Discovery Point at the heart of Dundee's waterfront is home to the Royal Research Ship Discovery; built in Dundee in 1900 and launched in 1901, for Captain Scott's famous first Antarctic Expedition. Since opening in 1993, Discovery Point has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors and won numerous awards, most recently being recognised by the prestigious Sandford Awards for Education.
Dundee had long been a centre for the whaling industry – the shipyards were well-known for their robust whaling ships capable of surviving rough seas and Arctic Pack Ice. Sir Clements Markham harnessed this expertise to construct the Discovery, the first ship in the British Empire to be constructed specifically for scientific research. While the design was based on the great Dundee whalers, some modifications were needed.
The commission was given to the Dundee Shipbuilders Company to construct the ship at the city’s Victoria Dock. She was built in just 12 months, and launched on 21st March 1901 on the British National Antarctic Expedition under the command of Robert Falcon Scott.
Discovery and her men arrived in Antarctica in 1902, where they remained locked in theice until 1904. During this pioneering Expedition, many discoveries were made that shaped the future of our understanding of Antarctica and climate science. After her 1901-1904 Expedition, Discovery went on to be used by the Hudson Bay Company, andwas taken back into Southern oceans by the Oceanographic Expeditions of 1925-1927; following her refit for oceanographic research use and official designation as the UK's very first Royal Research Ship.
https://www.dundeeheritagetrust.co.uk/attraction/discovery-point/
