The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in

Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, 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. It had a population o ...

founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around them, and provide a source of reliable and impartial geographical information. The RSGS delivers these core aims by producing a quarterly magazine, an annual programme of Inspiring People talks, a research journal, and a range of other publications. From its base in Perth, the society also operates a volunteer-led visitor centre, hosts an array of international exhibitions each year, and curates an archive dating back to its roots in 1884. In addition, by working with partners around Scotland and further afield, the society encourages the teaching of geography in the curriculum, produces classroom resources for teachers, and facilitates thinking on issues such as climate change, city development and transport infrastructure, amongst many others. Between 1904 and 1905, Sir

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age o ...

worked as the secretary of the society before resuming his career as an Antarctic explorer. Sir

Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reache ...

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Dame Freya Stark, Sir

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histo ...

Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson ( ga, Máire Mhic Róibín; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who was the 7th president of Ireland, serving from December 1990 to September 1997, the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her electi ...

and

Karen Darke Karen Darke, , FRSGS (born 25 June 1971) is a British paralympic cyclist, paratriathlete, adventurer and author. She competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics winning Gold in the Women's road time trial, following her success in the 2012 London Par ...

have all received RSGS medals.

Naomi Klein Naomi A. Klein (born May 8, 1970) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses, support of ecofeminism, organized labour, left-wing politics and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism, ecofascism ...

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...

and the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

, among others, have written for their magazine. Since 2009, the society has been housed within Lord John Murray House in Perth; the society's visitor centre is next door in the Fair Maid's House, the oldest secular building in the city. The society was formerly based in the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

from 1994 to 2008, and before that at 10 Randolph Crescent in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

History

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

John George Bartholomew John George Bartholomew (22 March 1860 – 14 April 1920) was a Scottish 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 P ...

, of the Bartholomew family and map-making company in 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 (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

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

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of t ...

. She herself was a keen geographer, with a particular interest in Africa.

Arthur Silva White Arthur Silva White FRSE FRSGS (1859–1932) was a 19th/20th-century British administrator, geographer and travel author. He was a founder of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in December 1884. Life He was born at 2 Hanover Terrace in Ken ...

, an experienced traveller and travel author, was also sought, and served as the Society's Secretary for the first 8 years. They sought the support of Professor

James Geikie James Murdoch Geikie PRSE FRS LLD (23 August 1839 – 1 March 1915) was a Scottish geologist. He was professor of geology at Edinburgh University from 1882 to 1914. Life Education He was born in Edinburgh, the son of James Stuart Geikie ...

, Professor of Geology at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...

. 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. The S.G.S. encouraged members from scientific and academic backgrounds, providing a broad yet 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." The SGS concentrated on education and research, against a backdrop interest in exploration and discovery, and the gathering together and dissemination of information from such activities. 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 important issues to the Society. 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 Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

and

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

to cater for the strong local interest and active participation in its work. Chief amongst the RSGS's early achievements were its support for the quietly successful

Scottish National Antarctic Expedition The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE), 1902–1904, was organised and led by William Speirs Bruce, a natural scientist and former medical student from the University of Edinburgh. Although overshadowed in terms of prestige by R ...

(1902–04), and the establishment of Scotland's first professorship in

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

, at the

Membership

Membership of RSGS is open to all, regardless of geographical location. Member benefits include: * Free attendance at c.90 Illustrated Talks per year which are held at 13 RSGS Local Groups throughout Scotland; * Four editions of The Geographer magazine, per year; * Free access to the Society's learned periodical, Scottish Geographical Journal, online or in hard copy; * Access to 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.

Collections

The Society holds extensive collections of historical and contemporary maps, atlases, books, journals, photographs, film, drawings, paintings, scientific instruments, personal papers, and artefacts, relating to the whole world, but especially to Scotland and the many areas of the world explored and settled by Scots. Items in the collection form a valuable part of Scotland's heritage, often providing the only record of people, places, and events, including unique items such as photographs of early polar exploration, photographs by and of eminent explorers and mountaineers, expedition reports and diaries, and the RSGS's own archive. There is a particularly important collection of early maps of Scotland with the earliest item dating from 1573. While many items are held in the RSGS headquarters in Perth, the majority of books are managed by the Andersonian Library at the

in Glasgow. Films, including unique footage of the Scottish Antarctic Expedition from 1904, are lodged with the

Scottish Screen Archive The Moving Image Archive is a collection of Scottish film and video recordings at the National Library of Scotland, held at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland. There are over 46,000 items within the collection, and over 2,600 of these are publicly a ...

. The Society's collections are managed by an enthusiastic team of volunteers and can be viewed by members by appointment.

Residences

The RSGS began a programme of residency in 2014, bringing on board specialists to help deliver its charitable aims and specific geographic output. The positions are all voluntary.

Explorers-In-Residence

The first Explorer-in-Residence was awarded to

Craig Mathieson Craig Mathieson (born 1971) is an Australian music journalist and writer. His books include, '' Hi Fi Days'' (1996), '' The Sell-In'' in (2000) and the 100 Best Australian Albums in 2010, with Toby Creswell and John O'Donnell Biography Craig ...

, a record-breaking Scottish explorer who established the Polar Academy in 2013, a charity which takes young adults to polar regions in order to improve their confidence. More recently, husband and wife team Luke and Hazel Robertson were the second recipients of the title. As part of their work with the RSGS, the pair travelled to Alaska in 2017 in an attempt to be the first to trek south to north across the country. Unfortunately, the trip ended abruptly just short of the finish line as climate change induced melting of

permafrost Permafrost is ground that continuously remains below 0 °C (32 °F) for two or more years, located on land or under the ocean. Most common in the Northern Hemisphere, around 15% of the Northern Hemisphere or 11% of the global surface ...

halted their progress onward.

Writers-In-Residence

The first Writer-in-Residence was held by poet and author Hazel Buchan Cameron. During her tenure, she worked with young writers to produce creative writing pieces inspired by the RSGS collections. This culminated in an exhibition at Perth Museum in late 2014. The second recipient of the title was Jo Woolf who has brought the stories from RSGS history to life, most notably through the publication of her debut book
The Great Horizon
Published by Sandstone Press in 2017, this book features 50 inspiring stories from some of the most remarkable explorers, scientists and visionaries who have ever lived, all of whom have a connection to the Society. Woolf was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Society in 2018.

Honorary Fellows

Honorary Fellowship, first awarded in 1888, is awarded in recognition of services to the Society and to the wider discipline of geography. Honorary Fellows may use the

post-nominal Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

designation FRSGS after their names. * Adolphus Greely (1890) * Adrien de Gerlache (1900) * Albert I, Prince of Monaco (1891) *

Albrecht Penck Albrecht Penck (25 September 1858 – 7 March 1945) was a German geographer and geologist and the father of Walther Penck. Biography Born in Reudnitz near Leipzig, Penck became a university professor in Vienna, Austria, from 1885 to 1906, a ...

(1899) * Alick Buchanan-Smith (1974) * Angus Buchanan (1924) * Anne Glover (2014) *

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

(1990) * Arthur Jephson (1890) *

(1892) *

Augustus Charles Gregory Sir Augustus Charles Gregory (1 August 1819 – 25 June 1905) was an English-born Australian explorer and surveyor. Between 1846 and 1858 he undertook four major expeditions. He was the first Surveyor-General of Queensland. He was appointed a ...

(1902) *

Aurel Stein Sir Marc Aurel Stein, ( hu, Stein Márk Aurél; 26 November 1862 – 26 October 1943) was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at ...

(1910) * Barbara Young (2012) *

Børge Ousland Børge Ousland (born 31 May 1962) is a Norwegian polar explorer. He was the first person to cross Antarctica solo. He started his career as a Norwegian Navy Special Forces Officer with Marinejegerkommandoen, and he also spent several years wor ...

(2014) *

Boyd Alexander Lieutenant Boyd Alexander (16 January 1873 – 2 April 1910) was an English officer in the British Army, as well as an explorer and ornithologist. Early life Boyd was the oldest son (with a twin brother) of Lt Colonel Boyd Francis Alexander. ...

(1908) * Cameron McNeish (2009) *

Carl Chun Carl Chun (1 October 1852 – 11 April 1914) was a German marine biologist. Chun was born in Höchst, today a part of Frankfurt, and studied zoology at the University of Leipzig, where from 1878 to 1883 he was privat-docent of zoology and an ...

(1900) *

Carsten Borchgrevink Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (1 December 186421 April 1934) was an Anglo-Norwegian polar explorer and a pioneer of Antarctic travel. He inspired Sir Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, and others associated with the Hero ...

(1901) * Charles Cochrane-Baillie (1891) *

Charles Tupper Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, (July 2, 1821 – October 30, 1915) was a Canadian Father of Confederation who served as the sixth prime minister of Canada from May 1 to July 8, 1896. As the premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led ...

(1894) *

Charles W. J. Withers Charles William John Withers, (born 6 December 1954) is a British historical geographer and academic. He has been the Geographer Royal for Scotland since 2015, and held the Ogilvie Chair of Geography at the University of Edinburgh from 1994 to ...

(2010) *

Christopher Smout Thomas Christopher Smout CBE, FBA, FRSE, FSA Scot, FRSGS (born 19 December 1933) is a Scottish academic, historian, author and Historiographer Royal in Scotland. Early life One of the five sons of Arthur Smout, Christopher Smout was educated a ...

(2013) *

Clements Markham Sir Clements Robert Markham (20 July 1830 – 30 January 1916) was an English geographer, explorer and writer. He was secretary of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) between 1863 and 1888, and later served as the Society's president for ...

(1904) * Craig Sams (2012) * Crispin Tickell (1992) *

(2011) * David E. Sugden (2011) *

David Hempleman-Adams Sir David Kim Hempleman-Adams, (born 10 October 1956 in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English industrialist and adventurer. He is the first person to complete the Adventurers Grand Slam, by reaching the Geographic and Magnetic North and South Po ...

(2012) * David Shukman (2013) * Don Cameron (2011) * Doug Allan (2014) *

Doug Scott Douglas Keith Scott (29 May 19417 December 2020) was an English mountaineer, noted for being on the team that made the first ascent of the south-west face of Mount Everest on 24 September 1975. In receiving one of mountaineering's highest hon ...

(2009) *

Ed Stafford Edward James Stafford (born 26 December 1975) is an English Natural history, explorer and survivalist. He holds the ''Guinness World Record'' for being the first human ever to walk the length of the Amazon River. Stafford now hosts shows on the ...

(2011) *

(1911) * Ernst Georg Ravenstein (1889) * Eugenius Warming (1909) *

Frederick Lugard Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard (22 January 1858 – 11 April 1945), known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, mercenary, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator. He was Governor of Hong ...

(1892) * Frederick Roberts (1893) * Georges Lecointe (1900) *

Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor (; October 28, 1875 – February 4, 1966), father of photojournalism, was the first full-time editor of the '' National Geographic'' magazine (1899–1954). Grosvenor is credited with having built the magazine into the ico ...

(1945) *

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...

(2019) * Gustav Hellmann (1909) *

Hamish Brown Hamish Brown M.B.E. FRSGS 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 be ...

(2000) *

Hamish MacInnes Hamish MacInnes (7 July 1930 – 22 November 2020) was a Scottish mountaineer, explorer, mountain search and rescuer, and author. He has been described as the "father of modern mountain rescue in Scotland". He is credited with inventing t ...

(2007) * Henry E. O'Neill (1889) * Henry Ogg Forbes (1900) *

Henry Yule Sir Henry Yule (1 May 1820 – 30 December 1889) was a Scottish Orientalist and geographer. He published many travel books, including translations of the work of Marco Polo and ''Mirabilia'' by the 14th-century Dominican Friar Jordanus. ...

(1889) * Hugh Alexander Webster (1888) *

Isabella Bird Isabella Lucy Bird, married name Bishop (15 October 1831 – 7 October 1904), was a nineteenth-century British explorer, writer, photographer, and naturalist. With Fanny Jane Butler she founded the John Bishop Memorial Hospital in Srinagar i ...

(1890) * James Hunter (2001) * Jason Lewis (2017) * John Briggs (2001) *

John Christopher Bartholomew John Christopher Bartholomew (or J.C. Bartholomew) (15 January 1923 – 16 January 2008) was a Scottish cartographer and geographer. Life Bartholomew was the son of Marie Antoinette Sarolea, daughter of Charles Saroléa and John (Ian) Bartholo ...

(1993) *

John Scott Keltie Sir John Scott Keltie (29 March 1840 – 12 January 1927) was a Scottish geographer, best known for his work with the Royal Geographical Society. History Keltie was born in Dundee and attended school in Perth. He matriculated at the Universi ...

(1907) *

(2016) *

Kim Crosbie Kim Crosbie is a former Executive Director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and has been working in the polar regions since 1991. Early life and education Crosbie is from Edinburgh, Scotland, and she co ...

(2016) * Laurence Pullar (1911) * Leo Houlding (2014) *

Lewis Pugh Lewis William Gordon Pugh, OIG, (born 5 December 1969) is a British-South African endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. Dubbed the "Sir Edmund Hillary of swimming", he is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of th ...

(2011) *

Lord Charles Beresford Admiral Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford, (10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British admiral and Member of Parliament. Beresford was the second son of ...

(1899) *

Lord Foster Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

(2011) * Magnus Magnusson (1991) *

(2012) * Michael Palin (1993) * Paul Vidal de La Blache (1909) * Polly Higgins (2018) *

Ray Mears Raymond Paul Mears (born 7 February 1964) is a British woodsman, instructor, businessman, author and TV presenter. His TV appearances cover bushcraft and survival techniques. He is best known for the TV series '' Ray Mears' Bushcraft'', '' Ra ...

(2009) * Robert H. Nelson (1890) *

Robert Laws Robert Laws Royal Geographical Society, FRGS Royal Scottish Geographical Society, FRSGS (1851–1934) was a Scottish missionary who headed the Livingstonia mission in the Nyasaland Protectorate (now Malawi) for more than 50 years. The mission pl ...

(1900) * Robert William Felkin (1898) * Rory Stewart (2009) *

Rosie Swale-Pope Rosie Swale-Pope, MBE (born 2 October 1946) is a British author, adventurer and marathon runner. She successfully completed a five-year around-the-world run, raising £250,000 for a charity that supports orphaned children in Russia and to high ...

(2011) * Rune Gjeldnes (2010) * Selina Hales (2019) *

Simon Pepper Simon Pepper (1947 – 18 September 2018) was Director of the World Wildlife Fund (Scotland) from 1985 to 2005. He was also Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews between 2005 and 2008, having been inaugurated on 10 March, and was succeede ...

(2015) * Sven Hedin (1902) *

Thomas Heazle Parke Thomas Heazle Parke (1857–1893) was an Irish physician, British Army officer and author who was known for his work as a doctor on the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. Early life Parke was born on 27 November 1857 at Clogher House in Kilmore ...

(1890) * Tim Butcher (2013) *

Tom Weir Thomas Weir MBE (29 December 1914 – 6 July 2006) was a Scottish climber, author and broadcaster. He was best known for his long-running television series ''Weir's Way''. Early life and career Weir was born in Springburn, Glasgow, and the ...

(1992) *

Vanessa Lawrence Vanessa Vivienne Lawrence (born 14 July 1962) is a British businessperson, geographer and speaker working internationally. For 14 years, until April 2014, she was Director-General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, Great Britain's nati ...

(2014) * William C. Dunbar (1890) *

William Grant Stairs William Grant Stairs (1 July 1863 – 9 June 1892) was a Canadian-British explorer, soldier, and adventurer who had a leading role in two of the most controversial expeditions in the Scramble for Africa. Education Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, ...

(1890) *

William MacGregor Sir William MacGregor, (20 October 1846 – 3 July 1919)R. B. Joyce,', ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 5, Melbourne University Press, 1974, pp 158–160. Retrieved 29 September 2009 was a Lieutenant-Governor of British New Guine ...

(1890) * William Mackinnon (1890) *

Yann Arthus-Bertrand Yann Arthus-Bertrand (born 13 March 1946) is a French environmentalist, activist, journalist and photographer. He has also directed films about the impact of humans on the planet. He is especially well known for his book ''Earth from Above'' (19 ...

(2009) *

Michael Portillo Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo (; born 26 May 1953) is a British journalist, broadcaster and former politician. His broadcast series include railway documentaries such as '' Great British Railway Journeys'' and '' Great Continental Railway Jour ...

(2018)

Presidents of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

*1885–1891: The Earl of Rosebery KG KT *1891–1894: The

Duke of Argyll Duke of Argyll ( gd, Diùc Earraghàidheil) is a title created in the peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The earls, marquesses, and dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerfu ...

KG KT *1894–1898: The Marquess of Lothian KT *1898–1904: Sir John Murray KCB *1904–1910:

DCL LLD FRS *1910–1914: The

Earl of Stair Earl of Stair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1703 for the lawyer and statesman John Dalrymple, 2nd Viscount of Stair. Dalrymple's father, James Dalrymple, had been a prominent lawyer; having served as Lord President ...

*1914–1916: The Duke of Buccleuch KT *1916–1919: The Lord Guthrie LLD *1919–1925: The Lord Salvesen PC *1925–1930: The Viscount Novar KT GCMG *1930–1934: The Lord Elphinstone KT *1934–1937: The Lord Polwarth CBE *1937–1942: The Earl of Rosebery KT *1942–1946: Sir D'Arcy Thomson Kt CB *1946–1950: Alan G. Ogilvie OBE *1950–1954:

John Bartholomew John Bartholomew (25 December 1831 – 29 March 1893) was a Scottish cartographer. Life Bartholomew was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, John Bartholomew Sr., started a cartographical establishment in Edinburgh, and he was educated ...

MC JP FRSGS *1954–1958: Douglas Allan CBE LLD DSc PhD FRSE FRSGS *1958–1962: The Earl of Wemyss and March 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 James Wreford Watson MA PhD LLD FRSC FRSE FRSGS *1983–1987: The

Viscount of Arbuthnott Viscount of Arbuthnott is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1641, along with the subsidiary title Lord Inverbervie, for Sir Robert Arbuthnott. The Viscount of Arbuthnott is the hereditary chief of Clan Arbuthnott. At the tim ...

DSC MA FRSA FRICS *1987–1993: John C. Bartholomew MA FRSE FRGS *1993–1999: The Viscount Younger of Leckie KT KCVO TD DL *1999–2005: The

Earl of Dalkeith Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particula ...

KBE DL *2005–2012: The

Earl of Lindsay Earl of Lindsay is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Lindsay, 10th Lord Lindsay, who later inherited the ancient Earldom of Crawford. The two earldoms remained united until the death of the 22nd Earl of Craw ...

*2012–: Iain Stewart

Medals and awards

The Society awards a number of medals for outstanding contributions to geography and exploration. * Scottish Geographical Medal (Previously the RSGS Gold Medal) *

Livingstone Medal The Livingstone Medal is awarded by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in recognition of outstanding service of a humanitarian nature with a clear geographical dimension. This was awarded first in 1901. Named after the African explorer David L ...

*President's Medal * Mungo Park Medal *Coppock Research Medal *Geddes Environment Medal *Shackleton Medal * W.S. Bruce Medal *

Joy Tivy Joy Tivy FRSE FRSGS FIB (1924–1995) was a 20th century Irish Physical geography, physical geographer at the University of Glasgow. She specialised in biogeography and has been credited for having helped raise the profile of biogeography as ...

Education Medal *The Newbigin Prize *Bartholomew Globe Past Awards *RSGS Bronze Medal

References

External links

*
RSGS Publications
{{Authority control 1884 establishments in Scotland University of Strathclyde Charities based in Scotland Organizations established in 1884