Hutton’s Tercentenary

We mark the tercentenary of the birth of James Hutton, who is described as the "Father of Modern Geology". Read more

Simon Reeve RSGS Honorary Fellowship

Adventurer and presenter Simon Reeve visited RSGS HQ in Perth last week ahead of his sold-out event at Perth Concert Hall, to be presented with RSGS Honorary Fellowship. Read more

Sir David Attenborough: A Natural Celebration

On Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday, we share an insight into his incredible life and career and his connections to RSGS. Read more

Our Social Contract

RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson reflects on the idea of a social contract - that those who have benefitted from society should pay it forward to younger generations. Read more

A tribute to our friend Doug Allan

We were deeply saddened to hear about the recent death of our friend Doug Allan. Read more

Greenland Science Week: Making Science Matter

Lokesh Jain writes for The Geographer about his experience at Greenland Science Week. Read more

‘Eager for the Air’: the women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary

On International Women's Day we share the extraordinary story of the pioneering women aviators of the Air Transport Auxiliary, who ferried aircraft across Britain, from Tiger Moths to Spitfires and heavy bombers for the war effort - often flying alone, without radios, and in all kinds of weather. Read more

Planetary Boundaries and Ecocide

RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson reflects on the nine planetary boundaries, how we encourage action to prevent their degradation, and whether the current proposed Ecocide Bill is the answer. Read more

Reflecting on the legacy of our early polar explorers

Scotland has a long and proud history of glaciology and polar research, punching far beyond its weight in the international research community. This perhaps stems from our love as a nation for our mountains and a somewhat wild determination to embrace the outdoors - whatever the weather! Read more

Professor Johan Rockström Coppock Research Medallist

We were delighted to have the opportunity to present Professor Johan Rockström with the RSGS Coppock Research Medal, which is presented in recognition of an outstanding contribution to geographical knowledge through research and publication. Read more

Ecocide law: the missing climate solution?

This week Members of the Scottish Parliament will consider an Ecocide Bill, legislation to give high level protection to nature. It is one of those pieces of legislation which seems so simple and obvious that it’s more of a surprise that something like it doesn’t already exist, but with long understood climate and nature crises, it is long overdue. Read more

My Very Last Patient on the Perito Moreno Glacier

Ahead of the upcoming edition of The Geographer themed on the cryosphere, RSGS Volunteer Sam Chakraverty recalls a glacier adventure that took an unexpected turn, testing his skills and courage as a doctor on Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier. Read more

Perth’s Twin City of Haikou

To mark the Chinese New Year 2026, which lasts from 17th February to 3rd March, the RSGS Collections Team take a look at Perth’s Chinese Twin-Town of Haikou. Read more

A Year of Empathy: Looking back on 2025 at RSGS

As we approach the end of another year, we take a moment to reflect on everything our small charity has achieved in 2025. Read more

Growing Frustration

Agriculture is not just a vital industry, but is also one of the most significant sectors in terms of emissions in Scotland, responsible for nearly 20% of greenhouse gases. For the previous 10 years, since 2009 the sector had done very little to tackle its emissions, and in 2019 there was a recognition from the farming community, as well as government and other industries that agriculture needed to step up and start to make inroads. Read more

Where Christmas Day is Late Every Year: The Island of Foula in Shetland

Foula is one of the remotest inhabited islands in the UK, but it also has a particularly unique trait- it is the only place in the UK that celebrates Christmas and New Year on a different day, based on the old Julian calendar. Read more

Dame Jacinda Ardern RSGS Shackleton Medal

Dame Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, was presented with the prestigious Shackleton medal, in recognition of her outstanding example of compassion in global leadership. Read more

Ros Atkins RSGS Shackleton Medal

RSGS awarded its prestigious Shackleton Medal to Ros Atkins, for his measured and evidence based reporting, helping highlight truth and science in an age of disinformation. As the BBC’s “explainer-in-chief” Ros represents, some of the best of public service journalism. Read more

Isobel Wylie Hutchison and the letter from a ‘ghost ship’

In 1933, explorer Isobel Wylie Hutchison found herself icebound off the Alaskan coast, writing to her sister on paper salvaged from a rather extraordinary place - the ghost ship Baychimo. Read more

An Interview with Libby Penman

We speak to wildlife filmmaker Libby Penman who will be joining the line-up for RSGS's December event A Wild Night In, alongside Gordon Buchanan, Mandi Stark and Doug Allan. Read more

"Solid blocks of ice flying around”: the hazards of living at the Ben Nevis Observatory

Writer-in-Residence Jo Woolf investigates what it was like to live at the Ben Nevis Observatory. Read more

Deep-Sea mining and ocean protection

Director of the Seabed Mining Project Julian Jackson looks at growing international efforts to protect the ocean, recent developments at the UN Ocean Conference, and the mounting debate over whether deep-sea mining should move forward. Read more

Letter from America

Bill McKibben considers recent environmental setbacks in the U.S. alongside growing global momentum for clean energy, which is cheaper and more powerful than ever. He calls for global leadership and collective action, including a new event called “SunDay” to promote a clean energy future. Read more