Princess makes it perfect birthday for Perth girl

Oct 16 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE Princess Royal officially opened the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s new headquarters in Perth this week.

And it proved to be a memorable night for Rebecca Barclay, who was among an elite band of geography students to receive RSGS university medals.

Rebecca, a former pupil of Alyth Primary and Blairgowrie High School, was presented with her medal by the society’s vice-president on stage at Perth Concert Hall. It was the perfect 22nd birthday present.

Having secured a BSc Honours Degree in Environmental Geography at Stirling University, Rebecca is now studying for a Masters in Environmental Management and her sights are set on a PhD.

Her dissertation focused on Viking farming settlements in the north-west of Iceland.

Rebecca’s moment in the spotlight was shared by proud parents Dave and Pauline.

Her presentation followed a lecture by celebrated mountaineer Martin Moran and Rebecca, from Alyth, admitted it was nerve-wracking to step on stage. She laughed: “I’m not a mountaineer. The only time I take to the hills is for horseriding.”

The Princess Royal enjoyed Martin Moran’s captivating lecture on a six-man bid to conquer the notoriously inaccessible Nandi Devi peak in India, which was the highest mountain in the former British Empire.

And he reflected on bold early 20th Century pioneers who also took on one of the most inaccessible challenges in the Himalayas.

Professional mountaineer Martin recounted the frustration of being forced to turn back from an assault on the “Goddess,” which is encircled by vast and spectacular mountains.

But the climber, who was the first to complete all of Scotland’s Munros in a single winter, is intent on returning to India. He regards Nandi Devi as unfinished business.

The event was one in a series mapped out by the RSGS to celebrate its 125th anniversary and Princess Anne was delighted to be invited to officially open the society’s new base at Lord John Murray House in North Port, at the rear of the Concert Hall.

The RSGS has moved from Glasgow to a building adjacent to the Fair Maid’s House and chief executive Mike Robinson is keen to secure a venue to display artefacts gathered over a century-plus of global exploration.

He added: “The Princess Royal kindly signed a new visitor book. Our previous one was started in 1884 when we were based in Edinburgh, its first signature being HM Stanley. It contains famous names like Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen, Hilary, Neil Armstrong, Dougal Haston and Francis Chichester.

“So with our new base in Perth, it seemed fitting to replace this with a new visitor book, which we hope will last us the next 125 years.”

Among forthcoming events is a lecture on the “Three Peaks: Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga,” by climber Doug Scott at Perth Concert Hall on October 28.