Sophia Jex-Blake (The Edinburgh Seven)

 Edinburgh Women in STEM  Comments Off on Sophia Jex-Blake (The Edinburgh Seven)
Feb 292024
 

Surgeons’ Hall Museums, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DW

A tall light stone building with six columns, a decorated pediment, and a blue Welcome banner out front. There is a small plaque at the gate on the left, behind two lamp posts.

Sophia Jex-Blake (1840 – 1912) was a pioneer of university education for women and was the first female practicing doctor in Scotland. She was part of the Edinburgh Seven, a famous group of women who studied at Edinburgh University and were the first women to be accepted to university in Britain. However, male students became very hostile towards the Seven, resulting in the Surgeon’s Hall riot, where a large gathering of 200 people insulted and threw rubbish at the women on their way to an exam. This did not deter Jex-Blake, who went on to found two medical schools for women in both London and Edinburgh, and this plaque commemorates the spot where seven women faced blatant hostility, purely because of their gender. Other members of the Edinburgh Seven: Isabel Thorne, Edith Pechey, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Mary Anderson and Emily Bovell.

A tall light stone building with six columns, a decorated pediment, and a blue Welcome banner out front. There is a small plaque at the gate on the left, behind two lamp posts.
A painting of a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman with her hair back in the style of the late 1800s, wearing a dark gown with a white collar against a warm brown background.

In 2020, the University of Edinburgh unveiled a painting commemorating the Edinburgh Seven, which is currently on display in the Sophia Jex-Blake room of the Chancellor’s Building at the Royal Infirmary. The portrait, by Laurence Winram, is a re-imagining of Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. (Learn more on Laurence’s blog post about the piece).

A group of seven young women in black graduation gowns around a table with a cadaver on it and a female instructor giving an anatomy lesson the arm.
Copyright Laurence Winram via author’s blog, (permission granted to use with link and credit)

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Eleanor Ormerod

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Feb 292024
 

Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL

A courtyard with grey and tan stone buildings, stairs and green grass.

Eleanor Anne Ormerod (1828 – 1901) as a British entomologist, and one of the first to establish economic and agricultural entomology. She acquired extensive knowledge on controlling insect pests, and her publications on this matter became very popular, establishing her as an authority on entomology. Ormerod was a consultant to the Royal Agricultural Society of England and was awarded the Flora medal by the Royal Horticultural Society for her contributions to their collection of insect pests. She became the first woman to be given an honorary LLD degree by the University of Edinburgh, and in 2017 the university also named their research cloud computing service, ‘Eleanor’, after her. Ormerod’s portrait can be found at the foot of the south-east stair in Old College.

Note: This portrait is currently on display in a staff-only area of Old College, so in-person viewing may not be possible.

Portrait painting of a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman wearing a graduation cap and gown, posing with her left hand up to her cheek.
Portrait of Eleanor Anne Ormerod
Courtesy of University of Edinburgh Special Collections
A collage showing a dark green book cover with a golden apple embossed on the front, a title page reading Insects Injurious to Orchard
via Wikimedia Commons

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Victoria Martin

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Feb 292024
 

Level 5, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Wide, three-doored entrance to an old stone building with steps and a statue of a man in historical costume out front.

Professor Victoria Martin is a physicist and Professor of Collider Physics at the University of Edinburgh. She is a member of the Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, and her research concerns understanding the Higgs boson. Professor Martin also works on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). Her work is featured in a video at the National Museum of Scotland, level 5 in the Enquire gallery.

A light-haired woman wearing a dark suit and blue hard hat with a CERN logo in front of a background of colourful cables, wires and equipment.

Victoria Martin at the CMS experiment at CERN
A museum exhibit featuring a large copper spherical machine in front of a circle of wires and cables. There is a television on a blue wall to the right of it, and Victoria Martin, particle physicist, is on the television.

Sources:

  • “Victoria Martin.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Aug. 2022.
  • “Victoria Martin.” School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, 3 Aug. 2022,.

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Anna Dominiczak

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Feb 282024
 
Level 6, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
National Museum of Scotland, light sandstone with a curved tower and modern architectural features.

Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak (born 1954) is a medical researcher, Scotland’s Chief Scientist of Health, and the first woman to be appointed Regius Professor of Medicine – the oldest existing chair at the University of Glasgow. She has held positions as Vice Principal and Head of Medical Veterinary & Life Sciences at Glasgow University and was awarded a DBE in 2016 to recognise her contributions to medical science. Dame Dominiczak has published extensive research across various fields, including hypertension, cardiovascular genomics and precision medicine. She was the Editor-In-Chief of the prestigious American Heart Association journal, Hypertension from 2012-2022, and in July 2023 launched the new journal Precision Medicine as Editor-in-Chief with Cambridge Prisms. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and her pioneering work in medical science is recognised in this exhibit at the National Museum of Scotland.

Portrait of a light-haired woman in a corridor wearing a dark suit and pink shirt with her arms crossed.

Portrait of Anna Dominiczak
A display of medical equipment and books, including a blood pressure monitor, a book on the genetics of hypertension, and a Scotswoman of the year award.

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Mary Somerville

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Feb 282024
 

53 Northumberland Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6JQ

A two-storey sandstone rowhouse with 5 windows, a white front door, and a small plaque to the left of the front door.

Mary Somerville (1780 – 1872) was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer, and one of the first two women to become an Honorary Member of the Royal Astronomical Society, alongside Caroline Herschel. She was one of the first to suggest the existence of Neptune, and she famously tutored Ada Lovelace, who became the “mother of modern computing”. Somerville wrote many successful journal articles and books in her lifetime, one of which, On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences, was its publisher’s most successful science book until Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Somerville was the first person to ever be referred to as “scientist”, and her extensive contributions to academia are commemorated by this plaque, at the house where she lived in Edinburgh.

A black plaque with decorative gold knotted borders reading: Mary Fairfax Somerville, 1780-1872, “The queen of 19th century science, astronomer, scientist and polymath, lived here.”
Portrait painting of a dark-haired woman with her hair up in a 1700s style, wearing a dark blue gown with a white ruff and a brown fur stole.
A row of antique book spines with the author Somerville and the following titles: Mechanism of the Heavens, On Molecular and Microscopic Science, Physical Geography, On the Connexions of the Physical Sciences, and Personal Recollections.

Book titles written by Somerville. Books image via Canva, remixed with titles.

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Flora Philip

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Feb 282024
 

63 Dean Path, Dean Cemetary, Edinburgh, EH4 3AT

A path with a row of old tombstones and autumn leaves on the grass.

Flora Philip (1865 – 1943) was a mathematician and one of the first women to graduate from the University of Edinburgh. When she began her studies, the law prohibited women from studying at Scottish universities, so she enrolled with the Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women instead. This was an organisation campaigning for higher education for women, offering its own classes delivered by lecturers from Edinburgh University. Upon the passing of the Universities (Scotland) Act in 1889, which allowed women to attend university, Philip was matriculated at the University of Edinburgh and received her degree for her previous studies. She was the first female member of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society and was admitted to the prestigious organisation before she even received her degree. Philip is buried at this cemetery, alongside her husband George Stewart and their children.

A black and white photo (circa 1945) of an elderly woman wearing a dark graduation cap and gown
A large grey tombstone with a square knot carving at the top. The stone is for George Stewart (1865-1938) and his beloved wife Flora Philip, M.A. (14th August 1945) and additional members of their family. Satellite view screenshot of Google Maps Dean Cemetery showing the location of the lower cemetery and the headstone.

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Isobel Hutchison

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Feb 282024
 

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, John Hope Gateway Visitor Centre, Arboretum Place, EH3 5NZ

Botanic garden glass greenhouses with a domed glass building in the background and red azaleas (flowers) in the foreground.

Isobel Wylie Hutchison (1889 – 1982) was a Scottish Arctic traveller, botanist and polyglot. She was a prolific writer and published many books and articles about her travels. Hutchison also recorded film footage of her travels, some of the oldest documentary footage existing today. Her papers were gifted to the National Library of Scotland, and many of the plants she collected on her travels can be found here, at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. Hutchison was the first woman to receive the Mungo Park Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and in 1949, the University of St Andrews awarded her an honorary degree, recognising her contributions to research and her “indomitable spirit”.

Two portraits of a dark-haired woman, the first dressed in traditional Arctic clothing (late 1920s). The second portrait features the same woman dressed in a dark jumper and wool skirt, sitting on the stone edge of a fountain or pond and petting a Dalmatian dog.
A table with several pressed plant specimens and a watercolour book open to a painting of a tundra-like landscape.
A small stone castle with a walled garden, blooming flowers, and blue skies.

Note: If you wish to view the specimens Hutchison donated to the Botanic Garden, a visit to the Herbarium must be scheduled in advance.

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Cramond Shore 

 Birds  Comments Off on Cramond Shore 
Feb 212024
 

Cramond Beach, Cramond, Edinburgh EH4 6NU 

Shoreline with green foliage on the left, multiple people walking on tan, rocky sand, and a protruding dock going far into the water.
Cramond Beach
©Graeme Yull, Geograph

The Cramond Shore, up until the Silverknowes Beach, is a great place to observe many waders during low tide, and even occasionally Common Shelducks. During high tide, it is also interesting to witness some winter visitors like the Red-throated Diver.

A white, tan, and black duck with a dark head and bright red beak.
A Common Shelduck
©Dick Daniels, Wikimedia Commons
A grey, brown, and orange bird alongside a brown baby bird.
A Red-throated Diver with chick
©David Karnå, Wikimedia Commons

Sources:

Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)

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River Almond Walkway

 Birds  Comments Off on River Almond Walkway
Feb 212024
 

Cramond Brig, Cramond, Edinburgh EH4 6DX

Bridge over water with a white building on the right and trees throughout.
The Cramond Brig over the River Almond
©M.J. Richardson, Wikimedia Commons

The River Almond Walkway follows the shores of the River Almond from Cramond Village. It is a great place to observe ducks, grebes and, in particular, the Dipper, a small river bird known to enjoy bathing and jumping in the water. The river is also a fishing ground for the Kingfisher. Also pay attention to bigger birds on the river such as Mallards, Goosanders and Mergansers. The river itself is not the only bird habitat; be sure to look up to see many Passerines in the trees, as well as Woodpeckers.

The starting point of the walk is here the Cramond Brig, a historic bridge built between the late 14th and early 15th Century, up to the seashore. Please note that not all stops are close to Edinburgh city centre and so do take this into account when planning to do the tour. There are good public transport links, e.g. bus to Cramond, bus or train towards North Berwick. The Isle of May and Bass Rock can be visited via the Seabird Centre (please book in advance as often sold out) or via organised tours from Anstruther in Fife. 

Small brown and white bird with an insect in its mouth.
A Dipper
©Walter Baxter, Geograph

Sources:

Wikipedia; Individual Researcher Walk

Cramond Island 

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Feb 212024
 

Cramond Island, Cramond, Edinburgh EH4 6NU 

Green island surrounded by blue-grey water.
Cramond Island
©Mtcy, Wikimedia Commons

Cramond Island is one of many along the Firth of Forth; it can be reached on low tide following a bridge, the Cramond Causeway. The island houses many old fortifications from the WW2 era, and it is also a great place to observe coastal birds and seabirds crossing the Firth of Forth, such as the Eider duck. Particularly during low tide, many waders, such as the Oystercatcher, the Dunlin or the Redshank, can be seen stirring sandy mud looking for seaweed, small invertebrate, and shells.  

Black and white duck with a yellow beak in water.
A male Eider duck in winter plumage
©Magnus Hagdorn, Wikimedia Commons

Sources:

Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)

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