The Macaulay Institute, sometimes referred to simply as The Macaulay, is a land use research institute based in Aberdeen, Scotland. A Scottish public body, its work covers aspects such as landscape, soil and water conservation and climate change. The Macaulay Institute was opened in 1987 following the merger of the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research and the Hill Farm Research Organisation. The Macaulay Institute is actually a group of organisations, including The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and its commercial subsidiaries Macaulay Research Consultancy Services (MRCS) and Macaulay Enterprises Ltd (MEL).
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Origins
The Institute was founded in 1930 through a benefaction from one of Canada's Scottish sons, Dr T.B. Macaulay, of the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. His aim was to improve the productivity of Scottish agriculture. Dr Macaulay was a descendant of the Macaulays from the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. He was true to his Hebridean roots throughout his life, often giving large donations to Lewis, which funded various projects including a new library and a new wing at Lewis hospital.
Recent History
The Institute in its current form was founded in April 1987 by the merger of the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research and the Hill Farm Research Organisation. It was established to carry out research in support of the agricultural industry, taking account of the interaction between the industry and other land users, and set in the context of the environmental objectives of the UK Government and the European Union.
Current Work
LADSS and AGRIGRID are examples of projects that are being undertaken at the institute.
