Dr Adam Watson, who has devoted his life to the study and protection of the Cairngorms, has been named the recipient of the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guild's (OWPG) 2012 Golden Eagle Award.
© Derek Pyper
The award was announced on Saturday October 13 at the OWPG's annual awards bash, held this year on Jersey.
The award is made annually to a person deemed to have 'rendered distinguished or meritorious service to the outdoors generally'.
Previous winners include writer and broadcaster Bill Bryson, naturalist Sir David Attenborough, mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington CBE and prominent access campaigner Marion Shoard.
Adam Watson was born in 1930 and has devoted his life to the study and protection of the Cairngorms. A biologist, ecologist and mountaineer, his contribution to the understanding of the flora and fauna of his native Scotland is probably unparalleled, say the OWPG.
However he is perhaps most widely recognised as the pre-eminent authority on the Cairngorms. His vast academic and written output includes 23 books, almost 300 scientific papers and nearly 200 technical reports.
Adam was an advisor to the John Muir Trust and has served on both the Countryside Commission for Scotland and the Cairngorms Partnership, and has campaigned tirelessly for the conservation of the range.
He was editor of the Scottish Naturalist from 1956 to 1964 and has served on various editorial boards. His many awards and honours include the John Muir Trust's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Medal of the RSPB, and he is an honorary member of WWF UK in recognition of a lifetime's work in protecting the Cairngorms.
Dr Watson will receive his award, a painting by OWPG member and landscape artist David Bellamy, at a special presentation in Scotland later this year.
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