The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, dedicated to the study of

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated to ''"the promotion of

invention An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an i ...

and

enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterprise ...

"''. The Society was granted a Royal Charter in 1841.

Background

For many years the promotion of invention and improvements of all sorts was the main business of the Society, and its meetings were the focus of a large and active cross-section of Edinburgh society - academics, gentry, professionals such as civil engineers and lawyers, and skilled craftsmen such as instrument makers, engravers and printers. The Society's published Transactions provide a record of changes in technology, and the Society's archive is held by the

National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS) ( gd, Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba, sco, Naitional Leebrar o Scotland) is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. As one of the largest libraries in the ...

, and is a valuable resource to researchers. In more recent times, the Society's meeting programme has been based on lectures given by expert and often distinguished speakers. The lectures cover a wide range of scientific and technical topics, and still with the original aim of keeping the membership informed about current concerns in science, engineering, medicine, and often with a topical edge. Meetings of the Society are held in Edinburgh monthly, at 7pm on Monday evenings, from October or November to May or June. In addition, organised visits are made each year to a research, manufacturing or industrial establishment.

Presidents of the Society

Presidents of the society have been:

Awards

The society awards the Makdougall Brisbane medal, founded by Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane. This award is not to be confused with the similarly named award given by the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. Recipients have included: * 1865: Arthur Beverly, ''for his planimeter'' * David Stevenson (1815–1886), civil engineer * c.1890: William Galt Black, ''for his wind gauge'' * 1892: James Blyth, ''for his wind turbine'' * 1910: David Thomas Gwynne-Vaughan * c.1923: Dawson Turner (1857–1928), pioneer radiologist and D.M.R. Crombie for their paper on ''An Investigation of the Ionised Atmosphere around Flames by means of an Electrified Pith Ball'' *

William Dyce Cay William Dyce Cay, MICE FRSE (28 March 1838 – 13 December 1925) was a Scottish civil engineer. He was responsible for the majority of late 19th century works to Aberdeen harbour. He was described by his cousin, James Clerk Maxwell, as "my best ...

(1838-1925) * 2016: Dr Alison Morrison-Low

Arms

External links

Royal Scottish Society of Arts

References

{{authority control 1821 establishments in Scotland Scientific societies based in the United Kingdom Learned societies of Scotland Science and technology in Scotland Society of Arts Charities based in Edinburgh Organizations established in 1821 1841 in Scotland