Penguin City Meeting – Edinburgh
30 October – 31 October 2015 /
The South Georgia Association will hold the second meeting for 2015 in Edinburgh, a city with many connections with South Georgia and the Antarctic.
Christian Salvesen of neighbouring Leith sent whaling ships to South Georgia from the early 1900s, and the RRS Bransfield was built here by Robb Caledon Shipbuilding in 1970. The newly-married Ernest Shackleton lived in Edinburgh in 1904 while Secretary of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and Chas. Mackinlay and Co. (now Whyte and Mackay) dispatched 25 cases of malt whisky for the 1907 British Antarctic Expedition from Leith, of which 3 were discovered in 2007 under the Nimrod hut. Three bottles were returned to Scotland for re-creation as Shackleton’s Whisky in 2011.
Edinburgh Zoo opened in 1913 and received its first penguins in 1914 (courtesy of Salvesen’s) and has successfully bred them from 1919. It is famous for the Penguin Parade, Penguin Rock (Europe's largest outdoor penguin pool) and a King Penguin called Sir Nils Olav (Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian Royal Guard). Edinburgh really is Penguin City!
The weekend, planned for Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October 2015, is centred on Edinburgh Zoo. There will be a Shackleton Whisky presentation and tasting led
by Richard Paterson (Master Blender of Whyte and Mackay) at the adjacent Holiday Inn on the Friday where Scottish haggis – the infamous “great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race” – will be served.
The Saturday presentations will be held in the Budongo Lecture Theatre, the chimpanzee enclosure, of Edinburgh Zoo. Delegates will be able to view the primate inmates (or vice versa!). Registration with tea and coffee will be followed by 11 short presentations which will culminate with a “behind the scenes” tour of the Penguin Rock facility led by zoo staff. Car parking is available.
The weekend will conclude with a dinner at Channings Hotel (which now incorporates the house where Ernest Shackleton once lived) and we’ll raise a glass in memory of the abandonment of Endurance in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea on 27 October 1915 – a century earlier. Channings is about 3 miles from Edinburgh Zoo – just a 10 minute taxi ride, or a bus journey and walk away. Car parking is available.
The cost for the weekend is £65 per person which includes the whisky-tasting and haggis, a day of presentations (including sandwich lunch), access to Penguin Rock and the three course dinner.
SOUTH GEORGIA ASSOCIATION
Penguin City Meeting - Edinburgh
30 October – 31 October 2015
Friday 30th October Holiday Inn, Edinburgh – Macallan and Glenfiddich Suites
1930-2030 Shackleton’s Whisky – Presentation & Tasting. Richard Paterson
2030-2200 Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (Vegetarian option will be available)
Saturday 31ST October Edinburgh Zoo – Budongo Lecture Theatre
0930-1015 Coffee & Registration
1015-1030 Welcome and Introduction
Accessible Archives
1030 -1100 South Georgia Maps and Books – and the James Mann Wordie Library Collection in the National Library of Scotland. Paula Williams
1100-1130 The South Georgia Collection Survey and Artefacts in the National Museum of Scotland. Elsa Davidson
1130-1200 The Salvesen Archive at Edinburgh University Library: Deposit to Donation - Reactive Delving. Graeme Eddie
1200-1230 A Season with Salvesens: Photographs from Southern Venturer 1960-61. George Cummings
1230-1330 Lunch
Science and Field Work
1330-1400 Around South Georgia in the 70s - tussling with tussock. Tim Gunn
1400-1430 Geology in South Georgia - myths and memories. Phil Stone
1430-1500 Glacier and Climate Changes on South Georgia since the late 19th century from Historical Photographs. John Gordon
South Georgia 2015 & Beyond
1500-1530 Science Today: Bird Island and King Edward Point. Sue Gregory (tbc)
1530-1545 Rat Eradication Programme Update. SGHT (tbc)
1545-1600 Government of SGSSI Strategy. GSGSSI (tbc)
Penguin City
1600-1630 Penguins at Edinburgh Zoo. Jo Elliot
1630- 1730 Penguin Rock Tour. Jo Elliot & Keepers
Saturday 31ST October Channings Hotel
1930-2000 Assemble in Shackleton Bar
2000-2300 3 course dinner (pre-ordered) in Conservatory and Restaurant. The menu will be sent out for pre-selection by attendees in advance of the event.
Sunday 1st November
No formal events planned
AIR
Aer Lingus, British Airways, CityJet, EasyJet, Flybe and Ryanair all fly to Edinburgh from major cities and regional airports within the UK. Edinburgh Airport lies about 8 miles west of the city centre and only 4 miles from the Hilton Hotel and Edinburgh Zoo where the Friday evening and Saturday meetings are being held. The Edinburgh Airlink service (Lothian Buses) runs every 10 minutes and stops right outside these venues after a 16 minute journey. Edinburgh Airport http://www.edinburghairport.com/
RAIL
The London-Edinburgh East Coast service is operated by Virgin Trains. The journey usually takes about 4hrs 21mins and terminates at Waverley Station. The station is about 4 miles east of the Hilton Hotel and Edinburgh Zoo. The Airlink bus (towards the airport) is the best way to travel, running every 10 minutes and taking about 17 minutes.
Waverley Station http://www.networkrail.co.uk/edinburgh-waverley-station/departures-arrivals/
Virgin Trains East Coast https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/
Caledonian Sleeper https://www.sleeper.scot/
BUS
First Group (regional & rural) http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/scotland_east/journey_planning/
Lothian Buses (urban routes) http://lothianbuses.com/
Airlink Bus http://lothianbuses.com/services/airlink
TAXIS
Central Taxis http://taxis-edinburgh.co.uk/
City Cabs http://www.citycabs.co.uk/
ACCOMMODATION
Holiday Inn Edinburgh 132 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 6UA, phone 0871 942 9026
Single Occupancy B&B £85, Double Occupancy B&B £95 per room per night. 10 single and 10 double rooms held under block reference VB0. Guests should contact reservations on 0131 314 7118 during office hours to reserve their rooms. Any rooms not reserved by Friday 2nd October will be released back into the system. See http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/reservation
Channings Hotel 12-16 South Learmonth Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 1EZ, phone 0131 315 2226
Single/Double Occupancy B&B £125 per room per night. Guests should inform the hotel they are attending the SGA function. See http://www.channings.co.uk/
Visit Scotland (Scottish Tourist Board)
See http://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/edinburgh-lothians/accommodation/
GENERAL
Traveline http://www.travelinescotland.com/welcome.do
PLACES OF INTEREST
Edinburgh Zoo http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/
Dynamic Earth http://www.dynamicearth.co.uk/
Edinburgh Castle http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/
Edinburgh Museums and Galleries http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/
National Museums of Scotland http://www.nms.ac.uk/
Art Galleries https://www.nationalgalleries.org/
SOUTH GEORGIA ASSOCIATION
Penguin City Meeting - Edinburgh
30 October – 31 October 2015
BOOKING FORM
The Penguin City Meeting will be open to other Antarctic societies and as places are limited notably for the whisky tasting and dinner (maximum 70) early booking is recommended. Please book as soon as you can!
Further information (e.g. final presentation list, dinner menu for pre-ordering) will be distributed by email later, and posted on the South Georgia Association website (http://www.southgeorgiaassociation.org/
Please email or post this form by 31st August 2015 to confirm your attendance.
Name: ………………………………………......
Address: ……………………………………………………......
...... ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Email: ……………………………………………………………………….. Phone: ……………………………………
Name of Guest(s): ……………………………………………………… SGA Member Yes/No
Total Amount (£65 per person): …………………….. If No, which association: ………………………………
Yes or No / CommentsAttending Whisky Tasting 30th Oct?
Vegetarian Haggis?
Attending Presentations 31st Oct?
Vegetarian Lunch?
Attending Dinner 31st Oct?
Vegetarian Dinner?
Other Dietary Requirements
Mobility Issues?
Staying at Holiday Inn?
Staying at Channings?
Staying Elsewhere?
EITHER
Email this completed form to Bruce Mair at . Pay electronically or via BACS (suffix PCW, and then your initials as a reference) to account 23478136, sort code 53-61-47. From abroad use IBAN: GB63 NWBK 5361 4723 4781 36, and BIC/SWIFT code: NWBK GB 2L.
OR
Post this form and your cheque (made payable to SGA) to Bruce Mair, 6 Liberton Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6NN with “SGA Penguin City Weekend” clearly marked on the envelope, and on the back of the cheque.
For further details contact Bruce Mair on 0131 621 0532 or 07733 110878