Royal Society of Edinburgh

The latest 2026 edition of our magazine, ReSourcE, is out now! In uncertain times, this edition of ReSourcE explores the theme of trust – that of institutions, of norms, of healthcare, of one another. On the cover: Professor Nicole Busby FRSE, Professor of Human Rights, Equality and Justice, University of Glasgow, on how to rebuild trust in public institutions through the power of candour. "It is only by pledging to tell the truth that politicians and others who serve us all can begin the process of regaining that trust." Hear from a range of expert voices on the unseen reality of rural deprivation, what it really means to trust AI, winning back trust in vaccines, the risks of paying for human tissue, and eliminating cervical cancer through renewed trust. 🎨 Connect 📸 Stewart Attwood Photography

Happy 100th birthday, Sir David Attenborough HonFRSE. 🎂 Sir David was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (HonFRSE) in 2005, for what was an already distinguished career in broadcasting. Honorary Fellowships are awarded to individuals of truly exceptional distinction, with international repute and widely known outside their specialism In the citation for Sir David’s Fellowship of the RSE, it was noted that he had “probably done more than anybody else to present biology in a manner and style that makes it not only interesting to the general public, but also understandable and enjoyable.” In a letter to the RSE accepting his nomination, Sir David wrote: “I am greatly honoured by the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s wish to make me an Honorary Fellow and needless to say, accept with the greatest pleasure.” In 2015 he visited the RSE to take part in an event named The Science of Beauty where he gave a talk entitled Beauty in the Animal World. Read more on our website. 📸 David Attenborough speaking at the RSE in 2015, by Gerardo Jaconelli

In the penultimate session of this year's RSE Investigates event series, we were at the @rcsofficial to explore music as a powerful medium for immersing us in the stories of the past, while bringing us together in the present. Thank you to singers and RCS students, Ruairidh Gray and Sophie Bysouth, for their incredible performances of Gaelic song and Leider, alongside Professor Jeffrey Sharkey FRSE, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. 📸Photography by @misslydiaphoto

Throughout the year, the RSE works with young people across Scotland to support learning and help develop essential life and career skills. Our Young People's Programme spans: ✅ Free educational resources ✅ Interdisciplinary schools projects ✅ School talks from the RSE's Fellowship, YAS members, and more All designed to broaden access to opportunities for young people across Scotland. ✉️ Now, you can stay up to date with the latest activities and opportunities by subscribing to our newsletter. 👉 Type into your browser: rse.org.uk/subscribe

How an old folio of sketches and water colours became one of geology’s most intriguing rediscoveries🔍 The story begins in the late 18th century with the friendship between James Hutton, a pioneering thinker on the Earth’s deep history, and John Clerk of Eldin FRSE, a merchant and gifted artist. For over thirty years, Hutton believed the Earth was far older than anyone had imagined, and in 1785, he finally presented an abstract of that theory to the RSE. In his bid to prove his ideas, Hutton set out on a series of journeys across Scotland, enlisting Eldin to record what they saw. Leaning on his artistic abilities, Eldin produced detailed geological drawings and water colours for Hutton's groundbreaking text, Theory of the Earth. Although Eldin’s drawings were meant for the final volumes of Theory of the Earth, they were not not ready for publication before Hutton’s death in 1797. For reasons unknown, the drawings were left unpublished – lost and out of sight. Fast forward nearly 200 years later in Midlothian: Sir John Clerk of Penicuik uncovers an old leather folio filled with sketches of Scotland’s landscapes. After contacting Charles Waterston FRSE at the Royal Scottish Museum, it becomes clear: these are Eldin’s "lost drawings" from his and Hutton's expeditions. Today, the drawings are more than just artwork, they show how Hutton built his ideas from close observation of the natural world, and how disciplines can work together to share ideas. 📷 Images reproduced with kind permission of Sir Robert Clerk

Rethinking the narrative around rural Scotland's economies 🥬 Join us for a panel discussion that highlights rural Scotland as a hub of innovation, skills development, and forward-looking enterprise. From AI and digital technologies to green jobs and nature-based solutions, rural areas are shaping national capability, not just responding to it. Expert speakers include: 🔹Douglas Dickson – Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Dumfries and Galloway College 🔹Professor Alastair Macrae – Personal Chair of Farm Animal Health and Production, University of Edinburgh 🔹Lynne Somerville – Digital Skills Lead, Digital Dairy Chain, UWS 🔹Dr Marion Slater – Vice-President (Scotland and Northern Ireland), Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; Consultant Physician, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary; Deputy Postgraduate Dean of Medicine, Public Services Delivery Scotland 🔹Professor Sandro Carnicelli – Professor of Tourism and Leisure Studies, UWS; Co-Director, CCSE 🎙️Chaired by Professor Sarah Skerratt, Chief Executive, RSE This free event is open to anyone interested in rural Scotland's future. 🎫 rse.org.uk/what-on

"We are effectively taxing the very productivity we claim to want to encourage.” - Sandy Begbie

Scottish election: who gets to belong? In December 2025, the RSE convened a roundtable bringing together voices from across sectors to explore inclusive policymaking ahead of the upcoming Scottish elections. Working with @cassandraharrison7 , we’ve created an illustration to capture that conversation. It reflects a central challenge: policy, data and institutional practices can either enable inclusion or reinforce exclusion. Too often, communities remain under-represented because their lived realities are not fully captured or prioritised in decision-making. At a time of growing political mistrust and polarisation, the discussion underscored a clear need to move beyond rhetoric and embed inclusion in practice, while addressing the systems that continue to produce unequal outcomes.

"Scotland risks producing brilliant ideas that ultimately create jobs and wealth somewhere else.” - Janet Brown, Sandy Finlayson, and Poonam Malik

✨We are delighted to announce that thirteen of Scotland’s most promising academics have been chosen as the inaugural cohort to take part in the RSE’s new Research Leadership Scheme.✨ Aimed at supporting Scotland’s next generation of research leaders, the new Scheme will equip participants with the skills to lead major interdisciplinary research bids that address critical scientific and societal challenges. The first cohort, who represent a variety of disciplines, from geography to molecular crop science and public art and design to sustainable development, will work collaboratively around the theme of Building Scotland’s Green Future. View the full cohort list at rse.org.uk

When communities shape policy, change follows. This new joint report explores how community‑rooted research is already shaping more meaningful and impactful approaches to knowledge and policymaking and why recognising and resourcing this work matters now more than ever. Developed through a two‑day gathering at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye, this project brought together community groups, researchers, policymakers, artists, funders, and public bodies to reflect on power, reciprocity, place, and radical hope in research. Huge thanks to our partners CoDeL, to @sabhalmorostaig for hosting the gathering, and to the Williamson Trust for making this work possible.

In 1783, the Royal Society of Edinburgh was established. Among its founding Fellows was one of the greatest minds of the Scottish Enlightenment – James Hutton. Hutton was a true polymath. His early pursuits spanned chemistry, medicine, farming, meteorology, and eventually, the emerging science of geology. However, it took almost thirty years of observing rocks and landscapes until Hutton presented to the RSE an abstract of his theory on how the Earth had been formed. His theories went on to be published in the RSE’s Transactions journal, in which his landmark Theory of the Earth was published. 300 years on from his birth, the RSE celebrates Hutton’s enduring legacy as the “father of modern geology,” with a programme of events exploring themes from his work, and his lasting impact. 👉 .uk/whats-on/ 🔍 Talks, workshops, Q&As, a guided tour, plus an exhibition showcasing RSE archives 🎫 Book for free