Royal Scottish Geographical Society

08/06/2026

We present something a bit different for this week...
An 1829 illustration showing a comparative list of the heights of Scotland's hills! - an interesting way to visualise geography in the nineteenth century...

03/06/2026

Today marks the tercentenary of the birth of Scottish geologist . Often described as the Father of Modern Geology, Hutton was a pioneer of Deep Time - the idea that geological time spans billions of years.

To mark the occasion, the RSGS Collections Team reflects on why Hutton’s work was so ground breaking, and how it influenced how we study geology today.

Read more: https://www.rsgs.org/blog/huttons-tercentenary

02/06/2026

Today is National Day! A day to celebrate one of the US's most vital waterways - spanning 2,350 miles from northern Minnesota to southern Louisiana.

We feature this iconic river in the upcoming summer edition of The Geographer magazine, themed on the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Guinness World Record holder Martin Strel reflects on becoming the first person to swim the entire length of the Mississippi River in 2002 - "This river is not just nature. It is a reflection of us. It carries life, but also the consequences of human decisions – industry, agriculture, waste. When you are in the water, there is no distance. You are not observing it. You are inside it. And that changes everything."

28/05/2026

We were delighted to present RSGS Honorary Fellowship to Sir Robert Watson yesterday, for his work as one of the world's most influential environmental scientists.

From key roles that have included Director of the Science Division at NASA, a science policy adviser to US President Bill Clinton and the World Bank, and Chief Scientific Adviser to DEFRA in the UK – his scientific insights have helped inform critical international and national policies and actions.

26/05/2026

We hope all the explorers are out enjoying the beautiful weather this week! It is a particularly lovely day in Perth - with the River Tay so still it's almost hard to tell which way is up. 🌊

If you're out and about this week, be sure to pack plenty of water and your factor 50! ☀️

22/05/2026

What do you want to pass on to future generations? Several responses to our question, “What does geography mean to you?”, went beyond personal interests - a desire to share knowledge, curiosity, and a love of the world with the next generation.

At RSGS we believe that inspiration lasts a lifetime, but it can last generations too. From supporting the development and uptake of geography in schools, to hosting Expedition Nights, mentoring our Young Geographer Team and influencing the curriculum - we are always keen to help young people, bolster learning opportunities and inform those issues which are most likely to impact future generations.

If you would like to share with us what geography means to you, we’d love to hear from you: https://www.rsgs.org/what-does-geography-mean-to-you

21/05/2026

19/05/2026

Win tickets to screenings of The Balloonists in Scotland!

In 1999, the unlikely duo of Swiss explorer and RSGS Medallist Bertrand Piccard and British flying instructor Brian Jones took on the world's leading aeronauts and billionaires in a race to become the first people to fly nonstop around the world in a balloon. The Balloonists captures the gripping true story of the epic flight that changed aviation history.

The film will be screening at Edinburgh Filmhouse and Glasgow Film Theatre from 22nd–28th May, and a pair of tickets is available to win at each cinema for a screening of your choice!

For your chance to win, simply like this post and comment who you’d bring along - and whether you’d like to attend in Glasgow or Edinburgh - by Friday morning this week.

Check out the screening times for -
Glasgow: https://www.glasgowfilm.org/movie/the-balloonists/
Edinburgh: https://www.filmhouse.org.uk/movie/the-balloonists/

Dogwoof

15/05/2026

The Fair Maid’s House in Perth will be featured on BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors programme tomorrow morning!

We were delighted to welcome Out of Doors presenter Mark Stephen to our Visitor Centre, as he explored the rich history of the building and discovered how it has become the geographical heart of Scotland. 🌍

Tune in from 6:30am - 8:00am if you'd like to listen live, or catch up with the show online afterwards here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074hjr

13/05/2026

If you would like to explore the Fair Maid's House be sure to drop by! We're open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 12:30pm - 4:00pm.

An external view of the Fair Maid’s House on North Port, Perth, probably taken in 1893 when the building was renovated, and the external stairs were enclosed within the turret. Even at this stage, the building was promoted as a tourist attraction and sold goods such as bottled water and ci**rs. Now home to the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

📸 Magnus Jackson (Junior). Ref: MJ799