As 2024 draws to a predictable yet somehow surprisingly quick close, we wanted to take a moment to thank all of our members, volunteers, supporters (and staff) for all that you have helped us achieve during this calendar year - our 140th anniversary.

The year began with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visiting our office in Perth, for a special event with the Heart of Arabia Expedition Team. As Vice-President of RSGS and Patron of the expedition, HRH Princess Anne helped celebrate Mark Evan’s trip retracing Harry St John Philby’s 1,400km journey across Arabia in 1917.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal arriving at RSGS headquarters in Perth- photographed shaking hands with Mark Evans, Executive Director of Outward Bound Oman, also in the image is RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson (right), Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud (left), Stephen Leckie, Esq Lord-Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross (far left), and Alex Cairncross, Deputy Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross.

We followed this up with a brilliant sell-out event with Professor Alice Roberts, who shared insights from her books Ancestors and Buried to an audience in Glasgow.

Alice Roberts speaking at the University of Strathclyde

2024 also kicked off with the lovely news that our Chief Executive Mike Robinson was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list for his services to climate change education, which he later received in July at Holyrood Palace from His Majesty The King- a proud moment for RSGS, as it recognized our ongoing work and impact, and was a welcome reinforcement of the importance of geography in policy and society in general.

RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson with his OBE

We were delighted to present our own awards this year, from individuals engaged in a range of work from environmental activism and conservation to humanitarian aid and ground-breaking research. Two recipients were part of our Inspiring People Talks programme - Professor Lorna Dawson and Dr George McGavin – whose presentations took place during very popular talks by each in the autumn.

We were delighted to welcome some new staff members this year, including our new Deputy Chief Executive, Clare Hamilton and our Membership Officer Jo Donachie.

Alongside quarterly editions of The Geographer, exploring themes such as long-mindedness and the geography of time, the power of communities, water scarcity and security, and adaptation, our Young Geographer Committee has also been hard at work, preparing the next issue of Young Geographer, which will focus on climate and health and will be available in the early new year. It’s been a great year for our Journal too, (SGJ) under the guidance of our editorial team of Chris Philo, Rhian Thomas, Martin Hurst and Emma Laurie, based at the University of Glasgow, who have helped grow its impact factor to its highest level ever.

Editions of The Geographer in 2024

In response to some governmental back tracking on commitments to climate action, in May, we brought together the faith, science, and NGO communities to reinforce the scientific and moral imperatives, giving platforms to what was described as ‘the head, the heart, and the soul of a conscious society’. We continue to be very active on a number of committees, supporting various coalitia and participating in government advisory groups on a wide range of issues.

Faith, science and NGO communities unite for action on climate 

We have maintained a steady calendar of events this year, including our ever-popular Discovery Days at the Fair Maid’s House, with topics ranging from Ernest Shackleton’s connections to RSGS to desert exploration with adventurer Mark Evans, and the history of trains and railways with expert David Spaven.

RSGS Outreach Officer Graham hosting a tour around the Fair Maid's House

Our Fair Maid’s House Visitor centre opened in May with the unveiling of a brand-new exhibition celebrating over 15 years of The Geographer magazine, looking back at the vast range of topics featured in previous editions, from outer space to the deep oceans, the incredible people that have written for the magazine, and some stunning images. We also featured an exhibition by Polar Artist Sarah Barnard titled 'Wildest, Loneliest, Most Desolate', featuring portraits of explorers who went missing on expeditions or whose remains were never found. And our Outreach Officer, Graham, hosted several special tours of the Fair Maid’s House, uncovering the secrets of one of Perth’s most iconic buildings while sharing the history and mission of RSGS. .

Exhibition featuring the last 15 years of Geograpger 

We also installed a brand-new interactive Pufferfish globe in the visitor centre, replacing the previous system that has served our visitors faithfully since we opened in 2011. The new interactive globe offers an array of exciting new features designed to enhance the educational experience for all our visitors.

Our new Pufferfish globe

Finally, to round off the year, in addition to the 90 plus standard talks, we hosted more than 1,000 people at Caird Hall in Dundee in partnership with Dundee Heritage Trust for ‘A Festival of Shackleton’. A rapt audience enjoyed an ambitious programme of 14 speakers telling the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s life and his legacy to the present day, over two and a half hours, using a mix of filmed interviews and live presentations.

'A Festival of Shackleton' at Caird Hall

After the event in Dundee, RSGS had the pleasure of hosting our guest speakers at our HQ in Perth. The group included Dr John Shears, Expedition Leader for Endurance22; John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; Sven Habermann and Kevin Kenny, representatives of the Shackleton Museum in Athy; and Hon Alexandra Shackleton, granddaughter of Sir Ernest.

Left to right: Mike Robinson, Dr John Shears, Hon Alexandra Shackleton, John Geiger, Sven Habermann, Jo Woolf, Kevin Kenny.

2025 begins with a full work programme, including the second half of our Inspiring People talks programme, with a wide range of excellent and popular speakers, and our next Young Geographer magazine, due out in the spring.

The office will be shut over the festive period, so from all of us at RSGS, we wish you a wonderful Christmas and Hogmanay and we look forward to seeing you in 2025.