The Geographer: The Great Outdoors (Autumn 2021)

The

Geographer Autumn 2021

The newsletter of

the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

The Great Outdoors

Escape, Exploration and Education • Lessons in Outdoor Life • Levison Wood, Andy Torbet, Karen Darke • DofE, Oman and Outward Bound • Scrambling, Surfing, Skating, Speleology • The Importance of Outdoor Centres • Litter, Lifeboats and Learning Outcomes • COP26: Hope and RSGS Headway • Reader Offers: Come by the Hills, Horrible Geography of Stunning Scotland

“Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons, It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.”

Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road

p lus news, books, and more…

The

Geographer

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s we tentatively begin to re-emerge from Covid, and our minds begin to wander to the horizon and the great outdoors, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the fundamental connection we have with nature and landscapes, to fly through some of the many outdoor activities there are out there, and to share stories from some high-profile practitioners.

And at a time when many outdoor schemes and field centres have been curtailed or are suffering reductions in funding, and even closure, we wanted to remind everyone of the wonderful contribution of outdoor centres and fieldwork. They enrich so many lives and often give young people their first real experience of their own independence and their first insight into wild places, and help build their knowledge and confidence when faced with the great outdoors.

Many of you have spoken to me about the formative nature of fieldwork and outdoor activities, and I have certainly personally benefited from my own experiences, most notably through Operation Raleigh (now Raleigh International). I do firmly believe these opportunities are incredibly valuable, for young people especially. At a time of biodiversity loss and climate change, that sense of connection with our environment is more important than ever, and it is of grave concern that so many of our outdoor centres and organisations are facing such economic uncertainty.

As ever, we have tried to provide some variety too – and I am delighted to be able to announce the long-awaited arrival of our latest publication, Horrible Geography of Stunning Scotland, written

by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Mike Phillips, and published by Scholastic. This is a new venture for Scholastic, and is their first attempt at a regional geography, so we are delighted to have been able to convince them of its value. Copies can be bought from RSGS (see back page for details) and will be made available to schools throughout Scotland to help introduce pupils to the fun and excitement of geography at an early age.

We hope you enjoy this edition of The Geographer and we look forward to seeing you again soon as our new talks programme kicks off, beginning with a very special extra event on 15th September: An Evening with Colonel John Blashford-Snell.

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, RSGS RSGS, Lord John Murray House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU tel: 01738 455050 email: enquiries@rsgs.org www.rsgs.org

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Charity registered in Scotland no SC015599 The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the RSGS. Cover image: © Ivan Chudakov Masthead image: © Mike Robinson

RSGS: a better way to see the world

Professor Jim Skea FRSGS In July we were delighted to present Honorary Fellowship to Professor Jim Skea, Chair in Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London and CoChair of Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on mitigation. From 2018 to 2021 he chaired the Scottish Just Transition Commission, which made recommendations on how to make a fair and equitable transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland.

He has always worked in interdisciplinary settings and has previously been Director of the Policy Studies Institute, Director of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Global Environmental Change Programme, Professorial Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex University, and Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie-Mellon University. He was appointed Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London in 2009.

Jim has strong links to policy processes. He was a founding member of the UK Climate Change Committee, launch Director for the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, President of the Energy Institute and the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. He was awarded an OBE for services to sustainable transport in 2004 and a CBE for services to sustainable energy in 2013.

Inspiring People 2021-22 We have been working diligently to construct nd our Inspiring People talks programme starts 22 September for 2021-22, set to commence on 22nd September, and we are really pleased with the programme we have managed to pull together. This has been no small feat, as it remains constrained by everything from Covid uncertainties to venue restrictions to speaker availability.

Despite all of this, we are delighted to say we have a full programme, featuring some really fascinating speakers focusing on all sorts of topics, from cave diving and wild cats, to polar legends, paddling in Bhutan and landscape photography.

All talks before Christmas will have to be delivered online, as accessing venues is generally still not possible or practicable, but we hope to revert to face-to-face talks after the New Year. Responding to demand, we will also be retaining some online talks even when we return to face-to-face events.

join us

Ministerial approval for new book Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP officially launched our new book James Croll and his Adventures in Climate and Time in Wolfhill, Croll’s Perthshire birthplace.

He said, “James Croll’s research into climate change was ground-breaking, and inspired generations of scientists in the

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Professor Dave Reay FRSGS In August we were delighted to present our President’s Medal and Honorary Fellowship to Dave Reay, Professor of Carbon Management and Education at the University of Edinburgh, and Director of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.

Dave played a central role in the Climate Solutions course and is a prolific author, researcher, policy director and educator. He has studied climate change for over 25 years, from warming impacts in the Southern Ocean, through carbon fluxes in forests, to greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands and agriculture, and has made many personal commitments to reducing his own footprint. He has authored over 100 articles on climate change, as well as six books including children’s books, and currently provides policy direction for ClimateXChange and advice for the Scottish Government, particularly on rural policy and climate change.

Dave is a hugely respected figure in the scientific and wider climate change community; our Chief Executive has known and worked with him for many years, and has had the privilege of his informed council and enthusiasm. Dave’s knowledge and integrity, generosity of spirit, kindness, and willingness to share everything he knows, stand him out. He has a remarkable ability to communicate complex science, making it comprehensible to whoever he’s talking to, and we are delighted that he has accepted this President’s Medal.

26 Inspiring Speakers • 54 Fascinating Talks • 14 Locations

2021-2022

Inspiring People

Colin Prior Dance of Black Hats with Drums,Trashigang Tshechu, Bhutan

Illustrated Public Talks

Motivational stories of adventure Expertise on vital current issues Inspirational insights into people, places and planet

We have some fabulous speakers for you, including: RCGS Explorer-in-Residence and cave diver Jill Heinerth, with stories from expeditions into caves from Antarctica and Bermuda to the Bahamas; legendary Scottish mountain climber and polar explorer Myrtle Simpson on her life of adventures; acclaimed landscape photographer Colin Prior on the ice mountains of the Karakoram; explorer, adventurer, writer and filmmaker Benedict Allen; and one of the world’s leading expedition kayakers, Sal Montgomery.

These amazing speakers are only a handful of those we have lined up; for full details, please see our printed programme, available from RSGS HQ or www.rsgs.org/public-events. Tickets are available through www. rsgs.org/events; RSGS members can enjoy free admission, but please ensure you secure your tickets for online talks at least 24 hours before the event.

"The best national talks programme in Scotland"

decades that followed. It is a source of enormous local pride that a man who has contributed so profoundly to our collective understanding of the world was born in Perthshire, and I am therefore delighted to support the publication of this book.”

See page 27 for more information about the book.

An Evening with Colonel John Blashford-Snell

buy a ticket

We are delighted that on 15th Wednesday 15th September we September will be hosting An Evening with Colonel John Blashford-Snell, the legendary explorer known for inventing white-water rafting and undertaking extraordinary expeditions, including the descent of the Blue Nile, and transporting a grand piano through the jungle as a gift to the musical Wai Wai tribe in Guyana.

We have filmed a wonderful in-person interview between Col Blashford-Snell and RSGS Vice-President Dr Vanessa Collingridge, discussing his life and many remarkable adventures. We will be screening this interview and following with a live Q&A with the man himself. Tickets can be purchased through www.rsgs.org/events.

Legacy lifeline: remembering Ian Hogarth FRSGS Legacies are likely to represent the most important source of charity donations to RSGS for the coming decade, and we would urge anyone who is able to make such a commitment to RSGS to please consider doing so. One of our most recent legacy gifts, whilst exceptional, has been a lifeline in this difficult financial climate, and we are grateful to long-standing member and local group volunteer Ian Hogarth for his foresight and generosity.

Ian died in December 2018, a sad loss to the RSGS and in particular to our Edinburgh Group which remembers him fondly.

But Ian was determined to pass on his love of RSGS and geography, and after a successful career he chose to use his house and estate to make generous donations to many charities after his death, reflecting his passions for music, opera, heritage, geology, mining and geography, and his compassion for those with cancer. RSGS was one of his major beneficiaries.

We received the first instalment of Ian’s legacy in May 2020, just as it was becoming clear that coronavirus lockdown restrictions were going to be with us for quite some time, severely hampering our public engagement work and consequently impacting on our ability to generate direct income. In June 2021, we received the final instalment.

Overall, by choosing RSGS to be one of two main beneficiaries of his residual estate, Ian’s legacy to the RSGS is over £300,000. This is a hugely valuable amount for our small charity, making a really significant difference to what we can achieve, and offering some security in what remain turbulent times.

But to us, Ian’s generosity is also priceless. It has been a life-saver for the Society over the past year, and it has given us renewed confidence that the charity can survive, and thrive, over this next difficult period.

RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson said, “Ian was such a lovely man and a committed volunteer, and had been a member for nearly 60 years. I am so pleased he chose to support us in this way, passing on his love of geography to so many others – it means the world to us.”

If you would like to consider making a legacy gift in your Will to RSGS, please get in touch with Mike or Susan at RSGS HQ.

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West Highland trains for bikes ScotRail has launched its new Highland Explorer service with three new carriages which are a first of their kind for the UK rail network, and which aim to help address the lack of space on public transport for carrying large sporting equipment.

Working with Transport Scotland, cycling groups and outdoor specialists, the design team at ScotRail came up with an innovative solution to accommodate up to 20 cycles and bulky sports gear. The redesigned carriages boast space for ordinary bikes, a limited number of tandem cycles, and an e-bike charging socket.

The carriages will be added to a limited number of existing West Highland services to boost capacity. The West Highland Line was chosen for the initial launch because of the access it provides to the rest of Scotland, taking passengers from Glasgow through Loch Lomond and The Trossachs to Oban.

See www.scotrail.co.uk/scotrail-highland-explorer for more information.

The Selkie Race In early August, after a gruelling 52 hours and 52 minutes, James Armour became the first person to swim, run and cycle the entire length of the Outer Hebrides in one go. The race covered more than 180 miles (20 of swimming, 52 of running, 112 of cycling, plus a little extra when allowing for tides) from the Barra Head Lighthouse in the south to the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse in the north. The route was named the Selkie, after the mythological seal-folk that could shed their seal skin to come on to land in human form – much as James did.

Through his astonishing feat of endurance, James raised over £16,000 for the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust (hwdt.org).

The UK is home to over a quarter of all of the world’s whales and dolphins, including killer and humpback whales, common and bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks and harbour porpoises, but these animals are facing numerous humandriven pressures globally and locally, from warming seas, plastic pollution and net entanglement.

Call for new RSGS Trustees At our next AGM, in spring 2022, we will be seeking to appoint up to three new Elected Trustees (members of Board). We are particularly keen to appoint people who are skilled and experienced in public affairs, business development, policy work, or financial management, to help us to expand our charity’s reach and impact over the next few years.

If you have the required skills and would be able to volunteer for us for just a few hours a month, or if you know someone who might be who we are looking for, please contact us on enquiries@rsgs.org for more information and to arrange an informal chat. The deadline for formal nominations will be 14th January 2022.

Scottish Geology Festival

take part

This year’s Scottish Geology Festival will run from 1st September to 17th October. With a fantastic range of events and activities planned across Scotland and online, there’s something for all to enjoy: • visitor-attended tours, field trips and beach pebble events; • events for adults and children who are interested in geology; • talks, virtual tours, ask-a-geologist events, and more!

Visit www.scottishgeologytrust.org/festival to learn more.

Meet the Experts Our new Meet the Experts events offer an opportunity for motivated individuals and organisations to hear from leading climate scientists, policymakers and analysts, to discuss key issues and their solutions, and to ask questions in a safe and informal setting. The series is closely associated with our Climate Solutions Professional course, but all are very welcome to register for tickets.

The first few events covered a range of topics.

Professor Jim Skea and Professor Iain Black explored the significance of policymaking around the just transition for businesses and organisations in Scotland. RSGS President Professor Iain Stewart and Professor Dave Reay from the University of Edinburgh discussed learning and upskilling for the transition to Net Zero. Chris Stark, CEO of the UK Climate Change Committee, joined us to discuss the present and future of UK policymaking. Nigel Miller and Pete Ritchie of the Farming for 1.5°C Inquiry, and Martin Kennedy of NFU Scotland, were our experts for a farming discussion.

Keep an eye on our social media or contact sophie.walker@ rsgs.org for updates about these events.

Climate Justice SCIAF, the relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland, has developed a new education resource that provides learners with real-life perspectives on the effects of climate change on people and planet. It shares the voices of SCIAF partners who live in the world’s poorest countries; those who are most impacted by the climate crisis, but have done least to cause the problem.

Climate Justice weaves together the principles of environmental, economic and social justice, recognising how they are integrally linked, and offers solutions through sustainable development. There are six activities for National 5 Geography within this resource, exploring these themes through global case studies, videos and games. The resource also gives young people opportunities to respond to the activities with prayer and action in their own lives.

For all of SCIAF’s resources, visit sciaf.org.uk/resources.

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Snorkel trails The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has identified two new areas to add to their list of snorkel trails, which aim to get people out exploring and to showcase the diversity of Scotland’s seas. There are now trails for North-West Highlands, North Harris, Berwickshire, Lochaber and Arran.

For each region, SWT creates a leaflet (available to access for free on the SWT website) showing six of the best areas for snorkelling, with safety information and notes on some of the wildlife that may be encountered: starfish, jellyfish, anemones, crabs, seals and a range of fish.

Coldcroft Shires Challenge Over the summer, Jamie Alcock undertook an epic horse and carriage drive from Gloucestershire to Morayshire, to raise money for Police Care UK and The Fire Fighters Charity in memory of his brother John, an Elgin-based police officer who died after being injured while on duty. Jamie and Boo Boo (the border collie) set off from their farm with Shire horses Millie and Willam pulling the carriage all the way, a journey of some 650 miles. See www.coldcroftshires.co.uk/thecharity-drive for more information and images from along the journey.

Firefox in Scots The internet browser Firefox is following in the footsteps of Spotify by including Scots as one of its language options. In the 2011 Scottish Census it was found that 1.9 million people could speak, read, write or understand Scots, yet it has been little used in technological products. Ashley Douglas, a researcher and writer for the project, praised Firefox for showing Scots as the “fully fledged, fully functioning, fully legitimate modern language that it is.”

Miss Jean Butchart’s legacy We were sorry to lose one of our longest-standing members when she died in April 2020. Miss Jean Butchart joined our Society in October 1958, and was a great supporter of our work. We were very grateful to learn that she had decided to continue her support by remembering us in her Will, and in June of this year we received her generous legacy of £10,000. Her contribution was ‘unrestricted’, so that we can focus her donation on the Society’s most pressing needs, and help to ensure that we continue to deliver for geography well into the future.

Climate Solutions We have continued to develop and promote our suite of online Climate Solutions courses, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Stirling and the Institute of Directors, and supported by Zero Waste Scotland.

Designed to promote climate understanding and action at the middle and senior management levels where it is most urgently needed, there are currently 60,000 learners enrolled across the two core programmes: • Professional, including 20 hours of online learning and two dedicated workshops in which participants are assisted to develop a Climate Solutions Plan specific to their own organisations; • Accelerator, designed to provide a basic introduction to climate change and the solutions in just 90 minutes.

Jim Robertson, Non-Executive Director of the Scottish Government, said of his experience on the Professional course: “It’s essentially an executive MBA on climate change and, for busy people, it’s structured so you can do it at your own pace and in your own time. It helped fill in a lot of gaps for me, augmenting the knowledge I already had, and the ability to access subject matter experts was really invaluable.”

The University of Edinburgh has recently launched an openaccess MOOC version of the Climate Solutions course, hosted online at www.EdX.org.

Recently, we have engaged a number of leading climate science, policy and solutions experts to speak at Meet the Experts events – regular Q&A sessions for the course network, also available as individual CPD sessions to motivated members of the public.

For more information about the course, please visit www. climatesolutionsnetwork.com/climate-solutions-course or www.rsgs. org/climate-solutions.

Amazonian carbon sink to source Amazonia hosts the Earth’s largest tropical forests and has been shown to be an important carbon sink. But this sink seems to be in decline as a result of factors such as deforestation and climate change. In a study published in Nature, a team of scientists led by Luciana V Gatti reported on their investigation into Amazonia’s carbon budget and the main drivers responsible for its change into a carbon source. They found that total carbon emissions were greater in eastern than in western Amazonia; south-eastern Amazonia, in particular, acted as a net carbon source.

Over the past 40 years, eastern Amazonia has been subjected to more deforestation, warming and moisture stress than the western part, especially during the dry season, with the southeast experiencing the strongest trends. The scientists found that the intensification of the dry season and an increase in deforestation seemed to promote ecosystem stress, increase in fire occurrence, and higher carbon emissions in the eastern Amazon.

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Coldest Swim on Earth

Endurance swimmer and Mungo Park Medallist Lewis Pugh FRSGS is taking on what he describes as the Coldest Swim on Earth, to highlight the speed at which our ice caps are melting. Lewis has previously swum in the Arctic, Antarctic, Himalayas and English Channel, and has now set his sights on Greenland for his most challenging swim yet. He will be swimming across the six-mile mouth of the llulissat Icefjord, in front of the world’s fastest moving glacier.

Lewis is undertaking the swim before appearing at COP26 in Glasgow to stress the urgency of taking action on climate change. He said, “There is a reason I am doing this – we are an ice-dependent species. Ice keeps our planet cool enough for us to live. The polar regions and high-altitude glaciers are melting, and our collective survival is on the line.”

See lewispughfoundation.org/greenland-swim-2021 for more information.

Ian Marchant FRSGS In August we were delighted to present RSGS Honorary Fellowship to Ian Marchant, who has for many years worked towards climate change solutions in the business sector, notably acting as one of the key business voices in the run-up to the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. He famously handed the then Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson MSP a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as the NGO-led campaign for the Act was asking for a 42% target for emission reductions by 2020.

Ian set up Dunelm Energy in 2013, and he has advised and supported over 80 start-up businesses in renewable energy.

He founded the Scotland Lights Up Malawi campaign for climate justice, and founded and chaired the Business Climate Leaders group, working hand-in-hand with leaders from across Scotland’s private and public sectors, including RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson, a long-standing member of the group.

Hillwalking with Munro It is not uncommon to see hillwalkers take their dogs with them on their adventures, but Aaricia Wiesen takes her cat, appropriately named Munro. Aaricia adopted Munro at the start of lockdown to combat loneliness, and decided to bring him along on her hobby of exploring the Highlands and bagging Munros. The duo’s most recent adventures include Arrochar and Tarbet. Follow their adventures on Instagram @munro.and.me.

Louise Macdonald FRSGS In July we were delighted to present RSGS Honorary Fellowship to Louise Macdonald OBE FRSE, for her invaluable contributions to championing women, young people and the environment. Louise is the first woman to hold the position of National Director at the Institute of Directors Scotland, and was previously CEO at Young Scot for 12 years.

She is an independent co-chair of the Scottish Government National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, and is a founder of the 2050 Climate Group, developed to empower young people to take action on the climate crisis.

Volunteers needed for Local Groups We are currently looking for volunteers for our Local Groups in Aberdeen, Ayr, Borders, Dumfries, Dundee, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Helensburgh, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, Perth and Stirling. Local Group volunteers man the Inspiring People talks and help with local publicity, promotion and fundraising activities. Some also arrange extra events such as Travellers’ Talks, guided walks or coach trips. To learn more about the local events in your area, or to volunteer with your Local Group, please contact us on enquiries@rsgs.org or 01738 455050.

Blog update

enjoy a good read!

Over the past few months, we have been adding weekly articles to our blog, covering interesting topics and news about our Fellowships, awards, projects and releases. Recent posts include: •S ir Richard Collinson and the Search for Franklin: Writer-inResidence Jo Woolf discovers RSGS’s special connection with the captain of HMS Enterprise, who joined the hunt for a lost Arctic expedition;

•A Day of Celebration for James Croll: Professor Kevin J Edwards reports on the bicentenary commemoration of the birth of James Croll, the Perthshireborn, self-taught prodigy who laid the foundations for climate change science; •C 18th Scottish Weather Diaries and an Icelandic Volcano: Professor Alastair Dawson and Dr Martin Kirkbride discover how 18th-century weather diaries shed light on the effects of an Icelandic volcanic eruption on Scotland; •R oald Amundsen and the 1925 North Pole Expedition: Writerin-Residence Jo Woolf investigates the expedition of Roald Amundsen over the North Pole by plane.

All of our blog posts are available to read at www.rsgs.org/blog.

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RSGS projects around COP26 Mike Robinson, RSGS Chief Executive; Sophie Walker, RSGS Projects & Events Officer

As the eyes of the world turn to Glasgow for the most important UN climate conference to date, the UK and Scotland will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demonstrate real purpose and commitment to this defining challenge of our times.

RSGS has in its own way demonstrated a great deal of leadership in this arena over the last several months, including an ambitious programme of work related to COP26.

We are grateful to all of you who contributed to our appeal mailing earlier this year, and wanted to take this opportunity to report on some of our most exciting projects.

The first is our planned special edition of The Geographer, which will feature some of the foremost voices in Scotland and around the globe on the state of the climate, the significance of the UN conference, and the many positive solutions that already exist, at all levels of society, which we can all pursue going forwards to make the next decade one of hope and genuine change.

We also intend to celebrate the progress that has already been made, especially in Scotland, where we have such a unique opportunity to share our achievements and ambition at COP26.

amongst senior policymakers in both the UK and Scottish governments. Our topics so far have included transport, nature-based solutions, procurement, construction, food, creative industries and many more.

One exciting outcome of these events was the launch of a geopolymer production scheme, bringing together researcher Roisin Hyde from Queen’s University Belfast, construction firms, water and waste experts, and funders to help establish the first full demonstration project of low-carbon cement alternatives, due to appear as a constructed feature at the Glasgow Science Centre in November.

Another outcome of the Summits has been our ambitious Five for the Future survey, active across all of our social media platforms and many of our networks, which asks ordinary people across Scotland to answer five questions about the change they would like to see ahead of COP26 and beyond in order to generate a ‘People’s Protocol’ on climate change which will be circulated to senior policymakers.

“RSGS has in its own way demonstrated a great deal of leadership in this arena.”

We will be promoting the most recent Young Geographer magazine, The Climate Justice Edition, to contacts and attendees at COP26; thanks again to our fantastic team of young editors.

Our upcoming feature-length documentary, Scotland: Our Climate Journey, aims to go to the heart of this story, looking not only at where we are now on the journey to net-zero emissions, but how far we have come, and where we are going. We will be arranging screenings of the film, produced in partnership with Balfour Beatty and Finbar Production, in time for COP26 in November, in the hope that it will inspire audiences around the world to follow Scotland’s example and redouble efforts to protect the planet.

We will be providing another wee ‘drop of inspiration’ in the form of a net-zero 45%-proof 26-year-old single-malt whisky, produced in partnership with SCIAF and Glenfiddich. The whisky will be presented to world leaders and delegations at COP26, in much the same way our Chief Executive arranged for COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009.

Another project with special relevance to the Glasgow conference is our publication of a new illustrated children’s book on the life and adventures of James Croll, one of the world’s first climate scientists, who famously worked as a janitor at Glasgow’s Andersonian college in the 1860s.

As 2021 is the bicentenary of his birth, this is the perfect moment to share his story, and the book is already being shared with schools in Glasgow and Tayside, celebrating Glasgow’s historical contribution to climate science and his incredible life story.

A longer-term RSGS commitment ahead of COP26 was to host at least six Climate Emergency Summits to generate solutions to the climate emergency. We have now hosted a dozen of these popular thematic events, enabling motivated people from different sectors and organisations to come together and, with their collective expertise, to highlight ideas and examples of good practice which are then circulated

More locally, we have led a highly successful online summit looking at how Perth could aspire to become the most sustainable small city in Europe in the coming decades, and we will be looking to host one or two key figures during COP26 if it is indeed able to proceed in-person.

Lastly and perhaps most excitingly for our own geographical community, the RSGS hosted a gathering of the world’s geographical societies in collaboration with the International Geographical Union and Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) to discuss our collective and respective responses to the climate emergency, our efforts to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and our potential to make a real difference in the decades ahead (see page 37). A report records the recommendations of this gathering, and contains a joint declaration of action which geographical societies around the world have been asked to sign.

2021 promises us a very busy year-end, but with your help we know that it will be a very successful and high-profile one: of the 18 projects we said that we wanted to deliver for COP26, almost all are complete, and the rest either in progress or contingent on the event taking place. We hope you approve of our work in all of these endeavours, and we look forward to sharing more of our progress in the countdown to COP26.

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Six things the outdoors has taught me about life Hazel Robertson, RSGS Explorer-in-Residence, and Life & Mindset Coach, Everyday Impact

The outdoors is perhaps the greatest of life’s teachers.

It certainly was for me. It was where I learned to fully trust myself. To have my own back. To know that whatever happened I would continue to show up and do the best I could.

Here are six things I’ve learned from over a decade of multiday endurance events and remote expeditions, that apply as much to everyday life as they do to time spent in wilderness.

Decisions have immense power From the moment my husband Luke and I committed to travel human-powered from the southernmost to northernmost point of mainland Alaska, people helped us in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

A salmon fisherman took us and all our gear three hours by boat to our start point – an arbitrary rock on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. People we’d never met received food packages we’d posted from Scotland that we collected on the way.

No one asked why, only how they could help. Whatever you’re dreaming about, make that decision and watch its power change your life.

Focus on what you can control When skiing solo across Hardangervidda, Europe’s largest high mountain plateau, I woke up day after day to fresh deep snow. It could’ve been easy to get frustrated. Especially when this snow was adding days onto my expedition. But there was simply nothing I could do about that. I couldn’t make it snow less. I couldn’t ski any faster. And so I focused on what I could control: my mindset. I used seemingly endless hills as a chance to practise presence. I climbed ten steps at a time, feeling a deep sense of calm. There are so many things in life outside our control. Don’t waste energy on things you can’t change. Focus instead on what you can control: how you think about the situation you’re in.

We are capable of extraordinary things

plan, day in, day out. The consistency. Your ability to continue to show up even when you don’t want to. The trust you build with yourself. Reaching the goal is just a bonus. It’s who you have to become to get there that’s important.

The more you plan, the more you can enjoy the present moment I’ve always loved planning, but expedition planning stepped this up to a different level. Filling up hundreds of lines of spreadsheet with kit down to the number of cable ties. Poring over maps to finalise routes and camp spots. Spending hours filling up ziplock bags with the food we’d eat each day, so that when we were in camp and tired, we could quickly grab what we needed without thinking about it. The more planning I did before an expedition, the more I could be fully present when I was there. The fewer decisions I had to make when tired. I plan meticulously in my everyday life now, planning my weeks ahead of time, and enjoying the freedom and calm from knowing exactly what I need to be doing.

We need very little to be happy For any expedition, everything that comes with me needs to serve a purpose, perhaps multiple purposes. A buff doubles up as an eye mask. A spare layer becomes a pillow. My pulk, a seat. Nalgenes, the perfect hot water bottles. The simplicity of life on expedition soaks into my bones and fills me with happiness. There’s both a lightness and a grounded-ness with having only what you need: food, water, shelter. I’ve brought this simplicity I thrive on in remote places back into my everyday life. I own less and everything I do own is useful.

Just like when I’m packing for an expedition, I’m so careful about what I buy. The same questions come up: “what do I really need?” and “what can I let go of?”

But we hold ourselves back with fear and self doubt. The first half marathon I signed up for, I never showed up to the start line. I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to do it. And so I didn’t.

It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our mind is the most powerful tool we own and we can use it to do extraordinary things if we truly believe we can. During the ‘long stage’ – an 80km section of the Marathon des Sables ultramarathon across the Sahara desert – I was stumbling through the sand, exhausted and sleep deprived after running for 21 hours straight. Yet I believed so deeply I would complete it. And I always managed just another step. And another. There’s always another step if you’re willing to embrace the discomfort.

Who you become is more important than what you do I used to think that setting goals, like ultramarathons or expeditions, was all about achieving the goal itself. But I’ve now realised that’s not the case. It’s all about the skills you learn along the way.

The discipline you practise to train and

Hazel & Luke Robertson will give an online talk on 17 November 2021 as part of our Inspiring People talks programme.

“The simplicity of life on expedition soaks into my bones and fills me with happiness.”

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The Art of Exploration Levison Wood FRSGS, explorer, writer and photographer

I had never been more scared in my life. “Jump! Just jump!” I was a child. A terrified seven-year-old child. Since my earliest thoughts I had dreamed of adventure, but now that I looked down at the swirling waters beneath a sheer cliff face, I was beginning to realise that I was not the explorer I had imagined myself to be. “Jump!”

Right there, in that moment of childhood, I had reached a fork in life’s road. I could never have known it then, but to step back from the cliff’s edge would have sent me on a very different journey to the life that I live today. I might never have gone on to jump out of planes with the Parachute Regiment or walk through war zones with nothing but my camera. I may not have experienced the differences between the sodden heat of the jungle and the baking sun of the desert; breathed in the smells of Himalayan meadows, or felt the ground move as a herd of elephants passed by.

There is a whole world for us to explore, but it will always be out of reach until we take the first step.

Until we jump.

Fortunately for me, I had my father with me on that cliff top, if you can even call it that. It seemed miles high at the time, and there was no way that I could have mustered the courage to jump into the cold waters below unless my dad had asked, “Do you trust me?”

I did. I followed him over the edge, and to adventure. From that point on in my life, I could not be held back.

a moment in time, not for the sake of posterity, but for the here and now, so that we can all share in the dissemination of learning, improvement and collective knowledge.

There is still one unexplored journey to be had for each and every one of us, and that is in the quest for self-discovery – to live a meaningful life. This kind of exploration traverses more than the physical realm, but the treasures are perhaps even more rewarding.

There are risks, of course, and no GPS can tell you how to live a good life. That is why it is vitally important to forge your own path and plot a course towards a life of your own making.

Life is a complicated matter and we all have our own path to follow and mission to achieve. For some people, winning comes easy. For others it may take a lifetime. But what is for sure is that we can all be explorers in our own right if only we adopt the right thought process. So forget routine; now is the time to embrace the unknown, step out of your comfort zone and open the gateway to the art of exploration.

All you have to do is jump.

“Exploration is about documenting a moment in time.”

Exploration is hardwired into our DNA, so if you feel like you are sometimes consumed by an urge to discover new things, to travel or to explore, then you are not alone.

Because it is who we are.

Too often we can feel like passengers in our own lives. We forget that when you retrieve your own curiosity, you can begin to take back control of your life and start sitting in the driving seat.

I can tell you from experience that being a passenger in a car that is out of control is not a good place to be. I was very lucky to survive when the taxi I was travelling in fell hundreds of feet from a Himalayan mountain road. I have been very lucky in many ways in life. I survived the war in Afghanistan too, and some close calls with crocodiles and elephants in Africa. Somehow, I narrowly missed stepping on several bombs in Iraq and Syria. For that, I am very grateful.

I was fortunate to grow up in a stable democracy and I couldn’t have asked to be born to better parents, who believed in the value of education and gave me the gift of curiosity. But even with the privilege of a very happy childhood, I had no idea that my dreams of exploring the world would ever become true.

I used to shy away from the term ‘explorer’, as it felt a bit old-fashioned and fusty, belonging to an era when men wore pith helmets and shot tigers. Now exploration takes on a new meaning and is far more inclusive. It is about documenting

Mosul. © Simon Buxton

Crossing the Empty Quarter. © Simon Buxton

This article has been extracted with permission from The Art of Exploration: Lessons in Curiosity, Leadership and Getting Things Done, written by Levison Wood and published by Hodder & Stoughton.

8 Autumn 2021

Island paradise in Scotland

The importance of outdoor educ

Adventures Scotland

Sal Montgomery, RSGS Inspiring People speaker, adventurer and writer

When I was asked why outdoor education and adventure were important, I started to imagine a world without these things.

It also got me thinking about how different my life would have been.

I’m fortunate enough to call myself an expedition kayaker and adventurer. Me and my kayak have travelled the world, exploring unknown canyons, tackling serious whitewater rapids and paddling off big waterfalls. I’ve even starred in documentaries with legends such as Steve Backshall. How I got here might surprise you though.

Scotland is one of the wildest, least inhabited countries, with some of the most diverse and scenic landscapes in Europe!

If you are a natural adventure lover, look no further. It has it all. Beautiful lochs, rivers and seas that can be explored by paddlers or sailors. Spectacular mountains, which are not the highest but definitely amongst some of the most stunning sights in the world.

From rugged ridges to rounded hill tops with 360-degree views, the mountains of Scotland are the perfect playground for walkers, bikers, and backcountry skiers in the winter.

“If you are a natural adventure lover, look no further.”

Some of the most amazing scenery and opportunities for adventure lie in Scotland’s many islands. The Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland provide visitors with a beautiful wild landscape with features such as Caribbean-like beaches, spectacular red sandstone cliffs and sea stacks, all teeming with wildlife. Exploring these islands through a selection of walks allows an appreciation of these natural treasures, and activities such as sea kayaking offer amazing opportunities to venture to areas only accessible by sea and observe some marine animals up close.

My wonderful family were and still are incredibly supportive, despite thinking that I’m absolutely bonkers. Growing up, I’ve always been the odd-ball of the family – literally a water baby in a family of non-swimmers! Hyperactive, obsessed with water and the outdoors in general, I wanted to spend every minute of every day playing and exploring.

It wasn’t a big shock that I loved PE, or any kind of field trip at school, but my tendency to switch off as soon as we’d go indoors was quite problematic. My teachers even sent me to the local hospital for specialist hearing tests, as they thought this could explain why I seemed disconnected during lessons.

The consultant confirmed, however, that my hearing was fine and I was simply just not listening. Much to the annoyance of my parents and teachers!

Out of the classroom and into the woods, however, I was a girl full of curiosity, intrigue, energy, excitement and, most of all, happiness. The hours would pass by as my childhood pal Harriet and I would run around searching for different plants or insects, building dens and pretending to be wilderness explorers. I’d count down the days until the summer holidays.

Not only as it meant a whole six weeks out of the classroom, but also because it meant Summer Camp.

For my parents, these camps meant periods of respite from my energetic nature, but for me this meant freedom. Sheltermaking, team games, campfires, bush craft, star gazing, climbing, assault courses, raft building – and kayaking! I was in my element and I never wanted to leave.

Little did I know that these camps would introduce me to a sport that would become my career, as well as teach me vital survival skills that I’d use all over the world. My first big kayaking trip to Nepal would have been a disaster if I hadn’t been able to make a shelter or start a fire. I wouldn’t have even known how to put up a tent if it wasn’t for these camps.

My days of summer camp now come in the form of international expeditions and adventures, but the two share many similarities. Whilst involved in any kind of outdoor education or outdoor adventure, we’re constantly learning and experiencing new things. Seeing with our own eyes and doing with our own hands. No textbooks or classroom lessons can ever replicate those things, or have anywhere near as much impact.

Adventures Scotland (www.adventures-scotland.com) is a travel company that provides guided and self-guided tours as well as outdoor activities all over Scotland. They organise some of the best walking, biking and canoeing trips for all levels.

Many of my lessons were spent staring out of the window, but through exploring, adventuring and kayaking, I’ve enthusiastically learnt tremendous amounts about geology, hydrodynamics, weather systems, astronomy, tides and nature. Whilst also taking in the history, traditions and cultures surrounding me, and picking up some basic foreign language skills everywhere I go.

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cation and adventure At school, I was withdrawn, uninterested and disconnected.

I was different and didn’t fit in with my peers. But the outdoors gave me the space to be myself, and to strive.

Confidence, people skills, team work, and a well-developed ability to communicate with a range of people in a variety of circumstances have all come from adventure, but have helped me in every other part of my life also.

Without even realising, interchangeable skills such as organising, planning, researching and time management are continuously being utilised and strengthened. As the adventures have gotten bigger and I’ve become responsible for teams, things like managing and assessing risk, responding to everchanging situations and reacting accordingly, have all become second nature.

active and taking up new hobbies or interests. The benefits of being outdoors are not new discoveries, but maybe it took a pandemic for us all to remember how essential the great outdoors is.

A world without outdoor education and adventure? No outdoor learning and discovering, no connecting with nature and our environment, no playful exploration, fun or excitement. I don’t know about anyone else, but to me that’s a world not worth thinking about!

Sal Montgomery is scheduled to speak to RSGS audiences across Scotland in late January and early February 2022 as part of our Inspiring People talks programme.

Outdoor education and adventure have helped to build a solid foundation of skills and experience, allowing me to push myself and my abilities further than anyone, including myself, expected.

“The outdoors gave me the space to be myself.”

Sadly, the opportunities I was fortunate enough to experience may not be possible for children in the future.

A significant number of outdoor education organisations have not survived the pandemic, with many more being at risk of closure.

Organisations that were already lacking support prior to the pandemic were then hit incredibly hard when restrictions on reopening and restarting of activities were in place for so long. Many people felt the restrictions could have been lifted much sooner, as adaptions could have been put in place.

However, outdoor centres were not seen as a priority. This left many unable to recover and consequently closing their doors for good.

A huge number of people worldwide have found great benefit from the outdoors these last 12 months. The media has been full of people’s success stories of reconnecting with nature, using the outdoors as an escape from daily stresses, finding space, becoming more

© Karen Wyer

© Casey Bryant Jones

10 Autumn 2021

The great outdoors: learning through adventure Ordnance Survey

Many will be familiar with Ordnance Survey and the iconic orange and pink OS Explorer and OS Landranger paper maps, an essential tool for walkers exploring local areas, but also for the more confident and adventurous type who likes to venture off the beaten track.

Since 1791, Ordnance Survey has been mapping every inch of Great Britain, producing maps, data and information which millions of customers depend on.

Statistics suggest that on average every Brit will encounter OS data at least 40 times a day, reinforcing the notion that OS is not just a mapping company but a 230-year-old tech company.

pandemic, the app saw a 78% increase in subscribers; taking the total number of users to over 3.5 million. Data from OS Maps showed a huge increase in usage of the greenspace layer of the app, which includes parks and the urban cycle networks, demonstrating that people were exercising locally.

Data also showed that whilst the length of people’s walks reduced in January 2021 compared to 2020, the total number of walks increased. Brits walked the equivalent of approximately 56 times around the UK coastline in January 2021, compared with 32 times in January 2020.

“At OS we always stress the importance of paper maps. It’s vital to have basic map reading skills.”

The OS Maps app was launched in 2015, and since then its users have added more than 2.4 million running and cycling routes. These routes can be viewed on a map, or as 3D flythroughs and even in real-life Augmented Reality (AR) using the Tabletop 3D feature. When you’re out in the wild you can switch on an AR function to help you identify points of interest and landmarks on your horizon.

To get outside as much as you can is one of the best ways to boost physical and mental health, whether that’s a short walk or bike ride around your local park, or something a little bit more adventurous. It’s free exercise that stimulates the senses, and OS is on a mission to encourage more people to get outside more often, by making outdoor activity more enjoyable, accessible and safe for people of all ages and abilities.

Map reading is an essential life skill, one which was potentially at risk of dying out. However, during the national lockdowns, OS reported a significant increase in people creating new local routes with the OS Maps app for their daily exercise and weekend rambles. As a result of the

Edinburgh greenspace.

When it comes to maps and cartography, it is both an art and a science which helps the end user find where they are going.

To navigate the great outdoors, you need to be familiar with the rise and fall of the terrain, understand the map symbols and the difference between a nature reserve and bracken, heath, or rough grassland. Through OS Maps, users can view their plotted routes in the amazing 3D viewer, allowing them to visualise the terrain and environment.

At OS we always stress the importance of paper maps. Whilst digital mapping and apps are great, it’s vital to have basic map reading skills. Learning to read a map is important because while GPS can get you from A to B, you tend not to notice your surroundings because you are too busy looking down at your phone. OS is about enabling the customer to unlock the outdoors and keep people safe. Today, digital mapping and the current OS Maps app provide valuable anonymous data, and what this data ultimately reveals is that for many of us half the fun of using a map is in the planning stage. It’s the Sunday afternoons or evenings spent studying the map that people love – combined with the challenge of working out where you want to go and what you want to see.

If going on a staycation like many of us this summer, you’ll be looking around and appreciating nature, instead of being transfixed to your phone wondering whether you should turn left in 450 yards.

To keep up with the times, OS has pivoted into digital solutions, like apps and online mapping, but uses its core data to drive a new AR world and make maps fun. With a new geolocation game launching in early 2022, OS will enable players to collectively visualise the great outdoors as they wish to experience and interact with their surroundings. For Ordnance Survey there’s an opportunity to come up with something that can fuse exploration of walking routes in popular areas and gamify the experience.

Players will be able to set goals before setting off on a walk and then they can log their achievements when they stop, rather than tracking the process intently and missing

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the beautiful scenery. Goals might include finding a sandy area, like a beach, or spotting new features of the great outdoors while walking your dog on the same daily route.

The whole point of being outside is to learn new skills, get muddy, become more resilient and enjoy nature. The augmented and geolocation game will encourage people to think about their location, to have a look at what’s out there and consider it before they go out the door. Then, on their adventure, whether they walk to the picnic spot or the local park, they understand that reaching a location will be beneficial for playing the game.

As part of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PGSA), a collaboration with the Geospatial Commission, OS is delivering real value, making it easier for public sector organisations, businesses and developers across Scotland, England and Wales to find, access and use our data. Across the public sector, OS data is used to support several critical services, including public transport, planning, environmental management, and even the response plans to the pandemic.

In addition, OS data is used on government projects to get people active and exploring. A recent example is the partnership with VisitScotland, creating custom style map themes to give visitors the unique knowledge and experience to explore Scotland’s locations and attractions more freely, and empower more people to get outside this summer.

“Across the public sector, OS data is used to support several critical services.”

The way that young people are interacting with and consuming mapping has changed. However, we still strongly believe that a good level of map reading skills is critically important, whether you are reading it from a traditional paper map, digitally, or reading a map on a mobile phone.

OS is proud to be part of the national curriculum and supporting schools across England, Scotland and Wales in teaching map reading through Geography and other subjects via Digimap for Schools. OS runs Digimap for Schools in partnership with EDINA, an online geospatial mapping service designed for all school-age learners.

Digimap is currently used by over 2,000 primary and 1,000 secondary schools around Great Britain, allowing students and teachers to access a wide range of OS maps whether learning at home or in the classroom, and help ensure that their knowledge of geography can continue to expand. During the 2020 lockdowns, OS and Edina made the service openly available to all schools, teachers and students to support home learning.

Nick Giles, MD of OS Leisure, said, “Understanding a map

creates a new sort of relationship with the outdoors – if you can do that at an early enough age, it will carry through the rest of your life. Studies have shown that if you can get someone interested in outdoor activity before the age of 14, it will stay with them. But if you don’t, there is a danger they will always think of the outdoors as something to be driven past and through.

A map is a passport to getting outside.”

Visit os.uk/getoutside for more information.

Ordnance Survey careers Ordnance Survey (OS) increased its workforce by 25% in 2020-21, in a recruitment drive that reinforces its ambitious strategy to demonstrate the valuable role highquality location data can play in driving efficiencies and making critical government and business decisions.

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the value of accurate location data, with OS data being used by the NHS for vaccination programmes and by emergency services.

Location data has also been used by local authorities in the future planning of electric vehicle charging points across the country as part of the shift towards achieving net zero, and for drone deliveries, accelerated when there was an urgent need for essential PPE and health equipment to medical centres and remote areas. Outside of Great Britain, OS has been supporting other nations with the better use of geospatial and in realising the benefits which location data can deliver.

During the lockdown there was a surge in OS Maps subscribers with an 80% growth, and even greater importance placed on OS’s GetOutside initiative to support the nation to get outside safely during lockdown. And with a newly created position of Head of Gaming, OS will be launching its first Geo-location game in early 2022, to bridge the gap between maps and location-based play.

See www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/careers for more information about joining OS.

12 Autumn 2021

Bothy books Dr Rachel Hunt, Lecturer in Geohumanities, University of Edinburgh

It was unanimous: “they will be left open.” So read the minutes of the inaugural meeting of the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA). This charity was founded in 1965 with the aim to “maintain simple shelters in remote country for the use and benefit of all those who love wild and lonely places.” While the history of bothying predates the MBA, and private bothies presently exist beyond their jurisdiction, the MBA stewards around 100 open, unlocked structures across Scotland, England and Wales.

At that same meeting, it was agreed that each bothy would be furnished with a ‘house book’. The ever-expanding archive of house books, now known as bothy books, is a testament to the bothy experience, recording “thankful” enthusiasts in their own words. Scholars within Historical Geography have paid attention to books as culturally sited objects, developed in individual places and able to impart a plethora of insight into the social, economic and political factors which shaped their creation and circulation. The bothy books are no exception in charting the world outwith their walls as well as the activities and identities of those who briefly dwelled within.

Those visitors who “moved their bones on Scottish stones” in search of mountain epics, city escapes, or family memories have relayed their experiences on these tea and midge smeared pages which document the history of this outdoor culture. The poetry, art, and humour contained in their pages speaks to the vitality of this brethren. Images celebrate physical feats, rodent visits, and “the small things” of “nights around a fire with people whose ambitions are no higher.”

These books also speak to a belief in the restorative potential of nature, where visits were an antidote to “city blues” and offered the opportunity to “get my head together and let my mind thoughtfully meander” in “the silence we needed to find ourselves.” Subsequently for many “bothy addicts” these visits are a “fix,” an “annual pilgrimage” where “the beauty of the mountains pays for your sweat.”

Yet there is a dichotomy to this notion of bothy escapism. A plethora of references to the outside world dust the beaten pages of every book. From the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana to the Troubles in Ireland, the Falklands, cold and global energy wars, and even the Top of the Pops. The wider world is stitched into every book, and every bothy.

Moreover, bothy culture is not a monolithic entity but rather a seasonally controlled phenomenon of fluctuating character.

Their physical architectures and geographic placement demand differentiation, where the bothies of the high doss

offer the realm of the climber an often crude, gendered and odorous space, while the valley counterparts are, though not exclusively, the sphere of a gentler clientele, by day at least.

While these informal books offer the keys to a culture, recent publications may not equally steward this heritage. The position of the bothy has, undoubtedly, been transformed through the proliferation of documentaries and books in the last ten years, which act not only as guides to accessing the buildings themselves but also as guides to the concept of the bothy. These buildings, and the act of visiting them, are embroiled within the romanticisation of the Highlands as a playground for adventure, solitude and asceticism which began in the 19th century and continues to mythologise the landscape today.

These changes are not without effect. Some of this interest has translated into positive impacts on bothies; MBA membership rose by 18% in 2019, the sharpest ever hike. This means more funds to repair roofs, add fire safety measures, replace broken stoves or clear chimneys. Nonetheless, membership still amounts to just 4,322 people, far less than the number who visit.

And yet, bothies rely on relationships. With two exceptions as of 2020, bothies are not owned by the MBA and therefore their existence is a product of collaboration between bothy owner (individual, trust or public body), MBA and the public.

Increased use has led, in a minority of cases, to misuse in the form of bothies left unkempt, despoiled by litter and graffiti, or through live wood being cut to furnish a fire. Such actions have long been met with warning but have recently led to open access being rescinded in several instances. Although some remain available on a bookable basis, this fee-based system marks a notable and perhaps irreversible change. Covid-19 has only exacerbated these developments by increasing visitor numbers, placing pressure on a volunteer-maintained system of accommodation, while accelerating the market conditions in which owners can generate lucrative profit from isolated Highland escapes.

“The ever-expanding archive of bothy books is a testament to the bothy experience.”

Perhaps now is a time to take notice of the cultural cache held in the bothies and their books. In order to maintain such provision, bothies need to be considered in current discussions around landownership, rewilding and the rising discussion of, and controls on, the right to land for leisure.

Lessons could be learned from examples such as the Norwegian Trekking Association (Den Norske Turistforening, or DNT) cabin network. While the bothy system is to be cherished for its practical and ideological simplicity, it cannot prevail on ideals alone.

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Exploring the outdoors with Gall & Inglis Chris Fleet FRSGS, Map Curator, National Library of Scotland

Maps specifically made for travel are a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of map-making, dating particularly from the 18th century in Britain. Maps made to guide travel for outdoor recreation are more recent still, burgeoning particularly from the late 19th century.

Commercial cartographers led the way in publishing maps for cyclists and motorists in the early 20th century, and Gall & Inglis’ Graded Road Maps are an excellent example of the genre. Compared to the wider ‘landscape clutter’ shown on Ordnance Survey maps, these maps at half-inch to the mile scale showed just a network of roads, with a clear colour categorisation, along with special triangle symbols warning of steep hills and dangerous hills – a serious menace for the Edwardian cyclist and motorist. “The grading of colours enables the tourist to choose the best roads, and when out for a short spin to select the best roads to return by, with the certainty of finding it accurately marked. This accuracy enables everyone to use the Map with entire confidence.”

The Edinburgh-based firm of Gall & Inglis originated in a printing business set up by James Gall in 1810. His son, also called James, joined the firm in 1838 but left in 1847 to become a Church of Scotland minister. In the same year, Robert Inglis, soon to be his son-in-law, joined the firm, and they became based at 20 Bernard Terrace in Newington from 1878 until their closure in the 1960s. Robert’s younger son Harry was primarily responsible for Gall and Inglis’ Contour Road Book, published at the same time as this map, a highly popular pocket guide to routes for cyclists and motorists with elevation profiles. Harry R G Inglis also had a deep interest in early maps of Edinburgh and Scotland, editing the first volume of The Early Maps of Scotland (1934), and going on to become Vice-President of RSGS in 1935.

“These maps showed just a network of roads, with a clear colour categorisation.”

Gall and Inglis, The Graded Road Maps of Scotland. Sheet 61: The Borders, Edinburgh to Alnwick. Edinburgh / London, [c1910]. Image courtesy of the National Library of Scotland.

View online at maps.nls.uk/view/216547137.

14 Autumn 2021

Underground Scotland: the blackness beckons!

Dr Tim Lawson, Grampian Speleological Group

Caving is perhaps not the first adventurous pursuit that springs to mind in the context of Scotland, with its sweeping moorlands and lofty peaks. It is more often associated with the Yorkshire Dales and Mendip. But Scotland does contain soluble limestone rocks and small patches of karst landscape. Caves are plentiful if you know where to look. For those seeking adventure in the subterranean world, the strip of Cambro-Ordovician dolostone extending from Durness on the north coast down through Assynt to Skye is the place to start.

There are also outcrops of Lower Jurassic limestone giving rise to caves in places like Appin and Applecross. To these can be added sorties into former mines across the country and a multitude of caves around our coastline.

The degree to which adrenaline kicks in as you are about to enter any cave void depends to some extent on level of caving experience and how well you know the cave, but it is always there… the thrill, the risk of the unknown, what you can see determined by the brightness of the light on your helmet. Caves often have tight sections to be carefully squeezed through, with breathing controlled until you can stand up once more. Water and mud add to the experience, and there is always the chance that you might just be about to discover something new, something hitherto hidden from view.

For the cave scientist such as myself, the objects we find thrilling might be more esoteric, but there are few other places where a geologist can explore the structure of rocks from within, the geomorphologist can uncover clues to landscape evolution, the biologist can discover a new species, the sedimentologist can discover deposits laid down thousands of years previously, protected from the elements raging above.

“There are few other places where a geologist can explore the structure of rocks from within.”

So where does one look for information if interested in experiencing Scotland’s underworld? A good place to start is by contacting the Grampian Speleological Group (GSG) at www.gsg.org.uk. Scotland’s premier caving club is 60 years old this year, has a fine library, and has experienced members always willing to help and to impart advice and information.

The club produces guides to all Scotland’s main caving areas, and runs the Scottish Cave and Mine Database, an online portal detailing all Scotland’s known underground locations.

What sorts of things should one bear in mind before setting off to explore? We are all aware that the great outdoors offers remarkable opportunities, but these come with risks – and caving comes with some extra risks! Those exploring sea caves, on foot or perhaps by kayak, need to know the state of the tides and research access routes in advance. Try to find out as much as you can about the caves at the expedition planning stage, and consider caving with someone with the relevant experience or undertaking some basic training in caving techniques (using wire caving ladders, SRT, etc). Make sure you know of any flood risk in inland caves, check the local weather forecast before setting out, and remain vigilant when underground. And above all have the correct equipment: a bare minimum is a helmet, a good quality caving light, and several thermal layers of old clothes; and wetsuit socks in caving wellies, with good knee pads, come highly recommended! Specialised oversuits can be purchased once the caving bug has bitten, or can sometimes be borrowed or hired if caving with an established club like the GSG. The final consideration is the need to appreciate that if you do have a mishap, most of Scotland’s caving areas are a long way from our urban areas, so rescue can be a drawn-out and costly procedure.

Clearly it makes sense to go caving with people, especially those who know what they are doing. Like many involved in outdoor pursuits, cavers are down-to-earth, hearty companions, prone to the telling of a good story once the energetics of the day are done. You will discover muscle groups you never knew you had, find out things about yourself you never imagined, and when people blanch at the thought of going underground and ask you why you do it, you will be able to look wistful and use that well-kent phrase: “because it’s there!”

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Extreme Scotland Andy Torbet, underwater explorer, cave diver, skydiver, freediver and climber

On my second cave-diving trip to the Cave of Skulls, I managed to reach the second sump (a sump is an underwater section of cave), the first person to do so since its discovery in 1974. I pushed on a little further, mapping a new corner of the world no human being had ever touched.

Cuillin Ridge

The landscape of Scotland has a great deal to tell us about the past and present. Not just about geography but about geology, ecology, and even archaeology and history. This landscape exists all around us and we needn’t go to extremes to find clues about its, and our, history. However, going to those locations considered more technical, difficult or dangerous can open up parts of this landscape few seldom see, revealing new sights and insights. By going to these places we can discover and bring back new knowledge for those unable to make these journeys or access these places.

True exploration is about finding out someone undiscovered.

Some adventure isn’t exploration to new, hidden places, but to places which are all too obvious for miles around.

But these are often the most dramatic. The most inspiring of all mountain ranges for me (and I’m from the Eastern Cairngorms) has to be the Cuillin Ridge. A few years ago I decide to cross The Ridge in a day. Not impossible for someone with mountain experience and fitness, but nevertheless hard work. This was not part of any exploratory, scientific or filming project, but simply because I’d seen these mountains many times whilst diving, freediving or sea kayaking around Skye in previous years.

“I pushed on a little further, mapping a new corner of the world no human being had ever touched.”

The Pentland Firth

The mountains are inspiring and breath-taking, and even more so as one tiptoes along the full 12 kilometres of ridgeline, ascending and descending over 3,000 metres and bagging 14 Munros. With a number of low-grade rock climbs to free-solo, and some difficult navigation and route-finding (not helped by the gabbro rock making compasses useless), it is a phenomenal site to gaze, at sunrise, from one end of the dragon’s spine to the other. Here one can appreciate that geology is not simply ‘rocks’ but the building blocks of natural monuments more inspiring than any cathedral.

Renowned as the most treacherous stretch of water in Britain, this highly tidal water lies between Orkney and mainland Scotland. Fast, rapidly changing currents and whirlpools are just some of the dangers. But I crossed it. In a boat made of willow and cow.

In the past year and a half, we have been restricted in where we can go. But we should be thankful that in Scotland we have such diversity in landscape and season that adventure and discovery can be sought by those willing to make the effort.

I’ve been fortunate to work in Scotland, the country of my birth, on some of my BBC filming trips, and a few of my own exploration and adventure projects. The examples are just a taste of some of the places and adventures the geography of Scotland has to offer.

For a BBC series called Britain’s Ancient Capital, which looked at the archaeology of Orkney, I was asked to head a team comprised of the Orkney Ocean Rowers, to paddle a Neolithic boat across the Pentland Firth to see if it was possible. The boat’s design was based on what little we knew of seacraft of the time. The boat was effectively a bowl-shaped willow frame covered in cow hide and slathered in cow fat. No one, not the BBC, the RNLI nor my fellow presenters, thought we stood a chance. But we paddlers, along with the three craftsmen who built it, thought it was possible. We chose our window and made the crossing in a little over four hours. Exercises in experimental archaeology like these prove that the movement of people, goods and livestock were perfectly possible and probably commonplace at the time, and provide insight into what the crafts they may have used looked like.

Cave of Skulls Deep under the Appin Mountains lies the Cave of Skulls.

Places like there not only provide an opportunity to look at the geology and hydrology under our feet, but also provide insight into the paleo-landscape by means of pollen and organics from sediment or, as was the case here, bones from extinct animals that once roamed the Scottish hills.

16 Autumn 2021

Surfing in Scotland, Indonesia and Costa Rica Mark Boyd, Scottish National Surfing Champion

It takes an extra level of dedication to be a surfer in Scotland; the cold acts as a filter for those who don’t have that level of commitment. In turn there are some interesting characters in the Scottish surfing community, all bound together by this passion of chasing waves. Despite the sport’s increasing popularity and ever-increasing crowds in our line-ups, surfing doesn’t have the same mainstream appeal as it does in other places around the world with warmer climates.

from November to March, and the Costa Rican wet season typically starts in May and lasts until November. So you could in theory go from Indonesia to Costa Rica every few months and avoid both wet seasons and live the tropical surfing dream! The only hurdle for many may be the bank balance, as Costa Rica has a very high cost of living which contrasts particularly with Indonesia, which I suppose could help somewhat with striking a balance.

“I spend most of my time at home surfing in the biting waters of the North Sea and Pentland Firth.”

Surfing is a challenging enough sport to progress in as it is, without the added difficulties that surfing in Scotland presents – fickle conditions, freezing weather, short daylight hours and big tides – so one must put in lots of effort at home but also travel in order to surf consistently and improve year round.

© Malcolm Anderson

As much as I enjoy surfing at home I also love to travel, and my favourite places to go include Indonesia and Costa Rica, two tropical yet quite contrasting places and cultures.

Indonesia is famous for perfect big barrelling waves breaking over shallow coral reefs. The archipelago’s population is mostly Muslim (one example of an exception is Bali, which is mostly Hindu) and like most of South-East Asia the local cuisine comprises mostly rice and noodle dishes such as nasi goreng. Most travelling surfers visiting Indo come from nearby Australia; so much so that local impersonations of the Aussie accent are not uncommon to hear, especially in the surf towns.

Costa Rica on the other hand is famous mostly for its consistent beach break surf (although the country is home to a plethora of different types of waves); foods like gallo pinto (rice and beans) and burritos are commonly found in local eateries (sodas); and most of the Tico population is Catholic.

Costa Rica is more influenced by American culture rather than Australian, though Australians do visit Costa Rica too.

There is no right or wrong time to visit either of these countries. However, the Indonesian wet season usually lasts

Peak swell season for both places is in the northern hemisphere summer, with the exception of the Costa Rican Caribbean coast. However, different spots which prefer wet season winds and smaller swells can light up during Indonesia’s wet season, and Costa Rica’s beach breaks stay fun and consistent right through the year.

Despite the appeal of spending an endless summer jumping between these two amazing countries, surfing in boardshorts, I spend most of my time at home surfing in the biting waters of the North Sea and Pentland Firth, wearing 6mm of neoprene, hood, boots and mitts. The window to surf in the winter with daylight is roughly from 9am to 3pm, meaning that getting the tide right for a spot can be difficult. The tropics are great for a break, however, to ‘tune up’ your surfing wearing nothing but trunks and not being limited by the cold for how long a session can last.

Another fantastic destination for the tropical surfing experience is a Maldives boat trip. I have recently been working as an on-board coach for Renegade Surf Travel. The boat trip is common throughout Indonesia as well as the Maldives, as a great option for jumping from reef pass to reef pass on different islands. However, the Maldives’ waves could be regarded as more ‘user friendly’ than Indonesia for less advanced surfers looking to get more reef break experience.

A coaching trip with Renegade would help take your surfing to the next level, could prepare you for Indonesia, but also sharpen your skills for returning to the colder waters of home when it’s time to put that wetsuit back on!

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Autumn 2021

Ice skating on frozen lakes and fjords in Norway Agnieszka Zastepa, Worldering Around (worlderingaround.com)

Wintertime in Norway is a special season. It’s filled with outdoor activities, cosy fireplaces and a lot of fun on the snow and ice for young and old. Crispy air, frosty trees and temperatures below zero make for perfect conditions to enjoy the cold weather outside.

One of the popular winter sports in Scandinavia is ice skating. But Norwegians don’t limit themselves to only manmade ice rinks. When the frost covers the numerous lakes, rivers and fjords in the country, experienced skaters make their way to the wilderness. For many, skating in nature is more enjoyable and exciting than in the city. Sliding through the steel ice on the lake surrounded by the forest, or having kilometres of frozen seawater to skate on the fjord, adds a sense of adventure to this sport.

Ice skating in nature is popular also in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Here, many locals flock to the nearby forests and hills, in search of lakes suitable for sliding on the ice. One of the most popular ones is Sognsvann, which can easily be reached by metro from the city centre. Other lakes frequented by skaters are Nøklevann, Østensjøvannet and Maridalsvannet.

Bogstadvannet is also an interesting skating area. With good conditions, you can often find there ‘frozen art’ created by air bubbles captured under water. On the east side of Oslo lies Langen, a ‘long lake’. It spreads over several kilometres and is perfect for longer skating trips with ‘turskøyter’, which means ‘touring skates’ in Norwegian.

If there is a snowfall, the most popular lakes and fjords are often cleared and prepared for skating by local authorities.

The ice is marked if it’s thick enough, but because the conditions can vary from place to place and can change rapidly, safety of ice skating in nature is always the responsibility of a skater.

Ice skating is also a popular activity in northern Norway.

The best place to try it is in Blåvatnet in the Lyngen Alps.

The turquoise lake surrounded by jagged mountains offers breathtaking views and wonderful skating opportunities when conditions are good.

If the weather is particularly cold for many days in a row, sometimes it can create thick ice even on parts of the sea. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, some of the fjords in Norway are eagerly used by locals as ice rinks. In Oslo, the sea between Sandvika and Fornebu provides for a perfect ice skating trail. The area is often marked by the authorities with

Christmas trees attached to ice, which lead the way from one part of the fjord to another.

When we’re talking about ice skating in natural water bodies, it’s important to mention safety.

This activity is much riskier and requires more knowledge and preparation. Falling into ice-cold water is surely unpleasant but can also be dangerous and lifethreatening.

Before skating, the ice conditions need to be assessed. This includes ice thickness, stability, differences between locations, and mapping out the tributaries.

For ice to be suitable for skating, it needs to be at least 10cm (4 inches) thick.

It’s safer to go on the ice with more people. If you spread out, there is less chance that more than one person will fall into the water and then your companions can rescue you quicker.

You also need to learn the correct technique of getting out of the water. The main idea is to stay calm and paddle your feet, instead of trying to pull yourself straight up. Then crawl onto the ice until you can feel it’s stronger. As a rule, go to a direction you came from since you know the ice there.

It’s important to always have safety equipment with you. Ice spikes are a bare minimum. They help you to pull yourself up and out of the ice hole. A whistle can be useful for calling for help. Take a backpack fastened to your body with a change of clothes in a waterproof bag, and a rescue rope attached.

When you plan to spend more time on the ice, it might be wise to take a helmet and elbow or knee protectors, as well as a skating pole.

Safety on the ice is your own responsibility. There is no safe ice, but only a safe ice skater. However, when done correctly ice skating on lakes and fjords is so much fun!

“Skating in nature is more enjoyable and exciting than in the city.”

18 Autumn 2021

The

Geographer 19

Autumn 2021

The great outdoors All images © Hamish Frost Clockwise from top-left: Tim Howell making the first ever wingsuit descent from a mountain in the UK, on An Teallach. | Rob Lovell beginning the long descent to the foot of the cliffs of Clò Mòr. | Greg Boswell climbing a new winter route on the North Face of Ben Nevis. | Clouds rolling over the Arête du Diable on Mont Blanc du Tacul. | Tim Howell BASE jumping off the Trident du Tacul in the Mont Blanc massif. | Korra Pesce traversing the Aiguille d’Entrèves. | Clò Mòr Crack: a soaring crack line cutting through the heart of the highest sea cliffs on mainland Britain. | Fabian Linge taking air in front of a majestic Lofoten Island skyline. | Low down on the cliffs of Clò Mòr. | Hazel Robertson riding towards the sunset in Glen Kinglas.

20 Autumn 2021

OECs’ importance in enabling field study in Geography Phil Thompson, Development Manager, Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre, and External Lecturer, Stirling University

Scotland has a long history of using the outdoors as an educational medium, from the opening of Glenmore Lodge in 1947 to Outdoor Learning being embedded in the Curriculum for Excellence, there is much to celebrate. Learning outdoors is impactful, hands-on, real and memorable.

Field Studies (or ‘fieldwork’) has always been a key part of Geography. In 1982, practical work accounted for 30% of the total marks in Higher Geography. One aim in the current SQA Higher Geography is to “further develop skills of independent research, fieldwork, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and presentation.”

However, the current Advanced Higher Project Folio says, “Research can, but does not have to, include fieldwork.”

Nonetheless, Outdoor Education Centres (OECs) can provide an excellent environment to carry out fieldwork either as day trips or as a more immersive residential experience.

are cheaper and easier to deliver. Ali Cush, the Education Adviser for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, reports that park rangers delivered 47 geography-focused field visits in 2018-19, and 39 in 2017-18. It is easier and cheaper for a teacher to organise a day trip than a residential, but there is some anecdotal evidence that Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) has improved opportunities for fieldwork with schools from more deprived areas. The 2021 SNP manifesto said, “Learning outside the classroom is an essential part of education. Children should not miss out simply because their parents cannot afford the cost.”

“‘Learning outside the classroom is an essential part of education.’”

In the 1970s many Scottish local authorities opened OECs which were well funded, run largely by qualified teachers, and many of which taught field studies. However, Beckie Davie’s 2018 dissertation as part of her BSc in Environmental Science and Outdoor Education at Stirling University showed worrying shifts in the demography of residential OECs in Scotland. This has implications for the teaching of fieldwork to future geographers.

A 1982 Countryside Commission for Scotland report recorded 163 OECs in Scotland, of which eight exclusively taught field studies. Currently in Scotland, there are 56 OECs. Even allowing for errors depending on the definition of an OEC, there has been a marked decline since 1982, but not a major change in total beds. Larger ‘super centres’ have swallowed up the capacity of smaller OECs to become more cost effective, sometimes putting profit before outcomes.

Many local authority funded OECs have either closed or changed to charitable/third sector status. In 1982, 59% of OECs were maintained by councils; currently the figure is 16%. In a no more scientific method than searching for the word ‘fieldwork’ in current OECs’ websites, only 20 (35%) used the word. In the last few years Kindrogan Centre has closed, and the Inchnadamph Field Centre in Assynt is currently up for sale.

There is no national mechanism for recording school field trips or residentials – it is down to each local authority to manage excursions – but there clearly has been a decline in residential fieldwork, with schools favouring day trips as they

By their very nature, OECs are situated in remote, often mountainous areas. I work for Ardroy OEC in Lochgoilhead, and we have successfully delivered day visits to Higher St Aidan’s. © Ardroy OEC Geography students, canoeing across Loch Goil then climbing a hill to observe and understand the glaciated landscape around us.

There is no substitute to going out, looking at and recording a landscape, and by including an element of adventure in this learning, it becomes more engaging and memorable. Pointing and arm waving is still a key geographical skill!

There are still a few OECs delivering quality fieldwork residentials, for example Lochranza on Arran and Millport on Cumbrae. Lochranza’s website says, “Your course will be taught by subject specialists, Honours graduates with an enthusiasm for their subject and experience working outdoors.” Having this level of specialist knowledge in the industry is becoming increasingly rare.

I also teach on the Stirling University Outdoor Education and Environmental Geography degree, where students graduate with a Mountain Leader Award, meaning they can both safely take people into interesting, challenging places, then explain how it all works. I do take some satisfaction that there will be future educators in Scotland, promoting its unique landscape and helping others to appreciate and understand it.

“Pointing and arm waving is still a key geographical skill!”

Distribution and size of OECs in Scotland, 1982 and 2018.

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Autumn 2021

The demise of outdoor centres and the rise of irresponsibility Cameron McNeish, author and mountaineer

My PE teacher called me into his office. I was 15 years of age. “Would you like to go to Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore for a fortnight? The outdoor education course is subsidised by Glasgow Corporation Education Department but your parents will have to pay a share. Could they manage 19/6d?”

Nineteen and sixpence, less than a quid for two weeks at the UK’s premier National Mountaineering Centre, a place that subsequently showed me the outdoor experience was infinitely more than a walk in the countryside with my parents, an outdoor experience that was a foundation for a lifetime of hill and mountain wandering. With top instructors like Eric Langmuir, Clive Freshwater, Jack Thompson, Liam Carver and others, I learned not only the skills of mountaincraft but, more importantly, what my relationship was to the natural world and the responsibilities that relationship placed upon me.

In the 50s and 60s, schools courses like the one I attended at Glenmore Lodge were designed to help youngsters develop personally against a background of outdoor activities.

As local authorities acquired and built outdoor centres throughout the country, a shift in the Lodge’s role took place, away from hosting schools to a focus on training and qualifying adults to lead youngsters safely and competently.

I was lucky. As a young teenager I learned from older, more experienced climbers. We spent much of our time in Glen Coe and, when the weather was bad, we ‘padded’ around the tops rather than rock climb on wet greasy rock, and it was during those outings that I first learned to distinguish between a golden eagle and a buzzard, or between a ring ouzel and a blackbird, a meadow pipit and a skylark. During our climbs I learned the difference between schist and quartzite, andesite and granite, and during one impromptu geology lesson from an old gangrel (he was probably about 30 but seemed old to me) I sat flabbergasted as he explained how the rock I was climbing on was part of an ancient volcano that erupted through and onto a land surface of Dalradian metamorphic rocks about 420 million years before. My very first geology lesson, and the subject has fascinated me ever since.

people many of whom lack the basic understanding of the vital connection between human life and the natural world.

Climate change is the biggest threat to mankind since the last Ice Age and we must understand the challenges we face.

We need to be more aware of how much we are reliant on the planet. It’s the planet that sustains us and it’s the planet that provides for us. We have to stop abusing it, for in abusing it we abuse ourselves and our grandchildren’s future. We must stop worshipping at the altar of increased GDP and continual growth, issues that are simply unsustainable. We must decarbonise our economy, consider changing to plantbased diets and travel less. Crucially, we need to consider the natural world as a cathedral in which we worship, a place where we are sustained and uplifted, rather than places to be conquered and controlled for monetary or personal gain.

Traditionally we learned such things at school, as part of an outdoor education programme or at education authority outdoor centres, but with the mass closure of such centres we have robbed our young people of valuable learning resources, we have diminished their understanding of the natural world, and we have stolen from them the knowledge and experience of something that is bigger than our humancentred ambitions. The closure of outdoor centres must stop, and outdoor education should be given equal status with the three ‘r’s before it is too late.

“We need to be more aware of how much we are reliant on the planet.”

Those early years taught me the natural world is infinitely more than just a playground or a gymnasium. It’s an incredibly ancient, evolving home for countless other creatures and plants. I occasionally wonder just how much youngsters actually learn when they are taught to climb on an indoor climbing wall.

More recently, such one-to-one teaching and learning was lost as mountaineering clubs became reluctant to take youngsters out in the hills because of new clearance rules caused by the nation’s growing fear about paedophilia and abuse. And following the UK Government’s years of austerity, local councils with dwindling resources chose cuts in schools’ outdoor education programmes, which led to the demise of residential outdoor centres. The result is a generation of young people who are strangers to the countryside, city-bred youngsters who have no idea of simple tasks like lighting and controlling a small fire, how to find their way around with a map and compass, or the importance of closing gates behind them. Or put simply, how to behave responsibly in the countryside. Even more concerning, especially as climate change becomes a reality, we have a generation of young

In Come by the Hills, Cameron McNeish shares memories of places and landscapes, people and stories. See the back page for details and a Reader Offer.

Cameron McNeish is scheduled to speak to RSGS audiences across the south of Scotland in late February and early March 2022 as part of our Inspiring People talks programme.

22 Autumn 2021

The future of UK nature conservation Lucy Constable, Comms & Digital Marketing Manager, Raleigh International

Scottish rainforest is rare native woodland found on the west coast of Scotland. Home to a vast variety of native trees and some of the world’s rarest lichens, liverworts, fungi and ferns, Scotland’s rainforest is one of only seven rainforests left in the United Kingdom and is an important natural landscape.

While significant for its unique biodiversity, Scotland’s rainforest also supports wildlife and is vital for eco-tourism and local livelihoods, which supports the communities living within and around the rainforest.

But Scottish rainforest is under threat.

Only 30,000 hectares of Scottish rainforest remain – making up just 2% of Scotland’s total woodland cover – but this is threatened by the spread of invasive plant species, overgrazing, tree disease, air pollution, and climate change.

The rhododendron poses one of the greatest risks to Scottish rainforest. As an invasive species, the rhododendron is a beautiful but deadly plant which has slowly taken over 40% of Scotland’s rainforest. This causes biodiversity loss by outcompeting native trees and shading out other rare plant life.

But the volunteers are not only taking physical action for the environment. Through the Re:Green programme young people are learning more about environmental campaigning and are taking part in a crash course on conserving nature, building practical conservation skills which they can take with them after the programme. Through the experience, skills and knowledge they develop on the Re:Green programme, young people are being supported to become nature conservationists, to preserve not just Scottish rainforest but also nature across the UK.

“Young people today can hold the key to protecting the UK’s natural environment.”

Overgrazing by wildlife also threatens Scottish rainforest. While deer are a key part of the woodland ecosystems, a high amount of rainforest sites have been so overgrazed by deer that much of the plant life they have consumed may no longer be able to regenerate naturally.

The threats to these rare woodlands are slowly resulting in biodiversity loss and contributing to the gradual decline of important and ancient natural landscapes. But young people from across the UK are now taking action to protect them.

Raleigh International’s Re:Green programme is working through young volunteers to protect Scottish rainforest and its surrounding native woodlands. Working with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest, a voluntary partnership of more than 20 organisations, the Re:Green programme takes young volunteers into the heart of the rainforest to root out and cut down the invasive rhododendron while supporting with treeplanting and wildlife monitoring.

Moss-covered trees and fallen branches at Barnluasgan, Argyll. © Lorne Gill |NatureScot

Building a generation of young environmental champions in this way is vital for our green future. Across the UK, woodland makes up only 13% of total land cover; this is almost three times less than the average woodland cover of 37% across the EU. Tree cover has been in decline and, over the last 20 years, more than 480,000 hectares of tree cover has been lost UK-wide. On a local scale this negatively impacts native wildlife and is detrimental to communities which benefit from treescapes for health and wellbeing, while on a global scale decreasing tree cover is a dangerous contributor to climate change due to the ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas causing global warming.

Young people today can hold the key to protecting the UK’s natural environment. They are the most socially conscious generation ever and are passionate about tackling the challenges we face from climate change. We saw this just two years ago, before the pandemic, when thousands of UK young people joined global youth to stand up for climate action during the world’s biggest climate protests, where they voiced their passion to save our planet. Young people are driven to protect our environment for the future – their future.

By harnessing, nurturing and, crucially, investing in this passion of young people to preserve nature, we can protect our rarest natural landscapes. Through educating young people and providing them with the projects and platforms to engage in nature conservation, we can protect Scotland’s rainforest, and from there, nature across the rest of the UK.

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Autumn 2021

Scotland’s Next Generation The Outward Bound Trust

for me in many ways, starting with feeling that I had someone to support me. Before being awarded my place, I always had to do things for myself.

The Outward Bound Trust are an educational charity that helps young people to defy their limitations through learning and adventures in the wild.

They have six residential centres across the UK, with one in the Scottish Highlands at Loch Eil. Their outdoor education programmes are designed to challenge young people to never give up, to change their perspective, and to realise they are capable of more than they ever thought possible.

Every year, over 5,000 young people want to come to Outward Bound Loch Eil. They’re from 150 schools and youth organisations from all over Scotland. And 90% of participants need some financial help to attend.

Scotland’s Next Generation is a life-changing programme that targets disadvantaged young people aged 15-19 years old from anywhere in Scotland. Young people who, through circumstances beyond their control, face multiple challenges in life and certainly don’t have the financial means to access the same opportunities as their peers.

As part of Scotland’s Next Generation, they take part in a two- or three-week Outward Bound learning and adventure programme at our Loch Eil centre. Here they’re taken out of their comfort zone, journeying to places they have never been to before. They row across lochs and hike in the mountains. Then scramble up waterfalls and camp under the stars.

These adventures in the wild are used to teach them the most important lesson they could ever learn: to believe in themselves.

Arianna was a Scotland’s Next Generation participant in 2019. Here’s her story, and how what she learned has helped her in the last 18 months…

I learned many skills on the course through a wide variety of adventure activities that really pushed me outside of my comfort zone: long and challenging expeditions, water activities, rock climbing and abseiling. I was also working with other young people I had never met before. In 19 days I developed so much, I built some great relationships with my group and we still keep in touch. The course has definitely made a big impact on the person I am today and has helped me over the last year of Covid.

When you are at Outward Bound it really pushes you to your limits and helps you realise who you are and what you are capable of. Whenever I have felt down about things during Covid, I remembered all the things I achieved on my course, that I had overcome difficult challenges and I’d done this by keeping a positive mindset.

Outward Bound gave me courage to go after the things I love, to pursue my dreams and to be happy with who I am. I have learned it’s okay to ask for help and my confidence has increased. My plans came to a stop in March 2020, but I realised I have it in me to adapt. Outward Bound taught me to be proactive. Now instead of thinking I can’t do it, I think, “you know what – with hard work I can do this.” I use this now in everyday life. I know that whatever the future holds for me, I will succeed.

“These adventures in the wild are used to teach them the most important lesson they could ever learn: to believe in themselves.”

I’m Arianna, I’m 18 and originally from the Scottish Borders although I now live and study in Edinburgh. I was awarded a fully-funded place on Scotland’s Next Generation through the Young Scot Rewards Scheme in 2019. That summer I spent 19 days at Outward Bound Loch Eil. My experience was so powerful

Outward Bound in Scotland need to fundraise over £750,000 every year so that disadvantaged young people can attend their programmes without facing any discrimination. Outdoor learning and adventure gives young people skills for life. Learning that will last them far beyond their classroom walls.

Outward Bound work with young people from all over Scotland every year. If you think Outward Bound could help your pupils, youth group or an individual to realise just what they’re capable of, please get in touch. Email m.davidson@ outwardbound.org.uk or visit outwardbound.org.uk/Scotland.

24 Autumn 2021

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Jo Woolf FRSGS, RSGS Writer-in-Residence

In 2006, the RSGS’s Livingstone Medal was given not to an individual person but to an award scheme – namely the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. An award winning an award? How can that work? It’s easy to comprehend, once you realise how many millions of young people worldwide have been inspired to experience the outdoors and achieve their own physical goals, simply by participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. In fact, the Award has had just as much geographical influence as any of the other holders of the Livingstone Medal – and, even more importantly, it is continuing to do so.

schools, Boy Scout and Girl Guide groups, Army cadets and many other youth organisations, and it invited young people “to attain standards of achievement and endeavour in a wide variety of active interests.” In a country that was still suffering from the effects of post-war austerity, it caught the imagination of young people and was seized upon not only in Britain but in many Commonwealth countries.

“Millions of young people worldwide have been inspired to experience the outdoors.”

The background From the age of 13, Prince Philip attended Gordonstoun School in Morayshire. This was a new institution which had been set up by Kurt Hahn, an educationalist who had fled Nazi Germany in 1934. Gordonstoun was a school for boys, and its principles were centred around the benefits of physical activity; Hahn strongly believed that, if young people set themselves personal challenges in the field of sport, they would also benefit emotionally and intellectually.

Within Gordonstoun, a ‘County Badge’ system was set up, giving students a goal to strive for; and this was soon extended throughout schools in Morayshire, becoming known as ‘the Moray Badge’. The school motto ‘More Is In You’ reflected the spirit of endeavour and achievement.

The concept As a young man, Prince Philip looked back on his years at Gordonstoun with pride, so in 1956, when Kurt Hahn approached him with an exciting new idea, he listened with keen interest. A project was set up which aimed to promote the development of young people, giving them skills and confidence and increasing their chances of success in their chosen career. No membership would be required – this opportunity must be open to all – and there would be no competition.

“One of the perpetual problems about human life is that young people of every generation have to discover for themselves what life is all about... The purpose of the Award is to help young people gain experience of some of the most rewarding opportunities available to adults in their non-working lives.”

(HRH The Duke of Edinburgh) With the Duke of Edinburgh as the Chairman, the initiative was christened the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The initial plan encompassed four broad sectors of activity: Rescue and Public Service, Pursuits and Projects, Physical Fitness, and an Expedition. Age limits had to be set, and at first the scheme was open to people between 14 and 20 years of age; the upper limit was later raised to 25. Choosing from three levels of attainment – Bronze, Silver and Gold – participants could put together a programme of their own choice; for instance, the Expedition section offered the options of walking, cycling, riding, canoeing or sailing.

The success story To begin with, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was only offered to boys, but such was its popularity that within two years it was extended to girls. It was made available through

New projects were introduced, such as the first Industrial Award Project in 1972, for young people who had left school and were either in training, starting a job, or seeking work.

Prospective employers came to recognise the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as a sign of integrity and commitment, and universities regarded it with the same degree of respect when considering candidates’ applications.

By 1975, more than one million young people had participated in the Award programme. It was now available to disadvantaged people and those with special needs, and it was actively tackling the problems of crime and unemployment by giving young people a very worthwhile and useful goal to strive for.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006, with the explorer David HemplemanAdams leading a programme of celebrations and fundraising events. The Award was granted a Royal Charter, and in a speech that paid tribute to her husband, the Queen highlighted the fact that more than five million people had taken up the challenge, and 120 countries were offering Award programmes: “For these remarkable achievements, you have my deep and enduring admiration – an admiration which words alone can never express.”

The legacy Today, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is available in more than 140 countries. Over eight million people have taken part, and the number of participants continues to increase year on year. The choices open to young people are diverse and exciting: for instance, in the Residential section they can study coral bleaching in Australia, assist with monitoring bat populations in the New Forest, attend a conference on climate change, or help out on a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka.

The Duke of Edinburgh stepped down as Chairman in 2001, but he continued to take a keen interest in the charity’s work. His vision, enthusiasm and insight had helped to steer and shape the Award ever since its inception, and he was justifiably proud of the way in which it continued to transform young people’s lives.

In 2006, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award received the RSGS Livingstone Medal, “in recognition of its outstanding achievements over the past 50 years engaging with young people to encourage self-reliance, commitment, responsibility and service to the community.”

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Autumn 2021

Adventure and outdoor learning in Oman Mark Evans FRSGS, Executive Director, Outward Bound Oman

Travel seven hours from central London and you will find yourself in a land of bagpipes, tartan, ospreys, oil, and beautiful mountain and coastal scenery. But you won’t be in Scotland; you’ll be in the Sultanate of Oman. Both countries share similar sized populations, but that is perhaps where the similarities end: 60% of Oman’s population is under 30 years old, and the five million people are dispersed amongst a land that is four times larger than Scotland, giving rise to areas of true wilderness where journeys can be a serious undertaking, and satellite phones are an essential tool.

Tectonically speaking, Oman is drifting steadily towards Iran, a process that gives rise to regular but thankfully small earthquakes. In the north of the country, the limestone mountains of the Jebel Akhdar range rise to an altitude of 10,000ft, meaning that whilst the capital city of Muscat steams away in 45-50°C in the hot summer months, at altitude temperatures are quite bearable, enabling both juniper and wild olive trees to flourish. Within these mountains one of the largest caverns in the world is located, accessible only by a multi-pitch free abseil – the Majlis al Jinn (meeting place of the genie, or spirits). To the south lies the governorate of Dhofar, and the border with Yemen. Salalah, the second city of Oman, is located here, flanked by the 6,000ft Jebel Qara mountains that are home to good numbers of Arabian leopard, striped hyenas, and wolves. Kissed each summer by the Indian Ocean monsoon, for three months each year Dhofar is transformed into a green, foggy oasis, and is the land once dubbed Arabia Felix (Arabia the bountiful) as a result of it containing something that at the time was considered more precious than gold; frankincense. The Indian Ocean abounds with life; tens of thousands of turtles nest on the beaches; and Oman even has a resident population of humpbacked whales which do not need to migrate to cooler waters each year, as the monsoon brings that water to them.

From Salalah, Arabian sailing ships called dhows would once head out on long journeys carrying frankincense to the large markets to the north such as Alexandria, Athens and Damascus. Camel trains heading north were confronted by the southern borderlands of the largest sand desert on earth, the Empty Quarter, or Rub’ al Khali. Whilst dhow trips were exposed to piracy, camel journeys had to navigate fiercely protected waterholes, upon which life depended, but where life could easily be lost.

Oman has always been a land that has inspired and involved adventure. By 1930, the North and South Poles had both been claimed, and the top mountaineers at the time were probing away at Everest. The last great prize that remained was the Empty Quarter, eventually claimed in 1931 by Englishman Bertram Thomas who crossed from Salalah to Doha in 57

Travel into the largest sand desert on Earth is a serious undertaking.

days. Before spending time with the Marsh Arabs in Iraq, many years after Thomas, the much betterknown explorer Wilfred Thesiger undertook his two great journeys in southern Arabia in the Empty Quarter, journeys captured evocatively both by black and white photographs and by beautifully written books. Thesiger’s book Arabian Sands remains the bible of desert travel writing, and there are still people alive in Oman today who accompanied him as young men on his journeys in the late 1940s.

“Oman has always been a land that has inspired and involved adventure.”

Today, the desert and mountains connect Scotland and Oman through Outward Bound, the outdoor movement inspired by Kurt Hahn whilst he was headmaster of Gordonstoun. Whilst 2021 sees Outward Bound celebrating 80 years of valuable work in the UK, in Oman it was established more recently, in 2009. Anyone who has been on a course with Outward Bound in Scotland will know that the biggest challenge can be the dreaded midges, which always seem to appear at that time of the day when you want to sit down with your group and discuss how the day has gone, and what we can take away from it in terms of learning. Thankfully midges are rare in Oman, where our greatest enemy, other than occasional flash floods, is the relentless sun, and our friend is the shade of a tree. Up until the 1980s, many schools in rural areas took place in the shade of trees, which still act as focal points for community gatherings and desert navigation. Sunset can bring blessed relief from the heat, and those of you reading this who have spent any time in Arabia will know just how magical the night sky can be in the desert, where light pollution is almost zero. In his book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) described the desert fireplace as “the oldest university on Earth, where people have gathered, stories have been told, news exchanged and disputes resolved for thousands of years.” Today, that ancient fireplace performs a new role with Outward Bound, serving as the ideal location for the next generation to gather at the end of a hard and intense day of learning, and reflect on what comes next, and what matters.

So, whether your taste for adventure takes you underwater, into mountains, exploring deep underground, in search of a rich culture and heritage, driving 4x4 Land Rovers, or riding camels deep into the biggest sand desert on Earth, Oman has it all. And it has something else that is of increasing value in today’s wired, 24-7 world: wilderness, and places with an immensely powerful silence. It was the polar explorer, diplomat and Nobel Laureate (and RSGS Gold Medal winner in 1897) Fridtjof Nansen who, like Kurt Hahn, recognised the value and importance of such places when he wrote, “I tell you, deliverance will not come from the noisy, rushing centres of civilisation. It will come from the lonely places.”

26 Autumn 2021

notes from the classroom

OECD review of the Curriculum for Excellence Alastair McConnell, RSGS Education Committee Chair, and Head of Geography, Dollar Academy

There has been much anticipation about the OECD report into the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Designed in 2004, with its roll-out commencing in 2010, now is a perfect time to evaluate how successful CfE has been.

The OECD policy review was commissioned by the Scottish Government after pressure from other parties. Its agreed purpose was to inform the ongoing development of education policy, practice and leadership in Scotland by providing an independent review of CfE and emerging impacts seen in quality and equity in Scottish schooling. It focuses especially on the cycles corresponding to Broad General Education (BGE, taking pupils up to 15 years old) with the brief being to: • highlight key impacts of the approach taken to developing the curriculum to date; • analyse key aspects of education policy and practice in Scotland, and integrate insights from PISA and other evidence from different countries/regions; • highlight areas where further change or development could add value to an ongoing programme of educational improvement.

In general, this report suggests that CfE has been largely successful, particularly in the BGE stage. The breadth afforded by the equal weighting given to the four capacities (successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors) is seen as unique and a real benefit. It is complementary about the concepts behind the policy, indicating that they have stood the test of time, but acknowledges that these will need to be adapted as necessary going forward based on more up-to-date educational research.

It makes it clear that CfE has not delivered coherently for the senior phase (16-18 year olds) with the need for more varied learning pathways for young people. There is a disparity between the status of knowledge in the BGE compared with the senior phase, and this has made the transition between the BGE and the senior phase more challenging for many pupils. The lack of coherence also impacts on the final years of BGE, with the focus moving too early to preparation for ‘high status’ senior examinations.

“From a Geography perspective, it is encouraging that the importance of breadth has been recognised.”

Published in June 2021, the report’s release was immediately followed by the announced scrapping of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and possibly replacing it with a curriculum and assessment agency, and reform of Education Scotland and the examination system. A further decision quickly taken by the Scottish Government has been to remove the inspection function from Education Scotland and re-establish HM Inspectorate of Education as an independent body.

So, what does it say about the state of the curriculum in Scotland, what are the actual recommendations detailed in its 150 pages, and what are the implications for a subject like Geography?

RSGS children’s books Mike Robinson, RSGS Chief Executive We are delighted that our work to engage young people with geography reached a major milestone this summer, with the publication of two new books that we commissioned in previous years. The engagingly written and fully-illustrated books are designed to introduce school children to the wonderful world of Scottish geography and geographers. We hope to inspire many more young people to study Geography at school and, ultimately, to pursue a geographical career.

Both books are available for sale through our online shop (www.rsgs.org/shop). Heavily discounted bulk purchases are being promoted to schools across Scotland, and we are creating imaginative educational resources and lesson plans to help teachers make the most of these new books in the classroom. We are very grateful to all the RSGS members and supporters who contributed funding and ideas to make these super publications possible – thank you.

The OECD report calls for simplification and greater clarity on the roles and responsibilities of national bodies and agencies who support an increasingly empowered education system, and for greater recognition given to the views of children and young people and parents/carers. A forthcoming OECD report on assessment in Scottish education (due at the end of August) and a review of the Regional Improvement Collaboratives (due in October) will all help to inform the overall reform programme which is likely to take place over several years.

The report recognises that teachers are well trained and respected as professionals, but that the constant production and recycling of documentation has become overwhelming,

Horrible Geography of Stunning Scotland This is our brand-new addition to the suite of engaging and informative Horrible Geography books for children, written

by Anita Ganeri FRSGS and illustrated

by Mike Phillips.

There are chapters on Sensational Scenery, Wild Scottish Weather, Staggering Scottish Wildlife, Super Scottish Living, and Intrepid Scottish Explorers – something for everyone!

The book encourages children to see ‘geography’ wherever they look around them, to understand the natural forces that shape our lives, to appreciate the interconnectedness of everything on our planet, and to be inspired by some truly remarkable people. And its cheeky tone and friendly illustrations make it easy for young people to absorb its lessons.

notes from the classroom Geographer The

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so teachers need to be given more time. It suggests that the central position education has in Scottish politics can be beneficial, but has also led to reactionary political responses that are not always helpful.

The report included four themes for improvement and 12 recommendations, as detailed below. These have all been accepted and adopted by the Scottish Government, but any changes will need to consider the criticism around political interference and paperwork overload, and not compound this further.

1 Balance CfE so students can fully benefit from a coherent learning experience from 3 to 18 years 1.1 Reassess CfE’s aspirational vision against emerging trends in education 1.2 Find a better balance between breadth and depth of learning throughout CfE 1.3 Adapt the Senior Phase to match the vision of CfE 1.4 Continue building curricular capacity at various levels of the system using research 2 Combine effective collaboration with clear roles and responsibilities 2.1 Ensure stable, purposeful and impactful stakeholder involvement with CfE 2.2 Revise the division of responsibilities for CfE 2.3 Structure a coherent communication strategy to support developments of CfE 3 Consolidate institutional policy processes for effective change 3.1 Provide dedicated time to lead, plan and support CfE at the school level 3.2 Simplify policies and institutions for clarity and coherence 3.3 Align curriculum, qualifications and system evaluation to deliver on the commitment of Building the Curriculum 5 3.4 Develop a systematic approach to curriculum review

4 Lead the next steps for CfE with a long-term view 4.1 Adopt a structured and long-term approach to implementation From a Geography perspective, it is encouraging that the importance of breadth has been recognised in 1.2. One of the main criticisms of CfE over the years has been the unintended narrowing of the curriculum, with some pupils now only sitting four or five National qualifications. By recognising that this is an issue with CfE, the report should help reverse this trend.

The recognition of the importance of the four capacities and the suggestion of their continuation into the senior phase in 1.3 also places Geography in an excellent position to deliver on these broad curricular aims. No other subject is as well placed to link with other curricular areas, particularly related to sustainability and the environment (responsible citizens).

The RSGS contributed to the findings of this report in a meeting in October 2020, and is well prepared to contribute to the response. The Scottish Government has appointed Professor Ken Muir, former teacher of Geography and HM Inspector of Geography, and RSGS Board member, as the independent Advisor to lead the first stage of the reform programme which is due to be completed by the end of January 2022.

FURTHER READING

OECD (June 2021) Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future (www.oecd.org/education/scotland-s-curriculum-forexcellence-bf624417-en.htm) Scottish Government (June 2021) Curriculum for Excellence: Response to OECD Review (www.gov.scot/publications/ oecd-review-of-curriculum-for-excellence-scottish-governmentresponse)

“The books are designed to introduce school children to the wonderful world of Scottish geography.”

James Croll and his Adventures in Climate and Time In a book bursting with delightful energy and colour, writer Jo Woolf FRSGS and illustrator Dylan Gibson tell the compelling story of James Croll (1821-90), a brilliant-minded Scotsman who is considered to be one of the world’s first climate scientists. The book brings Croll’s extraordinary story to life, perfectly explaining some of the science behind his theories, whilst also capturing his journey of discoveries.

Jo Woolf said, “It was such a fun experience to write the book, particularly as I was able to start almost from scratch and imagine Croll as a youngster, full of curiosity

and enthusiasm. Dylan’s images are so lively and appealing and full of character. They sparked new ideas when I saw them, and that’s how the book progressed.”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP officially launched the book in Wolfhill, Croll’s Perthshire birthplace.

28 Autumn 2021

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) Graeme McLean, Scottish Cycling

Scotland’s amazing landscape, carved by fire and ice thousands upon thousands of years ago, provides the most amazing backdrop for exploration, not only on foot but on bike too (and not only on two wheels but on three or more).

When you think of mountain biking, most think of the adrenaline side of the sport – tough men and women, ‘gnarly’ steep trails where the bike may seem more in free fall than controlled descending, and mud, lots of mud! It’s adrenaline fuelled, exciting and ultimately extremely skilful, and yet there is so much more to this pastime. In Scotland a massive educational initiative is in place, to ensure that the wonderful right to responsible and respectful access we enjoy marries with the desire and need for freedom and exploration… and not just for the adrenaline cohort.

Mountain biking is about the flow, that total immersion to the track and trail, a focus that comes from being one with a bike, feeling the undulations of the ground through hands on handlebars and feet on pedals. Subtle and not-so-subtle shifts in weight keep the tyres in contact with the terrain, like a climber shifts to maintain balance on the rock. Mountain biking can be all-immersive and, for many, almost meditative.

Mountain biking is simply riding off-road, it’s freedom from the stresses and strains of daily life, making the very best of Scotland’s ancient passes and trails that have seen foot, wheel and hoof fall for centuries. Mountain bikers of this ilk tend to be resilient, self-reliant and prepared, but can benefit from new Mountain Bike Leadership/Guiding awards which focus on technical skills, leadership, outdoor access codes, and respect for other trail users and the environment.

It’s not just for the lone wolf though. Our trail centres cater for families and new starts with graded routes, similar to ski centres, from beautiful flowing and wide greens to easier single-track blue routes and more challenging reds and severe blacks. Most of the centres also have a range of facilities such as cafes, bike shops, toilets, bike washes, and businesses providing tuition, to provide a fantastic gateway into mountain biking.

Several initiatives we are leading focus more widely on mountain biking’s physical and mental health benefits, and, through amazing innovations in technology, its increasing accessibility. We now have hand bikes, trikes, electric assisted bikes, etc, and are working with partners to train the first cohort of disabled Mountain Bike Tutors, which will result in led rides being delivered by disabled riders for disabled riders.

A Trail Therapy programme, delivered through DMBinS, funded

by NatureScot, Trek and Scottish Cycling, supports those suffering from prolonged periods of mental ill health through targeted © Frog Bikes interventions. This initiative combines professional occupational therapy support and physical activity interventions in nature with mountain biking at the very core.

DMBinS are also working with women’s groups to increase female participation. Sport and physical activity is so important for both girls and boys, women and men, but when we look at the statistics for girls’ participation in traditional sports, we see an alarming drop during the teenage years.

And this matters; as girls head into their teenage years, the habits and attitudes that impact future physical activity engagement impact them for the rest of their lives. For many girls the move from less formal, less organised activity at primary school to traditional, competitive, and team-based sports at secondary school is off-putting. Here in Scotland, several schools are now integrating mountain biking into the curriculum.

“Mountain biking is freedom from the stresses and strains of daily life.”

So, not just for the gnarly adrenaline junky. Take an off-road bike (in whatever form you ride and whatever speed works for you), and the Scottish landscape, and this quote from the wonderful John Muir, and life can be pretty great: “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”

Both our right to responsibly explore and our managed trail centres bring considerable economic benefits to Scotland from mountain biking tourism. Combine this with a growing number of Scottish companies which are innovating and creating new and exciting products, and this economic impact was already £105m GVA per annum in 2015 – expected to grow to £158m by 2025, if the delivery of the Scottish Mountain Bike Strategy 2019-2025 (the MTB Strategy) is realised.

To achieve this sustainable growth, Scottish Cycling plays an important role in ensuring that effort and funding invested into the MTB Strategy’s proposed actions produce the biggest impact for riders and funders. By working collaboratively, we want Scotland to be recognised as the leader of European mountain biking. © Scotty Laughland

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Team Umiaq: an exploration into sustainable stretch Karen Darke MBE FRSGS, Paralympic handcyclist, athlete and explorer

“Random invite to sail to Greenland…” the email subject read.

I love that an email like this has landed in my inbox.

Immediately I felt excitement. Expansion. For a few years I have had a vision of being on a sailing boat, but rather than taking the helm, I am pedalling my handbike on a static roller, looking out at a vast horizon. It’s been a bizarre image considering my lack of connection to sailing.

There are various layers to our research. Besides testing newly innovated materials made from captured CO2, we will sample seawater to measure microplastic content and contribute to data on pollution and climate change. Our sailing boat, The Quilak, is designed for polar waters, giving access to areas previously inaccessible by other boats or due to sea ice. We will also gather data for a NASA study on psychological resilience connected to research around teams exploring space.

“I can pedal and charge old Formula-E batteries which will then power desalination and filming equipment on board.”

My adventurous gene has been supressed through over a decade of training for the Paralympic Games. I have noticed my soul hungry for other experiences, to be part of teams in different environments, and for immersion in nature and other worlds within our world. My stubborn streak has kept me on the Paralympic road, but ideas of Tokyo were first delayed by Covid, then a significant recent surgery that grounded me to base. My curiosity has grown around sustainability of everything we do: from managing our individual energy to the broader systems which we occupy. I read on…

“Five strong women come together for an epic voyage across one of the roughest seas on Earth, to the Extreme-E rally in Greenland. This all-female team of pro-athletes, sailors, scientists and storytellers set out to challenge perceptions, break stigmas and put to test newly innovated materials created from captured CO2 while gathering hard facts on the ever-changing climate and pollution of the Arctic.”

I knew no more than this paragraph, but what I knew was enough to fill me up with a big fat YES! The time has come to stop the constant hammering of my immune system and begin a new path back into nature and the wisdom it displays.

“Would love to,” I replied.

Thirst for adventure is sometimes perceived as adrenalineled, but the bigger attraction for myself and our team is the discovery, the interactions, the science, the learning and the stories that our journey will unravel.

Team Umiaq consists of: Felicity Aston MBE: acclaimed British polar explorer, Antarctic scientist and author, Felicity is the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica, and has organised and led inspiring all-female and Commonwealth polar expedition teams.

Joan Mulloy: a highly trained engineer and solo sailor from the west coast of Ireland, Joan was the first Irish woman to complete the Figaro race and is currently training for the Vendée Globe race.

Sophia Scott: a filmmaker with over 15 years of experience making films in remote parts of the world, Sophia set up GROUNDTRUTH Global with her two sisters designing and

We plan to go ashore around Cape Farewell at the southern tip of Greenland and visit the famous Viking colony in Qassiarsuk, wiped out centuries ago due to extreme weather change. While the Vikings faced natural climate change, we are facing more rapid and extreme anthropogenic climate change caused by human activities. We hope to learn more of this impact through conversations with locals who are facing the reality of the melting ice around them.

Surprisingly, my rather bizarre vision is also manifesting. I will pedal an aerodynamic carbon handbike designed by Williams Advanced Engineering, the bike that took me to a gold medal in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Redesigned to race in Tokyo, the bike is taking an unexpected change of course too, and will now be sailing across the Arctic. The team at Williams have designed a special system so that I can pedal and charge old Formula-E batteries which will then power desalination and filming equipment on board. For years I have pondered the energy we expend physically on home trainers and how wonderful it would be to capture it to charge electronics. I was inspired by a Scandinavian hotel where you can pedal static bikes to generate electricity and reduce your hotel bill by the quantity of watts generated!

We are exploring ways of being more adaptable and flexible to navigate our uncertain, rapidly changing world. Our diverse team will no doubt generate dialogue around sustainable living, exploring collectively ideas on how to create meaningful change. We may be beyond knowing if the planet is flat or round, but we still have so much to learn to protect and nurture this wonderful world we occupy, and all within it.

manufacturing high performance backpacks and expedition kit from recycled plastic and captured CO2.

Karen Darke MBE: Paralympic champion in handcycling, athlete and explorer, writer, performance coach and inspirational speaker, Karen navigates the world of adaptive adventure and ‘mind-design’ to help people navigate through challenges and change.

Anjuli Pandit: Head of Corporate Sustainability for a major bank and working in climate action, Anjuli dedicates her time to marrying sustainability with investment to push the pioneering field of Sustainable Finance, and seeing business performance through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

30 Autumn 2021

Fixing the litter problem Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland

As Scotland takes another step back to normality, with restrictions eased and people exploring Scotland’s great outdoors, it offers an opportunity for people to press the reset button on those old, bad habits of littering and other antisocial behaviour.

Scotland’s reputation for rugged beauty and breath-taking natural habitats is being put at risk by a surge in more unwelcome additions to our countryside visits: the disposable barbecues, facemasks and used toilet paper left by litter louts, flytippers and dirty campers. As more people enjoy the great outdoors, there is a risk that many of those flocking to the countryside aren’t familiar with the Countryside Code and don’t have prior knowledge of reasonable behaviour in the outdoors – whether that’s shutting gates behind them, or bringing a bag for litter because there will likely be no bins.

Littering is just one issue which has been an outdoor access issue post-lockdown. There is the irresponsible camping, parking that blocks access, public toileting, and general antisocial behaviours of the few (it’s always the few) spoiling it for everyone else. It has an impact on our health and wellbeing, wildlife, and our environment in general.

Aviemore is a thriving, bustling town in the heart of the Highlands, attracting visitors and tourists from across the country, including those eager to enjoy the stunning delights of the nearby Cairngorms and Loch Morlich and those making a pit stop as they pass through. It was also the ideal location for Zero Waste Scotland to trial a targeted communications focus week as part of their litter prevention campaign, Scotland is Stunning – Let’s Keep it that Way.

of the expected ban on certain single-use plastic products. As Scotland moves to increase recycling through the new Deposit Return Scheme for drinks cans and bottles, we expect to see less litter, supporting the need for systematic change.

Not only is litter an eyesore and harmful to wildlife and children, it is also a criminal offence. Research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland indicates that a majority (89%) see litter as a problem in their area. Recently, a third (34%) of the population have seen an increase in litter since the pandemic.

It has clearly been a tough 18 months since the pandemic began, and finger pointing isn’t going to help us build long-term relationships with people and persuade them to use correct outdoor behaviours. We need to work with people and help them get it right. We know behaviourally you need to make it easy for people to do right thing. In 2014, Zero Waste Scotland undertook a programme of research to inform the development of a strategy.

“Pack a bag for rubbish, bring reusable containers and cutlery, and bin litter or take it home.”

In partnership with the Scottish Government and Keep Scotland Beautiful, Zero Waste Scotland teamed up with The Highland Council, local organisations and businesses to implement the week-long trial, providing insight into what communication approaches cut through and make a difference to attitudes and behaviours on the ground. The focus week targeted the area between 28th June and 4th July, using impactful signage, billboards and social media advertising to speak to those visiting the area on day trips and staycations, encouraging them to leave the town just as they found it.

Although Aviemore was the focus, it’s vital that anyone visiting any of Scotland’s rural spaces plans ahead before setting off.

The wider campaign, which encouraged partners, businesses and community groups to download a communications toolkit and have customised assets developed to showcase local beauty spots, reminded people to pack a bag for rubbish, bring reusable containers and cutlery, and bin litter or take it home.

Councillor Bill Lobban, Convener of The Highland Council, welcomed the return of visitors to Aviemore earlier this year but asked that people ‘leave no trace’. He said, “We support the targeted approach from Zero Waste Scotland in Aviemore and see it as an opportunity to educate and change behaviours. Scotland-wide we face a litter emergency, and our countryside, wildlife and people urgently need a change in behaviour to Keep Scotland Beautiful.”

The campaign also led the way for behaviour change ahead

Though some demographic groups are more likely to litter, they may be motivated to do so by particular circumstances that they find themselves in. These circumstances may be influenced by individual, social and material factors which affect people’s behaviour; for example, people’s own beliefs as to what does and does not constitute littering, what people believe is expected of them, and the provision of adequate litter bins.

We are working with stakeholders such as Visit Scotland, who launched a campaign this year, #RespectProtectEnjoy, to encourage responsible tourism.

Fixing the litter problem requires different approaches: education and awareness initiatives; communications activities; infrastructure (bins); enforcement; and better monitoring. Some may argue that it’s just human nature; some people just don’t care whether they leave a mess.

Others may think that because they pay their council tax, it’s someone else’s job to pick it up. Zero Waste Scotland will continue its work to influence positive behaviour change and policy with the aim of convincing Scots to dispose of their waste responsibly.

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Mapping pollution: a family fieldwork adventure Phil Thompson

There are advantages and disadvantages to having geographers as friends and family. Holidays, for example, are often very ‘informative’. This year, with lockdown and home schooling, lots of geographers took the chance to generously share their wisdom. Our family was no different, and in this article, we share our family’s experience of fieldwork.

was adventurous. The range of learning experiences that fieldwork can provide, both big and small, is invaluable.

From problem solving, adapting a methodology or sampling strategy because being outside can raise a few issues, to the importance of sitting down with a snack and taking the time to review the morning’s work. Working with Finn reminded me that these core field skills remain vital. In this year of teaching students online I learned more about the range of skills needed to successfully generate and interpret field data. The next step is to build on these new virtual and online resources, incorporating them into how we teach fieldwork skills, and in doing so improve inclusivity and accessibility.

“Adventure in fieldwork lies in the whole process.”

Finn Thompson, former S6 pupil at Balfron High School With geographers as parents, it was no wonder I ended up taking Advanced Higher Geography. The course is different to the Higher and Nat 5 courses as it places a much greater emphasis on skills as opposed to purely learning knowledge.

The largest component of the course is a self-led study, involving collecting, analysing, and presenting data.

In some ways, had lockdown not taken place, the project I handed in at the end of the year would have been very different. Spending more time walking locally along the River Endrick, and teaching myself GIS, enabled me to catalogue, map and analyse the distribution patterns of 735 items of rubbish I found along the river.

Most of the route was surveyed on foot, at one point roping in my slightly less geographically minded friends to help, but the final wider section of the river was surveyed from a canoe. This was an adventure in itself. Exploring a river that I’ve spent my entire life living beside and seeing my local area from an entirely new perspective was eye opening.

Adventure doesn’t have to be about climbing the highest mountain or visiting a new continent. Adventure is about trying or finding something new, be it GIS or exploring your local river by canoe and foot, and if you can do all that while collecting useful information, that’s all the better.

Dr Eileen Tisdall, Lecturer in Environmental Geography, University of Stirling My teaching and research both involve fieldwork; it’s also very much part of how I think as a geographer. Working with Finn on his project allowed me to appreciate how the students I teach gain their fieldwork skills.

For Finn, the design and collection of field data took innovative and creative thinking which meant trying something new and taking on the risk of failure. This process

Phil Thompson, Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre (OEC) In a previous life I qualified as a Geography teacher, but I am now the Development Manager at Ardroy OEC. This is a varied role, but it does mean I have access to a great toy cupboard!

By surveying the lower section of the River Endrick from a canoe, recording and mapping plastics became a lot easier, and more adventurous in turn. Much father/son discussion ensued about sampling methodology and the height from which we were viewing the river and observing litter. This was very much Finn’s project, but I could see that he gained confidence and was ready to deal with the setbacks that inevitably come with fieldwork. There was a real sense of satisfaction for both of us when we finally paddled into Loch Lomond, the end of the journey – aware, however, that most if not all of the pollution we had recorded was going to end up in the Loch. Sobering stuff.

Each of us gained something different from this fieldwork experience. However, the overall message is that adventure in fieldwork lies in the whole process – trying something new and different, risk taking and problem solving are all adventurous.

The origin of pollution along the River Endrick.

We would like to say thank you to Finn’s geography teachers, Mr and Mrs Youens from Balfron High School, for their enthusiasm and support for his project.

Surveying the pollution by canoe. © Phil Thompson

FURTHER READING

The data collected during this project is available to view and download, along with more information on the methodology, at www.endrickpollution.weebly.com.

32 Autumn 2021

James Terence (Terry) Coppock CBE, 1921-2000 Professor Guy M Robinson, Universities of Adelaide (Australia) and Cambridge (UK)

This essay marks the centenary of the birth of Terry Coppock, who was appointed to the newly created Ogilvie Chair of Geography at the University of Edinburgh in 1965. He retired from the University in 1986, after which he was Secretary and Treasurer of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. He had a major impact on geography worldwide through his role in pioneering computer-based analysis of large-scale datasets. He was termed the ‘founder father of Geographical Information Science (GIS)’. His work in promoting interest in handling and analysing extensive geographical datasets contributed greatly to Edinburgh establishing the world’s first Master’s degree in GIS in 1987. It continues to be one of the largest such programmes in the world. He also played a key role in establishing the International Journal of GIS as founding editor.

Prior to his time in Scotland, Coppock’s chief interest had been in the forces producing changing patterns of land use. In his PhD at University College London, begun after graduating with a First-Class Honours in Geography from the University of Cambridge in 1949, he amassed large quantities of numerical information from the United Kingdom’s annual agricultural census. Initially, these data were used to study long-term land-use change in the Chilterns, but he also appreciated their potential for contributing to a series of national agricultural atlases. He published the first of these in 1964 as the Agricultural Atlas of England and Wales. Two more followed once he had moved to Edinburgh: An Agricultural Geography of Great Britain (1971) and An Agricultural Atlas of Scotland (1976). Both the latter and the second edition of the 1964 book were highly significant as the earliest substantive GIS-based research.

Resources, the Scottish Field Studies Association (there is a Coppock Building named in his honour at the Kindrogan Field Centre), the Scottish Sports Council, the Sub-committee on Scottish Rural Affairs, the Ordnance Survey Review Committee, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

He established the Tourism and Recreation Research Unit (TRRU) within the Department of Geography at Edinburgh in the late 1960s, acknowledging the growing importance of recreation as a user of land. Key work funded by government included a feasibility study for a national land-use survey and several exercises monitoring changes in land use and landscape. As President of the Institute of British Geographers in 1974, Coppock presented an address drawing upon his experience with the TRRU to argue that geographers should make a more substantial contribution in professional and advisory roles to government. This anticipated the huge growth in policy-related and applied research by geographers, and the emergence of inter-disciplinary approaches, which he championed at Edinburgh. Indeed, Coppock practised what he preached, employing a multi-disciplinary team in the TRRU and actively engaging in providing sound evidence to government on which to base public policy.

“He was termed the ‘founder father of Geographical Information Science (GIS)’.”

The quality and value of Coppock’s work was recognised by the receipt of numerous awards, including his Fellowships of the British Academy (only the second British geographer to be so honoured) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was awarded the CBE in 1987 and honorary degrees from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He also was awarded a higher doctorate (DSc) from the University of London. Other notable awards came from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (the Scottish Geographical Medal) and the Royal Geographical Society (the Victoria Medal). He served on the Council of the RSGS for many years and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 1988.

Coppock made major contributions to public life, Terry Coppock left a legacy of a substantial corpus Terry Coppock. Image from Proceedings of the championing the importance British Academy 115 (2003), by permission and of work, much of it innovative but easily accessible with thanks to James Rivington and Hugh Clout. of data on land use as the basis thanks to the fluency of his writing. He generated ideas for informed policy in planning and attitudes that later came to be taken for granted within and rural development. He served on numerous influential the discipline, and which have developed renewed significance committees for government and various organisations, as the growth of ‘big data’ has made handling and analysis including the Nature Conservancy’s Land Use Panel, the Land of large datasets so important in so many different fields.

Data Sub-committee of the Ministry of Land and Natural

© Desmond Dugan

The

33 Geographer14-

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Professor Christopher Philo, RSGS Coppock Research Medallist 2021 Professor Charles Withers FRSGS, Geographer Royal for Scotland The recipient of the 2021 Coppock Research Medal, Professor Christopher (Chris) Philo is Professor of Geography in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Prior to taking up his Glasgow chair in 1995, Professor Philo was at the University of Lampeter. He took his first degree and his PhD at the University of Cambridge, in 1983 and in 1992 respectively, as a member of Sidney Sussex College, and was for six years a Research Fellow in Cambridge before taking up his Lampeter job in 1989. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The award of the prestigious Coppock Research Medal by the Society is made in recognition of Chris’s world-leading reputation as a social and cultural geographer, particularly for his work on the geographies of madness, the social geographies of ‘outsiders’ and, more recently, on the geographies of mental ‘ill-health’ and wellbeing. Perhaps more than any other geographer, Philo has in his many publications demonstrated the importance to geographical thinking of the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault, his ideas of biopower and the coercive role of the state in categorising, managing, and institutionalising its citizens (in prisons, madhouse, asylums, and so on). Chris also has a leading reputation for his work in animal geographies and for insightful and significant contributions to the history of geography, human and physical.

Professor Philo would probably be the first to say that his distinguished academic profile owes something to collaborative work. Those with whom he has worked would be the first to acknowledge his scholarship, courtesy, and critical intellect. Chris is unfailingly generous with his time in support of others and is a committed and painstaking editor as well as a prolific author – always ready to advise others, to support graduate students, and to promote geography as a subject through his teaching, his research, and in working to advance geography’s interests. This commitment is especially evident in his involvement in the UK-wide research assessment of academic research quality. Chris was a member of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise sub-panel for Geography and, in 2014, Vice-Chair of the Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology sub-panel of the Research Excellence Framework. He is currently again acting as Vice-Chair to the Geography sub-panel of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

It’s been a year to remember for Chris. He was this year honoured with the Victoria Medal of the Royal Geographical Society; in holding both the Coppock Research Medal from the RSGS and the Victoria Medal from the RGS, he is only the third UK geographer to do so. Further recognition of

“Those with whom he has worked would be the first to acknowledge his scholarship, courtesy, and critical intellect.” his standing has come in the award of a prestigious Major Research Fellowship from the Leverhulme Foundation. In this three-year Fellowship, to begin this autumn, Professor Philo plans to examine the anti-fascist geographical imagination and the spatial dimensions of writers such as Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt and those others who opposed fascism in their work.

RSGS Medals 2022

nominate someone inspiring

The RSGS’s prestigious Medals and Awards allow us to recognise outstanding contributions to geographical exploration and learning.

We are now inviting nominations for the RSGS Medals 2022. The categories are:

•S cottish Geographical Medal, the highest accolade, for conspicuous merit and a performance of world-wide repute.

•C oppock Research Medal, the highest research-specific award, for an outstanding contribution to geographical knowledge through research and publication.

•L ivingstone Medal, for outstanding service of a humanitarian nature with a clear geographical dimension.

•M ungo Park Medal, for an outstanding contribution to geographical knowledge through exploration or adventure in potentially hazardous physical or social environments.

•S hackleton Medal, for leadership and citizenship in a geographical field.

•G eddes Environment Medal, for an outstanding contribution to conservation of the built or natural environment and the development of sustainability.

•T ivy Education Medal, for exemplary, outstanding and inspirational teaching, educational policy or work in formal and informal educational arenas.

•B artholomew Globe, for excellence in the assembly, delivery or application of geographical information through cartography, GIS and related techniques.

•P resident’s Medal, to recognise achievement and celebrate the impact of geographers’ work on wider society.

•N ewbigin Prize, for an outstanding contribution to the Society’s Journal or other publication.

Visit www.rsgs.org/Pages/Category/medallists for more information and to access the nomination form.

34 Autumn 2021

In defence of humanity, and saving lives at sea Mike Robinson, RSGS Chief Executive

On Oxford University’s Border Criminologies blog, Dr Lucy Mayblin, Senior Lecturer in Sociology from Sheffield University, neatly summarised the refugee situation in the UK: “not that many people are arriving, those who do arrive have to deal with an inefficient and opaque bureaucracy within a system designed to limit success, and yet still most have such compelling cases that they are given refugee status.”

However, recent headlines and online furore have given the impression of a much greater scale and have led to some very nasty exchanges.

The same report went on to describe the Nationality and Borders Bill being proposed in the UK Parliament: “the fact that some of the plans are practically unworkable and will probably never happen does not mean that we should not be worried... Even if none of the plans come to fruition, the idea that boat arrivals in the Channel are a crisis of criminality which can only be solved with draconian laws and military rhetoric creates a toxic politics of fear and hostility... This is a humanitarian situation requiring calm and careful diplomacy which puts human dignity at the heart of developing sustainable responses. Unfortunately, this Bill does not propose such responses.”

The Bill is in danger of turning a genuine humanitarian issue into political theatre. It also legitimises some of the vitriol aimed at bodies like the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which has faced fierce criticism recently from some quarters for aiding refugees attempting to make the desperate journey across the English Channel, and whose staff have faced physical (and even death) threats and persistent verbal abuse, opening them to the risk of more abuse and even the risk of delegitimising their humanitarian mission.

It is a sad day for any society when a humanitarian agency like the RNLI is publicly vilified for acting humanely. The RNLI works under International Maritime Law, meaning it is permitted, and obliged, to enter all waters regardless of territories for the purpose of search and rescue. In response to the high-profile criticism of its work, the RNLI released a statement which included stories from crew members sharing their first-hand experiences of undertaking rescues in the Channel.

“It makes me incredibly sad. It takes its toll emotionally witnessing sad and desperate scenes sometimes daily. It’s particularly difficult when there are children on board. They are normally terrified, screaming and crying. To then return home and face the backlash from people in the community and on social media makes it all 100% harder.”

“I think what you realise when you get to the migrant boats, what hits you more than anything, irrespective of your own thoughts on this situation, is the desperation that they must be in to put themselves in this situation, and then you look at them as human beings irrespective of where they have come from.”

“We’ve had some vile abuse thrown at us. We’ve been accused of all sorts of things. I’ve had personal phone calls at the lifeboat station, people telling me what they think of me by bringing migrants in, but at the end of the day, I reiterate we are here to save lives at sea and all the time we are here that is what we will carry on doing.”

The stories of crew members highlighted that rescuing people out at sea is a humanitarian issue, which comes with human emotions and reactions. One crew member spoke of the lasting effect that experiencing rescues of migrants had on their own life.

“It is a sad day for any society when a humanitarian agency is publicly vilified for acting humanely.”

“The first job I went to that involved a Channel crossing, we rescued this little girl who was five years old and about the same size as my daughter. And she was very scared and obviously exhausted, very cold, hungry. She was wearing the same lifejacket that my daughter wears when we go sailing together, and I now can’t look at my daughter in her lifejacket without thinking of this little girl, and being reminded every time we go to play with our boat for fun, that another family just like ours very nearly lost their lives trying to make it to England.”

RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie said, “I could not be prouder of our amazing volunteer lifeboat crews, who launch to the aid of anyone who is in trouble in or around the water and needs our help. We have done this since the RNLI was founded in 1824 and this will always be our ethos. Every year, our lifeboat crews and lifeguards rescue around 30,000 people. We do not judge a casualty on what circumstances have found them in trouble. Our crews are tasked by HM Coastguard in the UK and the Irish Coast Guard in Ireland to rescue anyone who is at risk of drowning. They go home after a shout secure in the knowledge that without their help, the person they rescued may not have been able to be reunited with their own family. That is why they do what they do.”

The underlying ethos of the RNLI has always been to save all lives at sea, whoever they may be and wherever they may be in trouble. Any other approach is surely unthinkable.

The

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Nationality and Borders Bill Professor Martin Shaw

The UK Government has introduced a new Nationality and Borders Bill, which aims to ‘reform’ what the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, describes as a ‘broken asylum system’.

However, it has been dubbed ‘the anti-refugee bill’ by several organisations working for refugee rights, and is opposed

by Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and Greens. In this article I explore some of its main provisions and the criticisms of them, as well as examining the political context in which it has been introduced.

Like any major bill, this is a combination of different elements, some of which are uncontroversial. Some provisions codify the existing situation, incorporate elements introduced by EU law, and make necessary changes like a simplified procedure for naturalisation which might benefit some victims of the Windrush scandal. However, Emma Harris, an immigration lawyer who welcomes these, writes that “It is incredibly disappointing that the reforms have been mashed up with the abhorrent and objectionable proposals contained in the rest of the Bill, when they could have been passed in a standalone piece of legislation that all sides of both Houses might have agreed on.”

(previously this was only an offence if done ‘for gain’).

Refugee organisations and lawyers argue that all these provisions will make life even more difficult for people who have already experienced trauma and precariousness, while not significantly impacting the numbers of refugees about which the Government claims to be concerned. In fact, the yearly influx has fallen from around 100,000 20 years ago to an average of 39,000 in the last five years. The World Bank puts the total number of refugees in the UK in 2018 at around 127,000, ie 0.5% of the world’s refugees or 0.2% of the UK population. Many countries, both adjacent to conflict zones (like Turkey) and in Europe (Germany), have massively larger numbers.

Many analysts argue that the Government’s real motives are political. Nigel Farage and the right-wing press have created a moral crisis around ‘asylum seekers’ (used, like ‘immigrant’, as a derogatory term) trying to cross the English Channel in small boats. The Government, elected on the back of Brexit which heavily mobilised anti-immigration sentiment, sees the Nationality and Borders Bill as a way of reinforcing its support amongst older voters in the ‘Red Wall’ and the south of England. Patel announced the bill with propaganda which linked asylum seekers with ‘dangerous foreign criminals’. This bill seems to have little to do with faster, more efficient decision-making and more humane treatment of those who will ultimately be recognised as refugees. It punishes genuine refugees, Yeo concludes, “for having the temerity to come to seek sanctuary in our country rather than remain someone else’s responsibility.”

“These provisions will make life even more difficult for people who have already experienced trauma and precariousness.”

The bill’s most controversial proposal divides asylum seekers into two groups: those who have come to the UK directly from a country where their life or freedom was threatened, and have presented themselves without delay, and those who have not. In contradiction to the Refugee Convention, which upholds a right of asylum regardless of where a refugee arrives from, the Home Secretary or an immigration officer can treat those who have come via another country as ‘failed’ asylum seekers, according them inferior accommodation and potentially deporting them to a third country – not necessarily one with which they have a connection. This opens the way to remote offshore detention centres like Australia’s on Nauru.

Although few admire the present asylum system, which condemns tens of thousands of refugees each year to wait in inadequate detention centres for 12 months or more while a decision is made, leading immigration lawyer Colin Yeo accuses the bill of “grafting extra complexity and nastiness onto existing asylum structures.” Much-criticised provisions include making it more difficult to prove that an asylum seeker is a member of a protected group; making entry a crime, which removes the Convention’s protection against penalising refugees; lowering the definition of a serious crime so that refugees convicted of lesser offences can be deported; and making it more difficult for stateless children to gain citizenship. Helping an asylum seeker unlawfully enter the UK will be a crime, even if this is done for humanitarian reasons

36 Autumn 2021

A decade of hope Mike Robinson, RSGS Chief Executive

Every country in the world is under pressure to make commitments to tackle the climate crisis. With every year that passes these will keep getting bigger and bolder, as the impacts of climate change become more evident, as commerce and industry become increasingly dictated to by it, and as consumer demands are more and more shaped by it.

As the annual international climate conferences, including this year’s COP in Glasgow, should make clear, this is the direction of travel for us all. So, almost every government in the world is making bolder and bolder promises, each growing more ambitious, more comprehensive and more significant with every year that passes. Campaigners would argue not quickly or boldly enough of course, but the momentum is indisputable.

second sound bites. We need to slow down politics but speed up bureaucracy.

It will require new funding. We are already borrowing from the future of nature and are in debt to it. We have borrowed from our atmosphere, the soil and the sea. What right have we got to burden younger generations with such anxiety, debt and fear, without doing everything in our power to act in their best interests, and by doing so, to fill them with hope and reassurance?

It’s time we started building up funds to ensure transition and hope for future generations. Let’s established a future generations fund built on renewables, akin to the successful Norwegian sovereign wealth fund model. It was built on oil money in just 26 years to become the single largest investment fund in the world, worth over $1 trillion. Imagine the good we could do with that.

“It will be a decade of vision, of longer-term thinking.”

I would be the first to say that no one is yet doing enough, but the direction of that journey is well understood. And although current global commitments as a whole are inadequate, they are significantly better than they were five years ago, and they will be better still in another five years’ time.

It will require an age of enlightenment. One that will move away from one-dimensional measures of success like GDP.

What if we take the world’s governments at their word? We know action is required urgently; we are already in a selfdeclared emergency. What could the next decade look like?

It will be a decade of encouragement, learning and inspiration, as we build a secure future for the people and places we care about.

For starters, it will be a decade of change. For too long we have lived off an outmoded Victorian model of economic growth limited only by the speed of production. We now know that resources are not unlimited, and that includes our seas, water, forests, atmosphere, and other life-supporting natural systems. We must move away from fossil fuel dependency to survive. But whilst we might find this scary, it is not half as scary as not changing, and if we take the right approach we have a chance to shape that change, to dream and build a future we can at least in part get to choose. Everything is up for grabs.

It will be a decade of empowerment, responsibility and listening to all voices, especially those who are often unheard but most impacted by increasing global temperatures.

It will be a decade of hard work. Change does not come easily. But it could be productive, innovative, creative and purposeful. This itself is empowering, exciting and energising.

Many people will want to resist that change, preferring the known to the unknown. Education on sustainability for all ages will be critical.

It will be a decade of vision, of longer-term thinking – a refreshing alternative to the pace of modern politics – considering eighth-generation thinking and not the current rapid pressure toward short-term policy, reaction and eight-

It will be a decade of excitement, purpose and good news about the actions we have taken.

It will be a decade of innovation and new thinking as we challenge outmoded habits and behaviours. A decade of new priorities and creative solutions.

It will be a decade of altruism and empathy, responsibility and compassion. A decade of people and communities coming together, not pulling further apart, and of everyone helping play a positive role.

And it will be a decade of burgeoning wildlife populations, not shrinking ones. A decade of improving food, air and water quality. Of more thoughtful and equitable use of money and resources. Of forests that are regenerating, not disappearing.

Of seas teeming with life, not warming and dying.

And because of all this, more than anything, this will be a decade of hope. This is the decade we can choose. And if it isn’t this, well what is it?

The

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International geographical societies gathering Mike Robinson, RSGS Chief Executive; Holly McNair, RSGS Communications Officer

In June 2021, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) and the International Geographical Union (IGU), we were delighted to host an online conference of over 60 delegates from 28 different countries, representing many of the world’s leading geographical societies. The delegates discussed their respective and collective responses to the climate emergency and the Sustainable Development Goals, and reflected on the varying cultural and political contexts of climate change across the world.

Scotland has shown global leadership in climate action, so it is appropriate that RSGS was at the heart of this gathering.

We have a really ambitious programme ahead of COP26 based around three core principles of promoting widespread action to deliver domestic targets, tackling inequality by giving voice to those less heard, and promoting Scotland’s global leadership to inspire others internationally. The gathering was a major initiative in this programme.

“‘Our collective influence can make an impact.’”

Delegates from Italy, Israel, Russia, China, Ireland, Colombia and Uganda introduced their work on climate change and collaboratively reflected on them within three key themes: education, research, and public engagement and policy. The subsequent discussions concerned what geography is doing right and what it could do differently. One topic that was particularly emergent throughout the day’s discussions was the interdisciplinary nature of geography, the advantage of which is a more complete understanding of the world, and of the effects of climate change, both human and physical, local and global.

The event also featured ‘provocations’ from several speakers, considering different perspectives on climate change. Mike Robinson opened by speaking of the responsibility and potential of geographical societies to collaboratively tackle the climate emergency. “The geographical community has an incredible heritage, and our shared language of science and geography grants us a strong collective ability for promoting positive global change. Our collective influence can make an impact to inform debate, to inspire the public, and to place geography at the heart of solving this global emergency.”

Student Ellie Kirkland from Perthshire gave a perspective from the next generation of geographers. “Young people across the world have spoken out in the millions: we have given you a mandate. Starting now young people, and really the whole planet, need you to use your expertise and influence to push for the political good will, ambitious targets and concrete actions that will limit global warming as close to 1.5°C as possible.”

Cambridge Professor Bhaskar Vira highlighted the importance of the educational process for encouraging a conversation with students, supporting their role as activists and engaged citizens. “I think it’s important that the conversation that takes place in our institutions of education is a two-way conversation. It’s not us teaching the students, it’s about us listening to the students as well.”

Geography teacher Jon-Paul Davies considered the responsibility of teachers to promote climate activism from students, and the importance of young voices. “Is it acceptable to introduce young people to the myriad problems and challenges of the world, be they natural disasters, death tolls, or predicted impacts of the climate crisis, and then just

The locations of geographical societies that attended the conference.

leave them there? As COP26 rapidly approaches, all of us in the world of geographical education – academics, classroom teachers, and students – have an integral role to play.”

Professor Anindita Datta from Delhi considered the differential effect of the climate change emergency on women. “The climate emergency has translated into constant precarity and in order to provide meaningful interventions, collaborative projects need to be framed around the lens of women’s everyday lives”.

Aran O’Carroll from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) spoke of the urgent need for action and collaboration on the twin climate and biodiversity crises, and the need to demonstrate geography’s relevance to these challenges. “We as geographers know our relevance to these issues. We know that our integrated thinking, our interdisciplinary approach is of great relevance to these things.” The RCGS is now leading on developing a joint statement to encourage the international geographical community to commit to action, and to reinforce the importance of Indigenous leadership and engagement.

The provocations ultimately inspired discussions about the responsibility of geographical societies to seize opportunities for collaborations. As a uniquely interdisciplinary subject, geography provides insight into a broad scope of issues attributed to climate change, and its solutions.

Professor Joe Smith, Director of RGS-IBG, reflected on the event. “This historic gathering is an opportunity for the world’s geographical organisations to challenge ourselves to recognise the broad responsibilities and opportunities that climate change represents for geography. The topic generates compelling questions that the subject is uniquely well placed to respond to, and opportunities to demonstrate the unique attributes of geography. But it also presents us with profound responsibilities to apply our knowledge and skills with urgency and purpose to the task of managing the far-reaching risks presented by mitigation and adaptation to climate change.”

Professor Michael Meadows, President of the IGU, closed the event. “Even as the global population reels in the face of the most serious health crisis in over a century, the climate crisis is affecting all of our lives.

Geographers have a very special skillset in terms of teaching and research that can, and indeed must, be harnessed through the kind of cooperation that the international community of geographical societies is able to foster, to help mitigate the myriad problems associated with human impact on the environment.”

We now look forward to seeing what our societies can achieve together in the future.

Visit www.rsgs.org/climate-action to read the report of the gathering.

BOOK CLUB

38 Autumn 2021

Horrible Geography of Stunning Scotland

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