Dundee's RRS Discovery has entered its second phase of restoration work

The RRS Discovery is undergoing a series of repairs. (Picture: Supplied)

Dundee’s iconic polar research ship RRS Discovery has entered the second phase of a major conservation project, as work begins to secure the vessel for future generations during its 125th anniversary year.

Dundee Heritage Trust has confirmed that the latest phase of repairs will focus on the ship’s weather-beaten bulwarks and stanchions, while also creating a fully supportive protective environment for the vessel for the first time. The works are expected to cost more than £2M and mark a significant step in the long-term care of the Dundee-built ship.

Despite the scale of the project, Discovery Point and RRS Discovery will remain open throughout the works. Visitors will be able to see traditional shipwrighting skills and modern conservation techniques up close, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how one of the UK’s most important historic ships is maintained.

The project is being supported by funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Tay Cities Region Deal, alongside charitable trusts. Maritime engineers Beckett Rankine and heritage specialists JPS Restoration & Consultancy Ltd have been re-appointed following their work on the first phase.

That initial phase, completed between 2023 and 2025, focused on urgent structural repairs to the ship’s stern. It also helped address a major challenge facing historic ships across the UK – the shortage of skilled shipwrights.

Traditional techniques such as caulking, steam bending and blacking were used, with the aim of preserving these endangered skills for the future.

The new phase comes as RRS Discovery approaches 125 years since her launch in Dundee in March 1901. Built specifically for scientific research in Antarctica, the ship played a key role in Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s first Antarctic expedition and later undertook major oceanographic missions after being designated a Royal Research Ship.

Dundee Heritage Trust says the conservation works form part of a wider transformation of Discovery Point, designed to ensure the ship and museum continue to inspire future generations.