Monro graduated in Geology from Aberdeen University in 1970 and then received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh while embarking upon a lengthy career with the British Geological Survey, making a number of distinguished contributions to the understanding of the geology of central Scotland and the application of geology to environmental issues.
He was instrumental in establishing Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the science centre and visitor attraction which opened in 1999 as a major Millennium Project that serves to facilitate a better public understanding of the processes that have shaped the earth. He took up the post of Scientific Director at Our Dynamic Earth on a permanent, part-time, basis on retiring from the British Geological Survey in 2004. Monro has been a part-time tutor in Earth Sciences at the Open University from 1982 till 2009 and, from 1990 to 2002, served on the Open University’s Senate, and Council from 1994 to 2002.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Open University in 2011 for "Services to the University" and "Academic and scholarly distinction".
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts in 1998, and served as President of that Society from 2002 until 2005 and again from 2014. He also served as President of the Westmorland Geological Society (1994–2005) and of the Edinburgh Geological Society (2005–2007).
He has been co-Convenor of the Scottish Earth Science Education Forum since 2003, a voluntary group he helped establish to support a greater understanding of earth sciences in Scottish schools and colleges and chairs the Earth Science Trust. Also in 2003 he was appointed by Scottish Ministers to serve on the Scottish Science Advisory Council, a national forum which provides strategic advice to the Scottish Government on scientific issues.
He has also served as a Non-Executive Director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, and served on the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young People's Committee.
He is honorary geological adviser to the John Muir Trust and in 2005 he was appointed by Scottish Ministers as a Trustee of the National Museums of Scotland, a role he continued till 2013. In 2009 he also took on the part-time position as Scientific Director of the Edinburgh Consortium for Rural Research now the Scottish Consortium for Rural Research. In 2011 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
From September 2011 till 31 July 2014 he served as Vice-Convenor of Court.
He was appointed a Visiting Professor in the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh in February 2008 and an Honorary Professor from February 2014. In 2010 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and in 2014 made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
He has an honorary doctorate from the Open University (DUniv) from Heriot-Watt University (Doctor of Science) and from University of Edinburgh (Doctor of Science). He was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to science in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II"s New Year Honours list, announced on 30 December 2006.
He was the Council"s first Independent Company-chair till he stood down as both Company-Chair and a member of the Council in 2009. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh (School of Geosciences) in 2005 and from September 2007, he has also served as a member of the University Court of the University of Edinburgh. In 2014 he was appointed as a member of the University Court of the University of Street Andrews.
