03/10/2026
⚓ Happy ! This year’s theme is the ... and of course we’ve chosen D for Discovery, and Dundee!
The Royal Research Ship Discovery was built here in Dundee and launched 125 years ago for Captain Scott’s first voyage to the Antarctic; with fellow Polar legends Ernest Shackleton, Edward Wilson, and Tom Crean on board. The rest, as they say, is history.
The shipyards of Dundee were chosen for the construction for this specially-designed vessel because of the city’s unmatched expertise in building wooden whaling ships, ready to battle unforgiving ice day in, day out ⚒️
As well as building the ship, Dundee’s industry was responsible for the manufacture of Discovery’s engine, its sails, and more. Thus, even when locked in frozen Antarctic plains so very far from home, Discovery was – and still is – rooted in Dundee.
After pioneering voyages around the world, the RRS Discovery returned home 40 years ago, to excitement that likely paralleled that of the ship’s launch back in 1901. Now, thousands of visitors of all ages from around the globe board the ship every year to explore life below deck, walking in the footsteps of not only Polar legends, but those of the experts in the city’s shipyards who worked tirelessly to build Discovery in less than 12 months.
And as JPS Restoration & Consultancy Ltd conserve RRS Discovery, it becomes increasingly filled with nods to its home city – jute used in caulking is processed at Verdant Works Museum, and timbers salvaged from an 1800s mill are being used in repairs.
📷 We’re sharing these photographs of the ship under construction and in testing, as a reminder of the people of Discovery and of Dundee’s shipyards; how proud they would surely be, to know that their beloved ship and its stories continue to inspire people every single day.
Scottish Museums Federation Drone photography: (c) Paul Vinova
