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Former keeper of Leighton Library was renowned meteorologist credited with establishing the weather map as the basis of modern weather forecasting
Added at 06:57 on 23 March 2024
As 23 March is #WorldMeteorologicalDay #MeteorologicalDay #MeteorologicalDay2024, did you know that a former keeper of the Leighton Library, Dr Alexander Buchan (1829-1907), was a Scottish meteorologist, oceanographer and botanist credited with establishing the weather map as the basis of modern weather forecasting. He also proposed the theory of Buchan Spells. He was a school teacher at Banchory and Blackford before becoming headmaster of the Free Church School at Dunblane (which is the building opposite Dunblane Public Library), during which time he was also Keeper of Dunblane's historic Leighton Library. In 1860, due to an issue with his throat, he had to give up teaching and he became Secretary of the Scottish Meteorological Society for 47 years. From 1860 until his death he was the editor of the Journal of the Scottish Meteorological Society and he was also a member of the Council of the Meteorological Office. He was instrumental in establishing the Ben Nevis observatory. The Buchan Prize, named in his honour, was instituted to commemorate the amalgamation in 1921 of the Scottish Meteorological Society and the Royal Meteorological Society. The street in Dunblane called Buchan Drive is named in his memory
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