John Mathieson

John Mathieson (1855, Durness, Sutherland – 14 June 1945, Edinburgh) was a Scottish surveyor, cartographer, explorer and Gaelic scholar.

In 1909, Mathieson retired from his post as Division Superintendent of HM Ordnance Survey in order to serve as chief surveyor on the Scottish scientific expedition to Svalbard, led by William Speirs Bruce.

In 1920-21 he led the surveying party on Prins Karls Forland, largely completing Bruce's survey.

On 7 March 1921 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, upon the nomination of John Horne, John Flett, Thomas Jehu, Ben Peach, Robert Campbell and Thomas Cuthbert Day.

In 1927 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the Murchison Grant by the Royal Geographical Society.

Works

"General Wade and His Military Roads in the Highlands of Scotland", Scottish Geographical Magazine, Volume 40, 1924

"St Kilda", Scottish Geographical Magazine, Volume 44, December 1928

"The Story of Antarctic Exploration 1716-1931", 1932 "The Story of Arctic Voyages and Explorations", 1934 "The Tragedy of the Scottish Highlands", Scottish Geographical Magazine, Volume 54, 1938

"Scottish Ghost-names and other place names: Some of the Difficulties in ascertaining their Meaning", Scottish Geographical Magazine, Volume 60, 1944