Scotland as the cradle of modern academic geography in Britain

Abstract

Abstract Academic geography as it emerged and crystallised in Britain in the years before 1914 owed a great debt to Scotland. Focused on Edinburgh, a nucleus of men and women developed who were of fundamental importance in shaping and directing British geographical research and writing in the years after 1880. Factors contributing to the success and strength of the Scottish ‘circle’ include the tradition of practical geographical work in that country together with Edinburgh's role in the late nineteenth century as a centre for studies in the natural sciences. After its foundation in 1884, the Scottish Geographical Society played a vital role as the focus of the growing community of geographers in Scotland, setting an example through its work and publications to others involved in the discipline elsewhere in Britain and abroad.