Scroll down to find out more about conferences and workshops in 2018 and *NEW* to download the Scottish Newsletter for 2018.
*NEW* Download the Scottish Officer's Annual Report for 2017 and the 2017 Annual Reports from County Recorders across Scotland - and you can still access the 2016 Annual Reports - just click on the links!

Scottish Botanists' Conference
The 2018 Scottish Botanists' Conference was held on Saturday 3rd November at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Head over to the conference webpage to view the programme, pdfs of all the talks, a virtual exhibition and abstracts. The 2019 Scottish Botanists' Conference will be held on Saturday 2nd November at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Introduction to Recording Workshop
- An introduction to the BSBI Atlas 2020 Project
- How to select size and location of square to survey
- How to plan a route in the square
- How to use the BSBI Database
- How to find, prepare and complete recording cards
- Advice on Buying and Using GPSs
- Recording fieldcraft
BSBI Workshops on Identifying Plant Families
Twenty-eight people enjoyed two very successful one-day workshops in Dumfries and Aberdeen in May 2018. The workshops aim to help beginners and improvers identify plant families and plant species. We also arranged two follow-up field days especially for workshop participants (and anyone else interested in improving their field skills) at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, near Montrose and at Ballinluig, near Pitlochry later on in summer. Plans are afoot for similar workshops and follow-up days in 2019. Watch this space!


BSBI Workshop on Identifying Common Grasses & Sedges
We held a great introduction to identifying common grass species at Mugdock Country Park, near Milngavie in June. Fourteen grass beginners enjoyed the workshop which was spent half in the classroom and half in the field. We don't plan to repeat this workshop in 2019 (but maybe 2020). Instead we are planning a similar workshop providing an introduction to common sedges - for sedge beginners! Watch this space.
BSBI Scottish Recording Conferences 2018
We held two one-day recording conferences for recorders and members in 2018. They were on the 14th April at RBGE and on the 28th April at Strathpeffer. The same programme was repeated (more or less) so folk could choose whichever was more convenient. For further information and many of the talks see the Scottish Conferences page.
Scottish Field Meetings - 2018
Click on the link to download a full list of all the Scottish Field Meetings for 2018. Many of them aim to improve Atlas 2020 coverage in Scotland so we’d be really pleased if Scottish botanists (whether members or not) would give the programme their full support! Several are targeted at beginners and improvers – and again we’d welcome both members and non-members.
BSBI / BSS Scottish Annual Meeting 2017
The 2017 Scottish Annual Meeting was held on Saturday 4th November at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. We had 150 participate in a packed and exciting day of botanical talks, workshops, exhibits and posters.
The exhibition abstracts and the presentations are on the Scottish Annual Meeting page as pdfs. Take a look!
Judging of the 2017 BSBI Photographic Competition also took place at the Scottish Annual Meeting - images and more info here.

Scottish Officer
Jim McIntosh.
Address: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR
Email: jim.mcintosh@bsbi.org
Phone: 0131 248 2894
Twitter: @BSBIScotland
Scottish Local Groups
Many groups organise botanical field meetings across Scotland.
Here is a selection:
- Dumfriesshire run by Chris Miles
- Kirkcudbrightshire run by David Hawker
- Lanarkshire run by Michael Philip
- Perthshire - Perthshire Society of Natural Sciences
- Highlands - Inverness Botany Group
- Moray run by Ian Green
Natural History Societies in Scotland in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Paisley, Berwick and Lochaber also arrange field meeting programs that usually include some botany or botanical outings.
New Year Plant Hunt 2018
To find out which plants were spotted in bloom in Scotland during the 2018 New Year Plant Hunt, check out the map on the Results page and the Year Plant Hunt Twitter feed here.
Many thanks to all Scottish recorders who took part!


Scottish Newsletter
In pdf format, right-click to download. If you do not have a pdf reader try Adobe.