Our Heritage

For over 135 years, the RSGS has worked with and celebrated some of the most outstanding individuals in the fields of science, exploration, education and communication. And we have been engaged in many of the critical issues and concerns of the day, from mapping and exploration to town planning, flooding and national parks.

Latest

Chalk Talks

Free, virtual geography lessons for students at home. Each video will summarise topics in the Scottish Geography curriculum, from glaciers to coasts, cities to deserts, and everything in between.
Doug Scott: Seeking the High Places

A tribute to the Everest mountaineer and pioneer of alpine-style climbing, who died in December 2020, written by RSGS Writer-in-Residence, Jo Woolf.
An Evening with Jonathon Porritt

Environmentalist and author Johnathan Porritt considers whether this moment, early in 2021, is an important 'inflection point' for the human race. ...
Professor Danny Dorling - The Geography of Slowdown

Academic geographer Danny Dorling uses a mass of global data to reveal that human progress is slowing. Not only have fertility and productivity fallen over the last couple of generations, but so have the overall rates of production and of innovation. Fortunately, this slowdown is good for our civilization...

Departing the Island on 'The Edge of the World’

"Ninety years ago, on August 29, 1930, the last 36 residents of St Kilda were evacuated. Huddled on HMS Harebell they were conveyed from Village Bay on Hirta to mainland Scotland." Writes Collections Volunteer, Kenny Maclean FRSGS.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland: An Interview

After 14 years, Mike Robinson stepped down from the charity coalition he established: Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. In this interview with Jo Woolf, he speaks about his lifelong passion for environmental issues and his hopes for the future.
Shackleton at the RSGS: A Sketch

This is an attempt to explain why there are no newspaper cuttings in the RSGS archives from early 1904 until late 1905. This is approximately the length of Shackleton’s tenure as Secretary...
What an Emergency Looks Like

"In the case of coronavirus, despite some amount of confusion, at least we now know what an emergency response looks like," writes Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of RSGS.
Hamish MacInnes: ‘the Fox of Glen Coe’

"MacInnes will be fondly remembered for his independent spirit, altruism, courage, modesty, and not least for his sense of humour. Thousands of people owe their lives to him, either directly via rescue missions, or through safety equipment and training. While he loved all mountains, his heart was in Scotland"
COP26 Postponed

"Postponing the relevant UN COPs was inevitable, but we need to see them as essential pre-planning, and re-schedule them as soon as circumstance allows," writes Mike Robinson, RSGS Chief Executive.
Erskine Beveridge: the Dunfermline Geographer

"Beveridge's photographs could be dismissed as a romantic view of Scotland but, as well as castles and mountains, they also capture a historical geography and social history..." writes Bruce Gittings FRSGS
An Interview with Levison Wood

“It’s about showing what a region is really like through the eyes of the people who live there.” Explorer Levison Wood speaks to RSGS Writer-in-Residence, Jo Woolf.
The Climate Emergency: One Year On

"Although coronavirus is quite rightly dominating our thoughts and immediate concerns, the climate emergency hasn't gone away." An interview with Mike Robinson and Professor Dave Reay.
An Interview with Calum Maclean

For our Young Geographer magazine published in 2019, our team of Editors sat down with BBC presenter and wild-swimmer Calum Maclean. The magazine article was published in Gaelic, but we're pleased to share the English version online!