2026 Scottish Botanists' Conference
The Scottish Botanists' Conference will be held on Saturday 7th November at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). It is organised and supported by the BSBI, the Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS), and RBGE. Use #ScotBotanistsConf to follow the event on social media.
Provisional programme
08:30 Doors open for exhibitors
09:15 Event opens. A chance to chat with fellow plant-lovers, browse the wide diversity of exhibits, visit Summerfield Books, and fuel up with teas and coffees or a breakfast roll from the staff canteen
10:00-11:00 Talk session 1: Landscape-scale conservation
Welcome from Professor Julia Knights, Regius Keeper at RBGE
- 10:10 The Wild Pine Project - three years on (Jane Sayers & James Rainey, Trees for Life)
- 10:35 Dalnacardoch: evidenced-based rewilding of a Scottish upland estate (Sam Buckland, Durrell Wildlife Trust)
11:00-11:30 Morning coffee break (and last chance for a roll from the canteen)
11:30-12:35 Talk session 2: Recording and research
- 11:30 BSBI projects update (Julia Hanmer, BSBI Chief executive)
- 11:45 Hierochloe odorata (Holy-grass) in Scotland – courtesy of the Vikings? (Markus Ruhsam, RBGE)
- 12:10 Student research flashtalks
12:35-13:30 Lunch: bring your own packed lunch, visit one of RBGE's public cafés, or head to one of the small cafés on Inverleith Row outside the entrance to the Balfour Building
13:30-15:30 Two workshop sessions: choose from eight workshop sessions (details below), or join RBGE staff for a tour of the Scottish Plant Nursery or the Herbarium
15:30-16:00 Afternoon coffee break
16:00-17:05 Talk session 3: Our changing flora
- 16:00 BSS update
- 16:10 The Changing Urban Flora of Scotland (John Grace, BSS / University of Edinburgh)
- 16:40 Building a national Conservation Translocation Database (Sarah Dalrymple, Liverpool John Moores University)
17:05-17:20 Short break
17:20-17:45 Talk session 4: Beyond our borders
- 17:20 Norway vs Scotland: comparing two arctic-alpine floras (Dan Watson, National Trust for Scotland)
- 17:40 Close of conference (Pete Hollingsworth, RBGE)
Charges and Packed Lunch
A general admission fee of £30 (£20 for students) will be charged to cover organisation costs, workshops, speakers' expenses and morning and afternoon teas and coffees. The RBGE staff canteen will be open for breakfast until 11:30, but not for lunch, so please remember to bring a packed lunch, or visit one of the available public cafés in RBGE or nearby.
Workshops
Conference goers have ten options, for two workshop sessions during the afternoon – see below for details of each workshop/tour. Each conference participant can attend up to two workshops and should select their preferences when they book their ticket. Every effort will be made to assign people to their preferred workshop, but please be aware that spaces are limited on many of these and are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have a query regarding the workshops please email the BSBI Scotland Officer Matt Harding.
What Are We Trying to Conserve? Nativeness, ecological value and uncertainty in conservation – Kit Nemeth, UKCEH |
General |
This discussion workshop will explore some of the broader challenges surrounding conservation, nativeness and ecological decision-making. Using Scots Pine populations in northern England as a starting point, we will consider questions such as: what makes a species "native", what conservation is actually trying to conserve, and how decisions should be made when the evidence is incomplete or contested. The session will include a series of short case studies and interactive audience polls to stimulate discussion and gather perspectives from participants. |
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Rushes for Complete Beginners – Chris Miles |
Beginners |
Want to get started with this brilliant but intimidating group of plants? Chris will help you get to grips with the ten rush (Juncus) species you are most likely to encounter in Scotland, starting with the difference between rushes, sedges and grasses, then breaking down the rushes into three common-sense groups to tackle. A great introduction to the genus! |
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Mint (Mentha) identification theory and practice – Ambroise Baker |
General |
Let BSBI Mentha Referee Ambroise guide you through how to identify taxa within this tricky group, starting with a presentation on the key characteristics to use, followed by illustrative specimens to support the discussion. You are also invited to bring along any problematic or interesting specimens for Ambroise to take a look at! |
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Reviewing frequently-occurring lowland taxa of genus Salix (Willows) – Les Tucker |
General |
Willows and their hybrids can pose a challenge to many botanists! Join Les to tackle some lowland taxa, focusing on the identification and recording of the iconic Salix caprea (Goat Willow) and its challenging varieties, forms, hybrids and confusing look-alikes. Participants should bring a copy of the BSBI Willows and Poplars Handbook for reference (available as an eBook if you don't have a printed copy). Live and pressed specimens will be provided to demonstrate and encourage examination of noteworthy foliage and twig characters, and recorders are welcome to bring their own specimens for appraisal. |
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The Dryopteris affinis complex in Scotland - Roger Golding |
General |
The Scaly Male-ferns are another notoriously tricky group, with many recorders sticking to recording them as an aggregate. However, with expert guidance from the British Pteridological Society's Roger Golding you will soon be learning your ABCs - the three key taxa in Scotland: affinis, borreri and cambrensis! |
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An Introduction to the BSBI Recording App – James Drever |
Beginners (on the App) |
The BSBI Recording App, launched in 2024, has revolutionised how many botanists record plant data. Join James as he takes you through how to get set up with the App, and explore the features that make plant recording easy and informative for you. |
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An Introduction to QGIS for Recorders – James Drever |
General |
Not content with a session introducing the BSBI Recording App, James plans to take things a step further with this introductory workshop to using QGIS for botanical recorders. QGIS is a free, open-source geographic information system that can be used to generate maps from spatial data such as plant records - an exciting tool for flora writers, and anyone looking to visualise their data more effectively. |
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Introduction to Fungi – Neville Kilkenny |
Beginners (at fungi) |
Take a break from botany and join Lothians mycologist Nev Kilkenny for an introduction to the weird but wonderful Kingdom of Fungi! Nev is an experienced mycologist who runs regular identification workshops on this fascinating group - the perfect alternative to vascular plant recording when the autumn sets in. |
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RBGE Scottish Plants Nursery Tour – Becca Drew-Galloway and team |
General General |
Join Conservation Horticulturalist Becca Drew-Galloway and her team for an eye-opening tour of the RBGE Scottish Plant Recovery Project nursery, where a living collection of rare and threatened plant species, sampled from meticulously documented wild populations, are grown. A great chance to peak behind the scenes, and an opportunity to marvel at the remarkable piece of engineering that is the Saxifraga hirculus (Marsh Saxifrage) flush, built to replicate its sensitive hydrological requirements in a polytunnel! RBGE Herbarium Tour – Elspeth Haston and team Take a guided tour of the RBGE Herbarium, an internationally important facility with a wealth of material from around the globe, as well as an extensive British and Irish collection that is available as a resource to all Scottish botanists. A display of rare arctic-alpine species from the Scottish mountains will give you a chance to see some of these vanishingly rare plants up close, and learn more about the threats they face. |
Remember the workshops, like all the talks, are entirely optional and you may prefer to have an extended lunch break catching up with friends, view the exhibition and posters, visit the Summerfield Books stand, or get out into the gardens for a breath of fresh air.
Summerfield Books
We are delighted to welcome Summerfield Books to the conference once again! If you would like Summerfield to bring anything specific for you to look at do let them know via info@summerfieldbooks.com. You can also pre-order anything through the website and Summerfield will bring it for collection on the day.
Conference Dinner
The Scottish Botanists’ Conference Dinner will be held at 6:15 pm at the Heriot's Rugby Club, a short 5 minute walk up the road from the conference venue. Dinner will be a sit-down, two course hot buffet style affair, with all dietary requirements catered for – but please let us know them on the booking form. Drinks will be available from the venue’s bar.
The Dinner ticket cost is £30, which you can pay when you book. The Dinner is always popular – a great way to meet fellow botanists and catch up with friends after the whirlwind of the conference - and we hope to see you there.
Exhibitors
The Conference Exhibition is a great mix of interesting botanical finds, research/project posters, and a brilliant way to share your work with the Scottish botanical community. We will also be displaying the shortlisted entries to this year's Botanical Photographer of the Year.
All participating botanists are invited to exhibit – the more displays, the better! If you can't make it on the day, not a problem - email BSBI Scotland Officer Matt Harding to make arrangements to display your exhibit.
If you would like to exhibit, when you book for this event please:
- Select an 'Exhibitor space' ticket as well as a General Admission ticket - you can select up to two exhibitor spaces.
- Give the title of your exhibit or poster.
- Select how much space you require. Please note, due to limited space, very large requests may have to be reduced.
Please also email a short abstract of your exhibit or poster to Liz Lavery by 2nd November.
Accessibility
If you have any questions about accessibility or specific needs that would help you take part comfortably, please feel free to contact us on bookings@bsbi.org or +44 (0) 7404 231178.
Travel
Considering the climate crisis and the high cost of fuel, we'd really like to encourage participants to travel by public transport or at least car share wherever possible.
RBGE is 1.4 miles from Edinburgh’s Waverley Railway station, about 30 min walk or a short taxi or bus ride. Lothian Buses services 8, 23 and 27 stop at Warriston Drive, near the main reception; Lothian Buses services 14 and 21 stop on Ferry Road, a short walk away. Bicycle stands can be found at the Science Buildings and both public entrances (East Gate and West Gate).
On Saturdays, car parking is free in the vicinity of the Garden. You may even park on a single yellow line, but take care not to block access or flow. There are usually spaces in Warriston Gardens on the opposite side of Inverleith Row. Limited disabled car parking is available in the small courtyard near the entrance. This area may also be used temporarily for parking while unloading heavy exhibits, or as a drop-off zone. Use postcode EH3 5LR for your SatNav, or what3words ///ROPES.DINNER.CLUBS
Personal Information & Photography
The information being requested on the booking form will only be held and used by the BSBI to administer this conference and to let you know about next year's event. We ask you for your name, contact email address, organisation/role (optional) and home town (optional). Please see the BSBI Privacy Policy for further details of how your data will be handled and stored. You can request to see the data we hold, request its removal or update your contact preferences at any time by contacting us. To do so, email enquiries@bsbi.org.
We would like to take occasional photographs showing participants listening to the talks and viewing the exhibits, for publicity purposes. Please let the photographer know if you do not wish to be included in these photographs.
Booking & Cancellations
Please read this guidance for participants at BSBI events carefully, before booking. If you experience any difficulties booking online, please phone the main BSBI phone number between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm for assistance: +44 (0) 7404 231178. Full refunds will be offered to anyone who needs to cancel up to one week before the event. If you have to cancel at shorter notice, we may not be able to refund your fee.
The BSBI has a culture of mutual respect, and takes seriously the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in our events. We want everyone at our events to enjoy themselves, and we expect everyone to act in a respectful manner towards others at all times. We will not tolerate harassment, discrimination or inappropriate behaviour of any kind, and will treat any reported incidents seriously.
Safety and booking terms: Please read this guidance for participants at BSBI events carefully, before booking.
Location
Science Buildings, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR