Plans to establish James Hutton Foundation announced

"Hutton was willing to challenge the accepted wisdom of that time and to create a new vision of how the world was formed and how it is constantly evolving"

Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute, has announced plans to establish a James Hutton Foundation which will celebrate James Hutton’s contributions to science and become a new membership organisation for those wishing to support the role of science in farming, land use and environment.

The announcement was made during the first day of the Royal Highland Show 2017 to mark Scotland’s Year of History, Culture and Archaeology, with the Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon David Mundell MP, in attendance.

A leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, James Hutton was first a medic then a chemist, a botanist, zoologist, meteorologist and a farmer, in both upland and lowland farms in the Scottish Borders. Observations he made as a farmer later led to his ground breaking theories of how the earth was formed and his greatest known discovery of “Deep Time”.

Professor Campbell said: “Hutton was willing to challenge the accepted wisdom of that time and to create a new vision of how the world was formed and how it is constantly evolving. He literally changed the way we think about the world forever and is undoubtedly one of the Scotland’s and the UKs greatest ever scientists.

“While he was a leading thinker in the early stages of the agricultural revolution in Scotland his manuscript The Elements of Agriculture which shows keen insight into such topics as the formation of soils, soil fertility, the role of climate on crop yields and selective breeding of crops and animals remains unpublished.

“I am delighted to announce the Institute is working with one of our Honorary Fellows, Professor Alan Werritty, to publish this unfinished manuscript later this the year.”

The Institute is looking at a range of ideas on how to celebrate the legacy of James Hutton and more details about the James Hutton Foundation, and how to join it, are to emerge in the coming months.