Perthshire Society of Natural Science
Environment, Nature and Cultural Heritage.
Why did a female Asian elephant collapse and die near Broughty Ferry in 1706? What happened to its mortal remains and what were the consequences for British science? Why had the creature spent the previous twenty years travelling all over Europe? Author and translator Andy Drummond answered these questions and more in an exceptionally entertaining and informative talk on November 27th.
On 9th October, in a talk about recent excavations in Glencoe, Michael Given, Professor of Landscape Archaeology at Glasgow University, showed us how past stories could illuminate the artefacts discovered and features of the area, It was a fascinating evening.
On 17th August members of the Archeological & Historical section visited three interesting locations in the upper Tay valley between Ballinluig and Loch Tay.
Our first stop was at the Logierait churchyard – with its famous mortsafes.
Next stop was St Mary’s Church near Grandtully.
The painted ceiling dates from the 16th Century and is in a truly remarkable state of preservation – given that the Kirk building was used as a cow byre.
The day ended with a stop at the neolithic stone circe of Croft Moraig.
The programme for our upcoming season of Curious Minds is now available. This year we have a series of 10 talks covering the usual eclectic range of topics – from AI imaging of the heart to what happens to the contents of your recycling bin. As normal, the talks are at 7:30pm in the Soutar lecture theatre, AK Bell Library, Perth. Tickets should be available from 30th August via Perthshire Box Office.
Saturday 11 May 2024 marked the culmination of a two-year joint project with the PSNS & Historic Towns Trust: the production of a Historical Map of Perth including many sites of interest over the last one thousand years.
The Map is available in bookstores (Waterstones) and other outlets including Perth Museum, Perth Art Gallery and the AK Bell Library, and can be ordered online (HTT, AmazonUK).
Speakers at the event were:
John Lewington, former President of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, gave an introduction
Professor Vanessa Harding, Chair of the Historic Towns Trust, on “Mapping our Shared History”
Theresa Hughes, President of PSNS Archaeology & History Section, on “A Fair Map of Perth”
Dr Mike Robinson, Royal Scottish Geographical Society, on “A Sense of Place”
David Bowler, Director of Alder Archaeology Ltd, on “A Thousand Years in Twenty Minutes – an Overview of Perth”
John Moore, Honorary Secretary of the Historic Towns Trust, gave a vote of thanks.
In the process, we heard how the geological and geographical settings influenced Perth’s location, culture and history.
A video of the event can be viewed on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/k9cX2zt46YE
The Map is available in bookstores (Waterstones) and other outlets including Perth Museum, Perth Art Gallery and the AK Bell Library, and can be ordered online (HTT, AmazonUK).
On Wednesday 17th January Professor Richard Oram spoke about his recently completed two-year project on the environmental history of the Tay, from the arrival of the first hunter-gatherers until the present day. This was an inspiring overview of the mass of material he is about to transform into a series of books. His gallop through the ages revealed a host of fascinating details, not least that the elites’ monopoly of the hunting forests, however unjust, tended to ensure their preservation. Above all we learned how greatly humans have altered the landscape and the river since earliest times and how seemingly untouched rural spots may be sullied by industrial pollution.
As a policy advisor, Professor Oram is well placed to ensure the lessons of history inform current decision-making.
To see the programme click on the link:
by Sarah Watts, Ecologist and Conservation Manager.
Sarah is a plant ecologist with a strong focus on upland vegetation, restoration ecology and applied science. She is the Conservation Manager of Corrour in the Scottish Highlands and is currently researching her part-time PhD entitled “Improving outcomes in montane woodland restoration”. From 2013-2020 she worked as an ecologist for the National Trust for Scotland at Ben Lawers NNR.’
John Calladine, Senior Research Ecologist, BTO
John tells a fascinating story of where these owls may wander off to, having spent much time and effort to follow their movements by tracking. You’ll be amazed.
From a time of pandemic, members look back over their time in PSNS and think about the future. Please contribute as well. Here’s how.
Looking Back:
Ornithology and Botany
Photography
History and Archaeology
Reflections
“Black Devon Wetlands, RSPB Reserve,” Alison Leonard, RSPB
A introduction to the development of this site and the variety of wildlife to found. A visit to view the site was promptly arranged, but failed to take place, a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic.