£3.5m Heritage Funding secured to launch new era for Discovery
Within months of its launch in 1901, RRS Discovery set sail for the Antarctic and 30 years of exploration. Now, 124 years later, National Lottery support will help secure RRS Discovery’s future as one of the world’s most important historic vessels.
RRS Discovery was built in Dundee and returned there in 1986 to a permanent home in the city, Discovery Point.
Dundee Heritage Trust has announced that the second phase of its ambitious Discovery Point Transformed capital project will get underway this year after securing £3.55 million support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Caroline Clark, Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “Captain Scott’s 1901 Antarctic expedition was the first and the most famous of RRS Discovery’s voyages, but for 30 years the ship was a ground-breaking mobile scientific research centre, collecting data still vital today as we face the challenge of climate change.
“With National Lottery support the Discovery Point Transformed project will secure this historic and internationally important ship for future generations, and through revitalising Discovery Point it will allow the knowledge collected on RRS Discovery to continue to inform public understanding of the importance of the polar regions and the impact of climate change.”
David Henry, Chairman, Dundee Heritage Trust said: “The next stage of Discovery Point Transformed marks an exciting new chapter in our ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate Discovery’s extraordinary legacy.”
“By combining innovative exhibitions with essential conservation work, we will ensure that RRS Discovery continues to educate and inspire for the next century.”
The Heritage Fund has confirmed the project has secured up to £3.55m thanks to National Lottery players, and is set to enhance one of Scotland’s most recognised museums and safeguard the historic Royal Research Ship (RRS) Discovery for future generations. The campaign has also received support from the Tay Cities Region Deal, the Northwood Charitable Trust, the Wolfson Foundation, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, the Swire Charitable Trust and other generous contributors.
Discovery Point Transformed plans include significant changes to Discovery Point museum that will bring visitors closer to the Tay waterfront and the open oceans that RRS Discovery sailed.
The funding announced today will kickstart the project, with the Trust continuing to fundraise to generate support for Phase Two of Discovery Point Transformed; with its £10 million estimate cost. Discovery Point and RRS Discovery currently remain open as usual, with building works commencing in 2026.
The next phase of Discovery Point Transformed aims to revolutionise visitor experiences at Discovery Point, cementing its status as a dynamic national museum and attraction. The project will deliver two new cutting-edge exhibitions exploring Antarctica’s magnetic pull on explorers and how Discovery’s pioneering scientific voyages continue to shape global climate science.
A new destination bistro will open up panoramic views of the River Tay, helping ensure visitors feel a closer connection to the sea. Upgraded learning facilities will further reconnect Dundee’s maritime heritage with the city’s future.
Building works are scheduled to begin in 2026 and conclude by 2028, with RRS Discovery remaining open throughout the transformation. Dundee Heritage Trust has collaborated with leading specialists including AIM Design, Beckett Rankine, and JPS Restoration, leveraging three years of extensive research, surveys, and planning to ensure the project’s success.
Ged Young, Director at AIM Design says, “This is fantastic news for Dundee Heritage Trust and the next phase of Discovery Point Transformed; a project that will enable the Museum to implement essential energy performance improvements. The opening of the south facade over two levels to reveal views of the Tay presents a once in a generation opportunity to capture an elevated panoramic of this impressive estuary that has been so critical to the City’s development and success.
“This latest phase of regeneration will complement our earlier design collaborations with Dundee Heritage Trust for the Scottish Design Award winning Discovery Dome, and will deliver additional events space, galleries and renewable energy opportunities.”
In addition to enhancing visitor experiences, the conservation work aboard the RRS Discovery follows a major £1.4M repair project funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund in 2023, and will aim to assure the future of the ship as it approaches its 125th birthday in 2026. During the next £2.7M stage of works, ageing timbers aboard the Dundee-built ship will continue to be restored and will be supported by a specially designed cradle, in order that Captain Scott’s famous ship can continue to inspire thousands of visitors and young learners for decades to come.
Dundee Heritage Trust describe Discovery Point Transformed as a project made in Dundee, for Dundee. The city’s people have always been central to the story of RRS Discovery — from the skilled shipbuilders who crafted her in 1901 to the generations who have safeguarded her legacy. As the charity embarks on this next chapter at Discovery Point, the local community will once again play a vital role. Residents, community groups, and young learners will help shape the new exhibitions, selecting the stories that matter most and contributing their voices to the museum’s interpretation. From hands-on conservation efforts aboard the ship to creative collaborations with local artists and craftspeople, the Trust emphasises that the project will be a shared journey — one that brings together the past, present, and future of Dundee’s proud maritime heritage.
The transformed Discovery Point will feature two state-of-the-art galleries.
Drawn to the Pole will explore the magnetic and metaphorical pull of Antarctica, shedding light on the motivations of early explorers like Scott and Shackleton. It will house exclusive archive collections from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and the internationally significant Hope Cross, the original memorial erected to Sir Ernest Shackleton on the island of South Georgia after his death. The cross was accepted into the care of Dundee Heritage Trust following its journey to Dundee in 2024, supported by partners, the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia Heritage Trust, British Antarctic Survey and crew of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, and many others. Since, it has allowed visitors to Discovery Point to reflect on the legacy of Sir Ernest Shackleton.
The Climate Science gallery will connect the knowledge of Dundee Heritage Trust’s scientific partners – the National Oceanography Centre, the British Antarctic Survey, and the Scott Polar Research Institute – and the expertise of the Trust’s Accredited Museum team in delivering award-winning learning and visitor experiences (Sandford Award 2023, Scottish Design Awards Gold Award for Best Interior Design 2023, ASVA Award Experience Maker Finalist 2024), to enable visitors connect with a vital topic as part of an inspirational human story.
Discovery Point is more than just a museum; Dundee Heritage Trust is more than just the custodians of RRS Discovery. Our commitment to preserving and reimagining heritage has allowed us to make significant strides. In 2024 through generous donations, we were able to bring an extraordinary piece of history to Dundee – Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Hope Cross. It symbolises resilience, hope, and the indomitable spirit that has defined exploration and shone a torch on our programme of urgent works on RRS Discovery.
Your donation is more than financial support; it is an investment in the continuation of vital restoration ship works that ensure these historic vessels remain preserved and accessible for generations to come.
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