Details of our latest Discovery Day in September, themed on the 1953 Everest Expedition, and this year's Doors Open Day. Speakers for our Inspiring People talks programme ahead of the full line-up. Reflection on our recent sold-out event with Rory Stewart FRSGS. And latest RSGS Honorary Fellows David Hope-Jones and Laura Cook.
Discovery Day: Everest 70th Saturday 2nd September
Following our very successful Discovery Days themed on Ernest Shackleton in May, this September RSGS is offering a specially curated tour around the Fair Maid's House in Perth, inspired by the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Everest expedition. Expect to hear stories of adventure and be shown rarely seen pieces from RSGS archives related to some of the greats of Everest and Himalayan exploration.
Each tour is two hours long, and you will hear from all four of our expert speakers:
From Himalayan Peaks to Perth: RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson tells a brief history of Himalayan mountaineering and RSGS's connection to some of the region’s most famous expeditions.
Summitting the Giant: Adventure filmmaker and cinematographer Keith Partridge offers a personal insight into climbing Everest and how he took inspiration from some of the all-time greats of mountain exploration.
Mapping Mount Everest: The RSGS Collections Team share the challenges of putting Everest on the map; with items from RSGS collections depicting how intrepid map makers undertook the incredible task of surveying the Himalayas.
A Prodigious White Fang: RSGS Writer-in-Residence Jo Woolf looks at stories shared by early climbers (and aviators!) who took on the epic challenge of Everest, with reference to original images and documents in RSGS collections. Including images from the first flight over Everest.
Tickets are £20 per person and there are a limited number of tickets for each tour, so be sure to book online before they sell out!
We are delighted to announce that brochures will soon be posted out to Members with the full line up for our 2023-24 Inspiring People talks! Kicking off the programme on 18th September will be none other than bestselling author Tristan Gooley, who has spent decades hunting for clues and signs in nature across the globe, and has been nicknamed ‘The Sherlock Holmes of Nature’. He helps us discover the simple principles that explain the shapes and patterns we see in trees and what they mean.
We will also be hearing from biologist, conservationist and paramotor pilot Sacha Dench; adventure filmmaker & author Leon McCarron; climber & explorer Anna Taylor; wilderness hiker & author Cameron McNeish; and wildlife filmmaker Mandi Stark.
Tickets are now available for Tristan Gooley's talks in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Kirkcaldy, with tickets for our others speakers being made available in the coming days.
We had a great evening with RSGS Livingstone Medallist Rory Stewart, who spoke to a full house in Perth about his experiences travelling on foot across Afghanistan, the journey that inspired him to write his bestselling book The Places in Between. Rory, who originally hails from Crieff, is perhaps best known for his impressive and wide-ranging career as a politician, academic, writer, adventurer, and co-host of the UK’s leading political podcast, The Rest is Politics.
Wrapping up his talk, Rory commented “thank you to the Royal Scottish Geographical Society which is a very fine institution and has an incredible way of making itself relevant to the modern world...it has found real relevance on climate, the environment, young people, on travel, and I am very grateful to you all for supporting it by coming along.”
David Hope-Jones & Laura Cook Honorary Fellowships
At our event with Rory Stewart, we were delighted to award RSGS Honorary Fellowship to David Hope-Jones, former CEO of the Scotland Malawi Partnership, and Laura Cook, Communications Advisor for The Elders, a group of independent global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights.
During his time at Scotland Malawi Partnership, David made significant contributions towards developing the relationship between these two nations. David played a crucial role in strengthening public support and relationships across Holyrood, Westminster and Malawi’s Parliament.
Laura Cook joined The Elders as a Communications Advisor in 2019, assuming a vital role in leading climate change communication, and elevating intergenerational dialogue within the organisation on the back of a varied and interesting career. Through her role with The Elders, Laura has helped guide and advise some of the world’s most esteemed international figures, such as former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson; and former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.
Doors Open Day 2023 Saturday 16th September
On Saturday 16th September, the Fair Maid's House will once again be taking part in Doors Open Day! This year's theme is 'living heritage' for which the RSGS Collections Team will bring 'a hotchpotch of hand-me-down history', where visitors will get a specialist insight into RSGS map collections and artefacts, and learn about fascinating changes in industry, architecture, communities, frontiers, vegetation and volcanism worldwide. You don't need to book for this event, just come along from 12:30pm - 4:00pm to join in!
