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An open invite has been extended to Orkney and the rest of the world to celebrate the life and deeds of John Rae on Thursday, 30 th September at noon by the John Rae Society that is building a legacy to his name.
John Rae, the Orkney man who befriended the Arctic, is one of our Great Scots. Read how the society is preserving his memory, celebrating his achievements and restoring his reputation.
The John Rae Society is restoring the reputation of John Rae, one of the world’s greatest Arctic explorers. We will be restoring his Orkney birthplace too, namely the derelict Hall of Clestrain in Orphir. Our society purchased this in 2016 for £87k, all raised by voluntary donations and fundraising.
On 22nd July 1893, at the age of 79, he died at his home in 4 Addison Gardens, London. His widow brought his body back to Orkney, where he was buried in St Magnus’ Cathedral. The name of John Rae was largely forgotten by history, but today he is rightly celebrated as one of Scotland’s most accomplished explorers.
John Rae FRS FRGS (Inuktitut: ᐊᒡᓘᑲ, [aɡluːka]; 30 September 1813 – 22 July 1893) was a Scottish surgeon who explored parts of northern Canada. He was a pioneer explorer of the Northwest Passage. Rae explored the Gulf of Boothia, northwest of the Hudson Bay, from 1846 to 1847, and the Arctic coast near Victoria Island from 1848 to 1851.
He spent his free time hunting and learning travel and survival skills from the First Nation and Metis people, including how to use sleds and snow-shoes. The Hudson’s Bay Company Governor-in-Chief, Sir George Simpson, identified Rae as the man to finish the mapping of the Arctic coast.
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This guide will explore the life of John Rae, his work with the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the local landmarks that keep his memory alive. John Rae’s Orkney: Places to Visit. John Rae’s contributions to Arctic exploration are an integral part of Orkney’s rich heritage.
