Writer in Residence

In an innovative new scheme we have appointed our first ever writer-in-residence – Hazel Buchan Cameron.  Hazel is mentoring young writer Josh Morris in a variety of writing skills and approaches, drawing inspiration from the collections and history of the RSGS, currently in its 130^th year.  With a collection of 250,000 maps, 40,000 books, a bulging archive, and an association with many of the world’s most famous scientists, explorers, adventurers and educationalists, the charity has been described as a repository of some of the best stories of the past century and a half.

 “There are so many inspiring people’s stories connected to the Society it is hard to draw breath,”  Hazel commented.

Mike Robinson, our Chief Executive, is very enthusiastic: “We are grateful to Creative Scotland and PKC for giving us this opportunity to introduce Hazel and Josh to our collections.  It has been really rewarding seeing them become more and more engrossed in discovering the many and varied stories hidden away.  I genuinely believe there is something here to interest everyone.”

The project, funded by Creative Scotland through the Perth & Kinross Place Partnership, runs throughout the summer months, and will culminate in an exhibition in Perth Museum, opening in early October.

Scotland's First Professional Nature Photographer Laurie Campbell shares his photos of 'Wild Harris'

Photographer Laurie Campbell will share his stunning images from his time working for the North Harris Trust in talks for the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in Inverness, Perth and Stirling between 13th-15th January.

The evening’s presentation will show the results from a recent project where Laurie worked on a photography commission for the North Harris Trust to photograph the wildlife, landscape and a little of the culture of a community-owned 62,000 acre estate in this wild and beautiful part of Scotland.

Working through the seasons over the course of a year on the Trust’s 62,000 acre estate, he will describe his experiences of photographing species such as golden eagles in winter, and then from a tiny camouflaged hide thirty feet away on a cliff ledge overlooking their eyrie where he captured some of the most intimate photographs ever taken of these birds at the nest.

Although the commentary throughout the presentation will occasionally include some technical information about equipment and photographic techniques used, the style is equally aimed to be informative about the various habitats and subjects together with the fieldcraft skills required to get close to them.

This talk is kindly sponsored by Scottish Natural Heritage.

Born in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1958 and with a life-long interest in the natural world, Laurie Campbell has dedicated over thirty five years to photographing Scotland’s distinctive wildlife and flora. In the beginning his aim was simple, to show what he had witnessed to others who might have neither the time nor the inclination to go out into the field and experience nature in as much detail for themselves.

After graduating from a four year degree course in photography at Napier University he continued accumulating stocks of photographs of wildlife and in 1985 became Scotland’s first full-time professional nature photographer. His imagery is published across a range of media and is widely recognised for its distinctive style and his preference for using natural light and belief in photographing subjects which are neither captive or manipulated but simply as he finds them in the field.

Laurie’s talk Wild Harris will take place at 7:30pm on:

13th January - Inverness - The Highland Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX

14th January - Perth - North Inch Community Campus, Gowans Terrace, Perth, PH1 5BF

15th January - Stirling - Logie Lecture Theatre, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Everyone is welcome. Tickets are £8 for adults, free for students, under 18s and RSGS members.

For more information about the RSGS talks and how to join the Society visit www.rsgs.org, contact us on enquiries@rsgs.org, find us on Facebook or follow the Society on twitter @RoyalScotGeoSoc.

Author Julie Davidson to share Mrs Livingstone's story in talks series

Author and Journalist Julie Davidson will share the enthralling story of the extraordinarily courageous and stoical wife of the world-renowned explorer and missionary, David Livingstone in a talk based on her book Looking for Mrs Livingstone in Aberdeen, Dundee, Dunfermline and Edinburgh between the 6th and 9th January.

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.
In the history books, Mary Livingstone is a shadow in the blaze of her husband's sun, a whisper in the thunderclap of his reputation. Yet she played an important role in Livingstone's success and her own feats as an early traveller in uncharted Africa are unique.

She was the first white woman to cross the Kalahari, which she did twice - pregnant - giving birth in the bush on the second journey. She was much more rooted in southern Africa than her husband: he has a tomb in Westminster Abbey, London; she has an obscure and crumbling grave on the banks of the Zambezi in a destitute region of Mozambique.

In the thrall of Africa, Julie Davidson has travelled extensively over several years in the footsteps of Mary Livingstone, from her birthplace in a remote district of South Africa to her grave on the Zambezi. She explores the places the Livingstones knew as a couple and, above all, explores the detail of the life and family of this little-known figure in British - but not African - history.

JULIE DAVIDSON's varied and award-winning career in journalism, includes work for The Times, Observer, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Aberdeen Press & Journal, The Scotsman, The Herald (Glasgow), Cosmopolitan and House & Garden. Winner of 5 Scottish Press Awards, she was a TV presenter and has won several awards for travel writing.

Julie’s talk will take place at 7:30pm on:

6th January - Aberdeen - MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA

7th January - Dundee - Tower Extension Building, University of Dundee, Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4HN

8th January - Dunfermline - Carnegie Hall, East Port, Dunfermline, KY12 7JA

9th January - Edinburgh - Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE

Everyone is welcome. Tickets are £8 for adults, free for students, under 18s and RSGS members.

For more information about the RSGS talks and how to join the Society visit www.rsgs.org, contact us on enquiries@rsgs.org, find us on Facebook or follow the Society on twitter @RoyalScotGeoSoc.

From Deepest Africa to the Highest Himalaya: Siân Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons

Our first speakers in the Inspiring People talks season for 2013-14 are Siân Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons.  Travel writers and expedition leaders, Siân Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons will share their experiences of Africa and the Himalayas in talks in Kirkcaldy on Monday 16th and Edinburgh on Wednesday 18th September.  

Siân Pritchard-Jones has been travelling in Africa for 30 years. She worked in computer programming and systems analysis for far too long, until overland travel and particularly the Himalayas captivated her on a trip to Nepal in 1982.

Siân Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons met in 1983, on a trek from Kashmir to Ladakh. By then Bob had already driven an ancient Land Rover from England to Kathmandu in 1974 and led overland trips across Asia, Africa and South America as well as decrepit old tourist buses around India. He had also lived in Kathmandu as a trekking company manager. Before they met, Siân had worked in computer programming and systems analysis, but her heart had always been in the Himalayas, after a trip there on her way back from working in New Zealand.

Since they met they have been leading and organising treks in the Alps, Nepal, Algeria and Niger; they have hitched across Tibet, driven a busload of over-50s overland to Nepal, explored the Sahara and driven across Africa to Gabon. Some of this was real work, but luckily that ‘proper job’ has not materialised.

However, they regularly return to their first love, Kathmandu and the Himalayas, where they work with various publishers in Kathmandu, and have written guides on the Kathmandu Valley, Ladakh and Tibet.. During 2011 they revisited Tibet, this time driving the same old Land Rover back from Kathmandu to the UK overland via Lhasa, Kazakhstan, Russia and across Europe. It was with great relish that they returned to one of their former trekking haunts in Nepal - the Annapurna region - to research a new guide, and to contribute to Trekking in the Himalaya. 

Tickets are available on the door: £8 for adults, free for students, under 18s and RSGS Members. Kirkcaldy: 7:30pm on Monday 16th September in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Dundee Fife Campus, 5 Forth Ave, Kirkcaldy, KY2 5YS.

Edinburgh: 2:15pm on Wednesday 18^th September in Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9LE.

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme. For more information on the talks visit www.rsgs.org/events

Explorer Julian Monroe Fisher shares a tale of African adventure

Explorer and Anthropologist Julian Monroe Fisher will present a tale of adventure and intrigue that has long been overlooked as a footnote to the history of the African Congo in a talk in Dumfries, Borders, Ayr and Helensburgh between the 25th and 28th of March.

The year was 1890. King Leopold II of Belgium was trying to secure his piece of the cake during the period referred to as ‘The Scramble for Africa’. He first turned to Henry Morton Stanley to push forward with his Congo Free State, but the ageing explorer turned down the offer and recommended a young Canadian officer who had served valiantly with Stanley during the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. 

  
Captain William Grant Stairs, 27 years young, accepted the offer to lead King Leopold’s expedition to Katanga. The young officer, along with a Frenchman, an English man, an Irishman and a Belgian (arguably a team of hired mercenaries), set off from the east coast of Africa for the province of Katanga in what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In a moment of sheer recklessness one impetuous young member of the Stairs Expedition to Katanga altered not only the course of the Garanganze people and their King Msiri but also his own life and that of the rest of the expeditionary team. 

 

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.

Julian Monroe Fisher is an explorer noted primarily for his exploration of the African continent.

Julian’s expeditions have turned their focus to the Katanga Province of The Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009 and 2010 where he is working closely with Sa Majeste´ Mwenda-Bantu Munongo Godefroid Mwami, the king of the Garanganze people of Katanga. 

Julian is researching the events of the 1891-92 Stairs Expedition to Katanga as well as potential local unexcavated archaeological sites. He is also working with Mwami Munongo and his family to build the first royal museum in the Congo and an Anthropological research station in the village of Bunkeya.

 

Julian’s talk, Journey to Katanga: An Expedition into the Past will take place at 7:30pm on the following dates.

Dumfries: Monday 25th March

Easterbrook Hall, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TA

Borders (Galashiels): Tuesday 26th March

Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HE

Ayr: Wednesday 27th March

Council Chambers, Ayr Town Hall, New Bridge Street, Ayr, KA7 1JX.

Helensburgh: Thursday 28th March

Victoria Halls, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh, G84 8TU

£8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/

Prominent Geologist Stuart Monro shares his 'Life on the Rocks'.

Professor Stuart Monro, a celebrated geologist, science communicator and currently Scientific Director of Our Dynamic Earth, will be giving a presentation in Dumfries, Galashiels, Ayr and Helensburgh between the 25th and 28th February as part of this seasons Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.

Stuart was instrumental in establishing Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the science centre and visitor attraction opened in 1999, that aims to give a better public understanding of the processes that have shaped the earth.

Stuart Monro at Siccar Point in Berwickshire, famous for its geology.

In this talk, Stuart explores, as part of a personal journey, the evidence from various parts of the world for what we call plate tectonics, a scientific theory which describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere or, for those of us without a science degree, the rigid outermost shell of a rocky planet. Although seemingly complicated Stuart is passionate about bringing science and understanding to the masses so this is a talk that all can enjoy.

The Dumfries talk has been kindly sponsored by Magnox Energy Solutions www.magnoxsites.co.uk.

Stuart also holds and has held numerous high profile scientific roles including President of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, President of the Westmorland Geological Society and of the Edinburgh Geological Society. He has been co-Convenor of the Scottish Earth Science Education Forum since 2003, a voluntary group he helped establish to support a greater understanding of earth sciences in Scottish schools and colleges. In 2003 he was also appointed by Scottish Ministers to serve on the Scottish Science Advisory Council, a national forum which provides strategic advice to the Scottish Government on scientific issues.

Stuart’s presentation will take place at 7.30pm on the following evenings:

Dumfries: Monday 25th February in the Easterbrook Hall, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TA. 

Borders: Tuesday 26th February in Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HE

Ayr: Wednesday 27th February in Council Chambers, Ayr Town Hall Sandgate Ayr Ayrshire KA7 1DA

Helensburgh: Thursday 28th February in Victoria Halls, Sinclair St,  Helensburgh, G84 8TU

Tickets are £8 for adults, free for under 18s, students and RSGS members. Tickets are available on the night from the venue. To find out more about the RSGS visit www.rsgs.org.

(These talks replaced the advertised talk by Mikael Strandberg.)

Romania: Learning to Love Europe's Wild Child. Tessa Dunlop.

Tessa Dunlop, a broadcaster, writer and historian with a special interest in Romanian culture and history, will speak on her 20 year odyssey through modern day Romania in talks in Kirkcaldy, Edinburgh and Glasgow on 18^th and 20th of February.

Tessa Dunlop has close ties to Romania. She first went to Romania aged eighteen shortly after the Revolution. Tessa is the author of the book To Romania With Love, the story of how one young Romanian boy and his country changed her life forever.  She is fascinated by the country’s history, including the story of Princess Marie, granddaughter of Queen Victoria who became the ‘Soldier Queen’ of Romania. Romania is a beautiful country riddled with corruption. 

Tessa Dunlop is a writer, broadcaster and historian with a passion for Romania.

These talks are part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.
Tessa is a television presenter, radio broadcaster and historian. She is currently a presenter and historian on BBC Two’s Coast. She has presented history programmes on BBC1 London, BBC2, Discovery Europe, Channel 4, UKTV History and the History Channel (USA).

Tessa’s talk ‘Romania: Learning to Love Europe’s Wild Child’ takes place at the following times and venues.

Kirkcaldy: Monday 18^th February at 7.30pm. 

School of Midwifery, University of Dundee Fife Campus, 5 Forth Avenue, Kirkcaldy, KY2 5YS. Edinburgh: Wednesday 20th February at 2:15pm.

Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE.

Glasgow: Wednesday 20th February at 7:30pm.

Boyd Orr Building, University of Glasgow, University Ave, Glasgow, G2 4JP.

Tickets are £8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free for students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/

Speaker asks "Do We Really Travel Anymore?"

Dan Kieran, author of The Idle Traveller: The Art of Slow Travel, will speak in Inverness, Stirling and Perth between the 11th and 13th of March

He will discuss the modern approach to travelling. Dan will ask if we really travel any more, or if we just arrive.  Besides extolling the virtues of ‘staycation’ holidaying. Dan argues that we need to bin the brochure, glide rather than fly, embrace disaster, be epic in our travel pursuits, and immerse ourselves in the life-changing experience of true journeying.

Dan Kieran "The Idle Traveller".

Dan avoids flying, preferring to travel slowly to his destination out of the belief that it helps us understand more about ourselves and the places we pass through and visit. 

These talks are part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.

Dan is Deputy Editor of The Idler, a bi-yearly British magazine. He is a writer, editor, and CEO and co-founder of the crowd-funding publishing platform Unbound. 

He is Editor of Idler Books' Crap Jobs, Crap Holidays (Crap Vacations in the United States), The book of Idle Pleasures, Co-editor of two volumes of Crap Towns, author of I Fought The Law, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and co-author of Three Men In A Float with Ian Vince.

Dan’s talk “The Idle Traveller” will take place at the following times and venues.

Inverness: Monday 11^th Feb at 7:30pm.

The Highland Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX.

Perth: Tuesday 12th Feb at 7:30pm. 

Perth Concert Hall, Mill St, Perth, PH1 5HZ.

Stirling: Wednesday 13th Feb at 7:30pm.

Albert Halls, Albert Place, Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2QL

Tickets are £8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free for students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/

Sara Wheeler Steps Where Penguins Fear to Tread with Stories of the Antarctic.

Sara Wheeler, travel writer and biographer will share stories of the Polar Regions in talks in Dundee, Dunfermline and Edinburgh on February 5th to 7th

Sara will uncover the beautiful, brutal reality of the Polar regions, telling stories about her seven months in Antarctica and many visits to the Arctic, including anecdotes, science, and the difference between the two places.

Sara Wheeler in sunnier climes at Leptis Magna, Libya.

Sara spent seven months in Antarctica as the writer in residence of the US National Science Foundation. She wrote the book Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica based on her time there, including spending the night sleeping in the captain’s bunk in Scott’s Hut.

These talks are part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme. The Dundee talk is kindly sponsored by the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers.

  

Dundee: Tuesday 5^th February at 7.30pm.

Dundee University’s Tower Building, Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4HN. 

Dunfermline: Wednesday 6th February at 7:30pm.

Carnegie Hall, East Port, Dunfermline, KY12 7JA

Edinburgh: Thursday 7th FEbruary at 7:30pm.

Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE

Tickets are £8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free for students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/

Missing From the Map: Bruce Gittings shares a Geography of Secret Places.

As part of the RSGS’s popular ‘Inspiring People’ talks programme, Bruce Gittings will be speaking in Aberdeen on February 4th about some of the interesting and intriguing information that is not shown on maps.

Bruce suggests that leaving significant details off the map was not just a feature of Soviet Russia, but is the case in 21st century Britain.  Linking remarkable tales of wartime history with fieldwork in modern landscapes, maps and high resolution aerial imagery, he takes us to some lesser known features of places we may think we know.

Bruce Gittings.

Bruce has an extensive knowledge and understanding of Scotland’s places. He is one of the core team who contribute to the MSc in Geographical Information Science at the University of Edinburgh and he created and maintains the web-based Gazetteer for Scotland, a vast encyclopaedia of Scotland’s geography, people and history, from the Scottish Borders to the Northern Isles.  The first comprehensive gazetteer produced for Scotland since 1885, it includes tourist attractions, industries and historical sites, together with histories of family names and clans, biographies of famous Scots and descriptions of historical events associated with Scotland. 

Bruce’s talk will take place on Monday 4^th February at 7:30pm in the University of Aberdeen’s MacRobert Building, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA. Tickets are £8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free for students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any RSGS talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/

Find out more about the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

Travel Writer Hilary Bradt Describes Her Pony Ride around West Ireland.

Hilary Bradt is a publisher, award-winning writer, lecturer and co-founder of Bradt Travel Guides. She’ll share the story of her long distance pony ride around West Ireland in Dumfries, Peebles, Ayr and Helensburgh on the 28th to 31st January 2013.
 
Since her pony-obsessed childhood, explorer-publisher Hilary Bradt had dreamed of tackling a long-distance ride. Short treks in Ethiopia and the Peruvian Andes proved to be mere dress rehearsals for the real thing – a thousand-mile journey on horseback, solo, through the west of Ireland in 1984.

Hilary Bradt MBE, is a travel writer and co-founder of Bradt Travel Guides.

Nearly three decades later, Hilary will retrace her steps, kindling the poignant memories of her relationship with Mollie, her Connemara pony.

Set against the vivid backdrop of rural Ireland, this is a witty and ultimately moving tale of the growing bond between horse and rider, the challenges they face and the people who shelter them during their colourful wanderings together.

These lectures are part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme. The talk in Ayr has been kindly sponsored by Hillhouse Quarry Group.

Born in 1941, Hilary was brought up in Buckinghamshire and worked as an occupational therapist in the USA and South Africa before returning to Bucks in 1980 to concentrate on publishing and tour-leading. In 2008 she was awarded an MBE for services to the tourist industry and to charity, and in 2009 received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Guild of Travel Writers. She now lives in Devon.

Hilary built a great friendship with Mollie, her Connemara pony.

Hilary’s talks:

Dumfries: Monday 28th January, 7:30pm.

Easterbrook Hall, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TA

Borders (Peebles): Tuesday 29th January, 7:30pm.

The Eastgate Theatre, Eastgate, Peebles, EH43 8AD.

Ayr: Wednesday 30th January, 7.30pm. 

Council Chambers, Ayr Town Hall, New Bridge Street, Ayr, KA7 1JX.

Helensburgh: Thursday 31st January, 7.30pm.

Victoria Halls, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh, G84 8TU

£8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/

Swimming on Top of the World: Lewis Gordon Pugh shares his endurance swimming stories.

Lewis Gordon Pugh is an environmental campaigner, a maritime lawyer and an endurance swimmer. He always wanted to be a pioneer swimmer and was the first person to complete a long distance swim in every ocean of the world. Much of his inspiration has come from explorers such as Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott and Edmund Hillary.  Through his swims he has gained a unique perspective on climate change.  By swimming in vulnerable ecosystems he wants to draw attention to their plight.  He has given up everything to dedicate his life to this purpose.

Now, he’ll join audiences in Edinburgh and Glasgow on January 23rd to discuss undertaking the first long distance swim across the North Pole in 2007, how did he prepare himself? And why did he carry on, when everything went so badly wrong? 

Lewis Gordon Pugh braved icy waters to highlight climate change.

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.

He undertook this death defying swim to highlight the melting of the Arctic sea ice, he also swam across a glacial lake under the summit of Mount Everest in 2010 to draw attention to the melting glaciers in the Himalayas, and the impact the reduced water supply will have on world peace.

In 2010 he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum for his "potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership."

Discussing his swims Lewis has said “I am often asked why I do it. At a simplistic level, I am passionate about swimming and I enjoy pushing boundaries. But there's a lot more to it than that. Through my swims I have had a unique perspective on climate change. I have witnessed retreating glaciers, decreasing sea ice, coral bleaching, severe droughts, and the migration of animals to colder climates. It's as a result of these experiences that I am determined to draw attention to the fragility of our environment and to encourage everyone to take action.”

Lewis Gordon Pugh prepares to dive into Arctic waters.

Not always in his swimming trunks, Lewis studied law at the University of Cape Town and the University of Cambridge, and then went on to work as a maritime lawyer in London. He now spends my time public speaking and campaigning to world leaders to protect the environment.

Lewis’s talk will take place on Wednesday 23^rd January:

Edinburgh: Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE at 2:15pm

Glasgow: Boyd Orr Building, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ at 7:30pm. 

£8 for adults, (redeemable if buying membership) and free students, under 18s and for RSGS members. Tickets are available on the day from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/
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'Inspiring People' speaking at Perth Concert Hall

Stunning photography, slow travel and adventures on every continent: three fascinating talks are still to come to Perth as part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society's 'Inspiring People' talks programme.

First up, renowned photographer Timothy Allen will be sharing images from his time as the official photographer for the BBC series Human Planet.  He will visit Perth on the 15th of January to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the awe-inspiring series, which marvels at mankind's relationship with nature in the world today.

Timothy Allen. Human Planet.

In February, Dan Kieran will discuss the reason's he thinks travellers should stop looking for the fastest travel options,  take the 'slow travel' option, and learn to appreciate the experience of travelling.  Dan asks if we really travel any more, or if we just arrive. Besides extolling the virtues of 'staycation' holidaying, Dan argues that we need to bin the brochure, glide rather than fly, embrace disaster, be epic in our travel pursuits, and immerse ourselves in the life-changing experience of true journeying. Dan will speak on the 12th.

Dan Kieran. The Idle Traveller.

Adventurer and climber Neil Laughton will speak for the RSGS on the 5th of March.  

Neil has completed the Explorers Grand Slam, climbing the highest mountain on each continent and skiing to the Geographic North and South Poles. He has also made 12 first ascents in Greenland, trekked unsupported across South Georgia, circumnavigated the UK on a jet-ski, and piloted the world’s first road-legal bio-fuelled flying car 10,000km from London to Timbuktu.

Neil Laughton. Adventures on Seven Continents.

These talks will all take place at Perth Concert Hall. Tickets are £8.50 (includes booking fee) for adults and free for Students, under 18s and RSGS members.  Tickets are available at www.horsecross.co.uk and the Box Office 01738 621 031.  For more information on these talks please contact fraser.shand@rsgs.org 

To find out more about the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, visit www.rsgs.org, or follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/RoyalScottishGeographicalSociety and Twitter www.twitter.com/RoyalScotGeoSoc

Our Dynamic Earth Founder Explores Tectonics in Kirkcaldy Talk

Professor Stuart Monro, a celebrated geologist, science communicator and currently Scientific Director of Our Dynamic Earth, will be giving a presentation in Kirkcaldy on 21^st January as part of this seasons Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme.

Stuart was instrumental in establishing Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the science centre and visitor attraction opened in 1999, that aims to give a better public understanding of the processes that have shaped the earth.

In this talk, Stuart explores, as part of a personal journey, the evidence from various parts of the world for what we call plate tectonics, a scientific theory which describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere or, for those of us without a science degree, the rigid outermost shell of a rocky planet. Although seemingly complicated Stuart is passionate about bringing science and understanding to the masses so this is a talk that all can enjoy.

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Inspiring People talks programme. This talk has been kindly sponsored by Scottish Power.

Stuart Monro is passionate about bringing science and understanding to the masses.

Stuart also holds and has held numerous high profile scientific roles including President of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts, President of the Westmorland Geological Society and of the Edinburgh Geological Society. He has been co-Convenor of the Scottish Earth Science Education Forum since 2003, a voluntary group he helped establish to support a greater understanding of earth sciences in Scottish schools and colleges. In 2003 he was also appointed by Scottish Ministers to serve on the Scottish Science Advisory Council, a national forum which provides strategic advice to the Scottish Government on scientific issues.

Stuart’s presentation will take place on Monday 21^st January, at 7.30pm in the School of Midwifery, University of Dundee Fife Campus, 5 Forth Avenue, Kirkcaldy, KY2 5YS. £8 for adults, free for under 18s, students and RSGS members. Tickets are available on the night from the venue. To find out more about the RSGS visit www.rsgs.org.

Timothy Allen Shares Stunning Images from the BBC's Human Planet

Timothy Allen, the official photographer from the hugely popular BBC series Human Planet, will share his story in talks in Inverness, Perth and Stirling on the 14^th – 16^th January.

Timothy is a professional photographer who spent almost two years shadowing BBC film crews during the production of the landmark television series Human Planet. This talk is a behind-the-scenes look at this awe-inspiring landmark series that marvels at mankind's incredible relationship with nature in the world today.

This talk is part of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s ‘Inspiring People’ talks programme. These talks have been kindly sponsored by Saffery Champness, BEAR Scotland and Scottish Power.

One of Timothy Allen's stunning images from Human Planet.

At 22, after graduating from Leeds University with a BSc in Zoology he left the UK and spent 3 years travelling around Indonesia which was the catalyst that sparked his passion for photography. In the nineties, after beginning a part-time diploma in photography, Timothy joined an aid convoy to Bosnia in order to shoot his first year reportage project.  Six months later he had dropped out of college, moved to London and begun working for the Sunday Telegraph, later inspiring commissions from all the British broadsheet publications and finally, a 6 year position at The Independent.

In recent years, the focus of Timothy’s work has turned to our planet’s remaining indigenous societies and he currently devotes his time to documenting the diversity of humanity’s cultural heritage. His multi award winning documentaries have taken him to every corner of the globe, from 19 000 ft up in the Himalayas to 40 metres beneath the South China Sea as well as projects within communities in the Arctic, tropical rainforest and remote desert locations.

Inverness: Monday 14^th January at 7.30pm in The Highland Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX.

Perth: Tuesday 15th January at 7:30pm in Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ.

Stirling: Wednesday 16th January at 7:30pm in Logie Lecture Theatre, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA.

£8 for adults (redeemable if buying membership) and free for under 18s, students and RSGS members. Tickets are available on the night from the venue. For more information about any of our talks this season please visit www.rsgs.org/events/ or contact fraser.shand@rsgs.org