned periodical, and The Geographer, the Society's quarterly members magazine, free of charge, and are entitled to use the Society's research collections, including its library, from which books may be borrowed, and its map and photograph collections, which may be consulted by prior arrangement with the Curator. Other benefits include excursions and field trips, travel offers and competitions.

There are eight categories of membership:

Joint Membership (Two adults and two children)

Single Membership (Single Adult)

Overseas Membership

Student and Under-25 Membership

School, College, or Student Society Membership

Scottish Association of Geography Teachers (SAGT) Joint Membership

Life Membership

Professional Associateship

Fellows of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (FRSGS)

See List of Honorary Fellows and List of Fellows.

Douglas Allan
Douglas Allan
Douglas Alexander Allan, CBE, FRSGS, FRSE, FHWC, FMA was director of the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh, from 1945-1961.After studying geology at the University of Edinburgh, Allan took part in the William Speirs Bruce expeditions to Spitsbergen, and acted as assistant in the University...
Hamish Brown
Hamish Brown
Hamish Brown M.B.E. is a professional writer, lecturer and photographer specialising in mountain and outdoor topics. He is best known for his walking exploits in the Scottish Highlands, having completed multiple rounds of the Munros and being the first person to walk all the Munros in a single trip...
Duncan Vernon Pirie
Duncan Vernon Pirie
Duncan Vernon Pirie OBE FRSGS JP DL was a Scottish Liberal politician.The eldest son of Gordon Pirie, of Château de Varennes, France, and Valentine, daughter of Comte J. Rousseau de Labrosse, he was educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond and at Clifton College...
William Grant Stairs
William Grant Stairs
William Grant Stairs was a Canadian-British explorer, soldier, and adventurer who had a leading role in two of the most controversial expeditions in the history of the colonisation of Africa.-Education:...
Lord Wilson of Tillyorn

Presidents of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

1885-1891: The Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...

KG KT
1891-1894: The Duke of Argyll KG KT
1894-1898: The Marquess of Lothian KT
1898-1904: John Murray
John Murray (oceanographer)
Sir John Murray KCB FRS FRSE FRSGS was a pioneering Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist.-Early life:...

KCB
1904-1910: James Geikie
James Geikie
James Geikie was a Scottish geologist.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of James Stuart Geikie and younger brother of Sir Archibald Geikie...

DCL LLD FRS
1910-1914: The Earl of Stair
1914-1916: The Duke of Buccleuch KT
1916-1919: Lord Guthrie LLD
1919-1925: Lord Salvesen PC
1925-1930: The Viscount Novar
Ronald Munro-Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar
Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar KT GCMG PC , was a Scottish politician and colonial governor. He served as the sixth Governor-General of Australia , and is considered as probably the most politically influential holder of this post...

KT GCMG
1930-1934: The Lord Elphinstone
Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone
Sidney Herbert Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone and 2nd Baron Elphinstone KT was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:...

KT
1934-1937: Lord Polwarth CBE
1937-1942: The Earl of Rosebery
Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery
Albert Edward Harry Meyer Archibald Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery and 2nd Earl of Midlothian , known by his third name of Harry, was a UK politician who briefly served as Secretary of State for Scotland in 1945...

KT
1942-1946: D'Arcy Thomson Kt CB
1946-1950: Alan G. Ogilvie OBE
1950-1954: John Bartholomew MC JP FRSGS
1954-1958: Douglas A. Allan CBE LLD DSc PhD FRSE FRSGS
1958-1962: The Earl of Wemyss and March
David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss
Francis David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss and 8th Earl of March, KT, DL succeeded his grandfather in the family titles in 1937....

LLD DL
1962-1968: The Hon. Lord Cameron DSC MA LLB LLD DL
1968-1974: The Rt.Hon. Lord Balerno CBE TD MA DSc
1974-1977: Professor Ronald Miller MA PhD FRSE FRSGS
1977-1983: Professor J. Wreford Watson MA PhD LLD FRSC FRSE FRSGS
1983-1987: The Viscount of Arbuthnott
John Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott
John Campbell Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott, is a Scottish peer, and was Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire...

DSC MA FRSA FRICS
1987-1993: John C. Bartholomew MA FRSE FRGS
1993-1999: Viscount Younger of Leckie
George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie
George Kenneth Hotson Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie KT KCVO TD PC was a British politician and banker....

KT KCVO TD DL
1999-2005: The Earl of Dalkeith KBE DL
2005- The Earl of Lindsay

External links

List of Fellows
Official website
The Gazetteer for Scotland Supported by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Images for All Project
Awards and Medals

History

Membership

Fellows of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (FRSGS)

Presidents of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

External links

See also