Perthshire Society of Natural Science (PSNS) is one of the oldest scientific societies in Scotland, having been established in 1867. Under its parent body, it has four sections covering botany, ornithology, archaeology and history and photography. Now based at the A. K. Bell Library in

Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population o ...

, the society was founded by eighteen women, and by the end of the 19th century, around a quarter of its members were female. Whereas specimens were physically collected by the society's members during its early years, now digital photography is used, along with digital data, to create records. In 1935, the society donated paintings and natural-history collections to

Perth Museum and Art Gallery Perth Museum and Art Gallery is the main museum and exhibition space in the city of Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland. It is located in the Marshall Monument, named in memory of Thomas Hay Marshall, a former provost of Perth. The museum's locat ...

to display in its new extension, which was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York,Civic History of Perth from Medieval Times
– Perth Civic Trust the future

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

and

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...

. The society undertook an excavation at Pitmiddle village (whose history dates to the 12th century) and

Elcho Nunnery Elcho Priory was a medieval Cistercian priory in Perthshire, Scotland, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Location Elcho Priory was located in the parish of Rhynd about three miles southeast of Perth on the south bank of the River Tay. It was the only ...

, and published its report in 1988."Pitmiddle Village and Elcho Nunnery - Research and Excavation on Tayside"
– Perthshire Society of Natural Science (1988) The society's longest-serving member is Rhoda Fothergill, who died in 2019. She joined in 1965, and was its secretary when she retired 47 years later. Many of her papers, such as ''A History of

King James VI Hospital King James VI Hospital is an historic building in Perth, Scotland. Located on Hospital Street, it is a Category A listed building, built in 1750.

'', were published in the journals of the PSNS. Other notable past members include

Charles Macintosh Charles Macintosh FRS (29 December 1766 – 25 July 1843) was a Scottish chemist and the inventor of the modern waterproof raincoat. The Mackintosh raincoat (the variant spelling is now standard) is named after him. Biography Macintosh was b ...

, who was known as "the Perth Naturalist". The society published ''The Flora of Perthshire'', by

Francis Buchanan White Francis Buchanan White (20 March 1842, Perth – 3 December 1894, Perth) was a Scottish entomologist and botanist. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with an M.D. in 1864. After doing a Grand Tour in 1866, he sett ...

, in 1898, using records provided by members, including Macintosh. White identified thirteen species of fungi previously unknown in the British Isles, four of them new to science. He shared this interest with Beatrix Potter, who had often visited the area since she was a child, and they exchanged specimens and drawings. He left his collection of specimens, together with some botanical illustrations by Beatrix Potter, to Perth Museum. Architect John Young was one of the society's early members. His son, George, also joined the society."GPK Young"
– Perthshire Society of Natural Science Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, 7th Baronet, was a president of the society. The building's museum, formerly at 62–72 Tay Street in Perth, was built in his memory in 1881, two years after his death. Another former president was

W. H. Findlay William Hall Findlay (8 November 1911 – 3 January 2006) was a Scottish photographer and historian. Between the 1950s and the 1980s, he took photographs of the townscape of Perth, Scotland, Perth, Perth and Kinross, illustrating its transition ...

, a noted photographer. Around a quarter of his lifetime collection of 25,000 photographs are now housed in A. K. Bell Library,Dr W H Findlay
– Perthshire Society of Natural Science with the rest in the society's possession."Dr W H Findlay Distinguished physician, botanist, photographer and community servant"
– '' The Herald'', 19 January 2006 Fellow photographer

Magnus Jackson Magnus Jackson (25 September 1831 – 27 April 1891) was a Scottish landscape photographer from Perth, Scotland, Perth. He was noted for his use of the collodion process in developing his photographic film. He left around 2,500 glass photographic ...

became a member in 1877."Magnus Jackson and the Black Art"
– Perth and Kinross Council As of 2024, the society's president is David Bowler. He was preceded in the role by Nancy Boyd.

References

{{reflist Perth and Kinross Organisations based in Perth, Scotland Natural history societies 1867 establishments in Scotland Organizations established in 1867 Biology societies Charities based in Scotland Ornithology in Scotland Archaeology in Europe Botany in Europe Photography in Scotland