Alexander Buchan

Who was Alexander Buchan?

Alexander Buchan FRS FRSE was a Scottish meteorologist, oceanographer and botanist, credited with establishing the weather map as the basis of weather forecasting. He also proposed the theory of Buchan Spells.

He was Secretary of the Scottish Meteorological Society for 47 years, from 1860 until his death, editor of the Journal of the Scottish Meteorological Society, a member of the Council of the Meteorological Office, and curator of the library of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was instrumental in establishing the Ben Nevis observatory. Buchan prepared meteorological and oceanographic reports for the Challenger Expedition.

He received the Makdougall-Brisbane prize and the Gunning Victoria Jubilee prize of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and was the first recipient of the Symons Gold Medal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Buchan was educated at the Free Church College in Edinburgh, and at Edinburgh University.