The winning entries for the Hugh Miller Writing Competition 2020 have now been revealed. The competition is a biennial event run by the Scottish Geodiversity Forum, The Friends of Hugh Miller and other partners. It carries the name of one of Scotland’s most remarkable geologists, Hugh Miller (1802-1856), honouring his legacy by inspiring new, original prose and poetry on the theme of Scotland’s geological heritage.

This year entries were inspired by the 51 Best Places to See Scotland’s Geology. Winning entries covered a wide variety of locations from Staffa to the Cairngorms, celebrating the diversity and beauty of Scotland’s rocks. The judges and organisers were delighted by the increased interest from previous years, particularly numbers of entries received in the under-18 category.

You can read all winning entries online: www.scottishgeology.com/hughmiller.

Scotland’s geological heritage has attracted international interest for centuries and with renown sites on our doorstep, even in Scotland’s capital, it’s been agreed a celebration inviting all to explore these incredible places is well overdue.

The Scottish Geology Festival will run from 12 September to 31 October featuring both visitor and virtual events across the country. The Scottish Geology Trust has invited groups, societies, and geological organisations across the nation to join in this exciting festival where Scottish geology can be shared and made not only accessible but relatable in everyday life. From the extinct volcanoes and building stone of Edinburgh to the UNESCO Global Geopark in the North West Highlands, geology isn’t just a thing of the past, but a tool for exploring our future.

“The Scottish Geology Festival provides a great opportunity to see how geology has shaped Scotland and its people. I’m delighted that in the Trust’s first year of operation we are seeing such a positive response to the Festival with a great variety of events and activities being planned” Melvyn Giles, Chair of the Scottish Geology Trust.

Edinburgh’s own Dynamic Earth, a visitor attraction and science centre and Scotland’s largest interactive visitor attraction, will be reopening its centre during the festival. The festival will host field trips, online exhibitions, fossil hunting and talks as well as Geopoetry 2020. The range of events and activities will be of interest to all whether you’re familiar with geology or not. There will be fantastic opportunities to get involved and learn about Scotland’s fascinating geology for families, communities, tourists and those making the most of Scottish staycations.

“It’s great to be able to share Edinburgh’s wonderful geology with people. There is a wide range of events on offer including lectures, exhibitions and some field trips too, now that it is possible for small groups to meet outside with the appropriate procedures in place” Angus Miller, Edinburgh Geological Society.

Any in-person events or activities will adhere to relevant Scottish Government advice and social distancing measures will be in place.

With the recent dinosaur fossil discovery on the Isle of Eigg, geology in Scotland is still very much being unveiled and explored. On 14 September, Dr Elsa Panciroli, Affiliate Researcher at National Museums Scotland, specialising in the evolution of mammals and the fossils from Skye, has partnered with Geowalks to offer a live online talk and Q&A session discussing Jurassic fossils from Skye and Eigg. Also joining the talk are Dr Susannah Maidment -Researcher and Curator at Natural History Museum of London, specialising in dinosaur evolution and Middle Jurassic geology, Dr Greg Funston -Research Fellow at University of Edinburgh, specialising in bone histology, and Paige dePolo -PhD student at University of Edinburgh, specialising in dinosaur footprints.

See below for the event list or scottishgeologytrust.org/events.

For specific event updates or questions, please contact the event organiser directly. Please email project.manager@scottishgeologytrust.org for any festival queries or additional events.