This is what the future could hold for the HMS Unicorn

What the attraction could look like in ten years if Project Safe Haven is successful (Picture: LDN Architects)

HMS Unicorn has always been more than a ship. For Dundee, she is a guardian of history, a silent witness to two centuries of change, and a symbol of resilience.

Now, thanks to Project Safe Haven, the Unicorn is on course for her most ambitious transformation yet - one that promises not only to safeguard her for generations to come, but also to reimagine City Quay as a thriving cultural hotspot for Dundee and beyond.

Built in 1824, HMS Unicorn is one of the oldest ships still afloat anywhere in the world.

The current situation the Unicorn is in - but could very well be about to change!

Though constructed in Chatham, she has called Dundee home for the vast majority of her life.

For over 200 years, she has quietly rested in Victoria Dock, inspiring visitors with her extraordinary survival and unique story. Today, under the care of the Unicorn Preservation Society, her next chapter is about to unfold.

Project Safe Haven - securing the future

Project Safe Haven is a multi-million-pound, multi-phase plan designed to both preserve and reimagine HMS Unicorn.

It isn’t just a conservation project - it’s a complete reinvention of how visitors will experience one of Scotland’s most remarkable heritage landmarks.

Since 2019, surveys and urgent works have laid the groundwork. Now, from 2025 onwards, the pace of transformation will aim to quicken.

This year has already brought exciting developments for the ship. In a remarkable change, HMS Unicorn has revealed a hidden part of her upper deck for the first time in nearly half a century.

The fo'c'sle of the Unicorn is now visible for the first time in 50 years (Picture: HMS Unicorn)

The forecastle, or fo’c’sle, which had been concealed behind a bulkhead since the 1970s, is now fully open once again. For decades, the bulkhead made the space feel more like a community hall than a warship.

Its removal has restored the vessel’s elegance and authenticity, allowing visitors to see the full sweep of the ship’s sides as they run to the bow.

The East Graving Dock, just a short distance from where the Unicorn currently sits, will be repaired, reinforced and prepared to receive the ship in a new supportive cradle.

From 2027, HMS Unicorn will aim to sit safely in her new dock under a rainwater shelter, stabilised for conservation while visitors get a front-row seat to watch history being preserved in action.

The Unicorn is aiming to move to the East Graving Dock and be placed under a weather-resistant shelter (Picture: LDN Architects)

A temporary visitor centre will tell the evolving story of the ship, while offering educational opportunities around shipbuilding skills, heritage preservation and maritime history.

By 2030, construction will begin on a permanent, state-of-the-art visitor centre on the dock arm - a world-class facility that will cement the Unicorn as one of Dundee’s leading attractions.

By 2032, the Unicorn will be fully embedded in her long-term cradle, protected by controlled drying systems and supported by a completed visitor centre.

Far from being hidden away during these works, the Unicorn will be more accessible than ever. Each phase has been designed to bring people closer to the ship’s ongoing story, making Project Safe Haven a living heritage project that grows with the city.

A cultural hotspot in the making

The Unicorn’s move to the East Graving Dock will not only preserve the ship - it will help transform the wider City Quay and Victoria Dock area.

Long overlooked, this stretch of waterfront is primed to become Dundee’s next cultural hub.

And the timing couldn’t be better. Just nearby, the Eden Project is preparing to bring its world-renowned mix of sustainability, nature and innovation to Dundee by 2030.

Together, HMS Unicorn and Eden could form a powerful cultural corridor - drawing visitors into a unique blend of maritime heritage, environmental discovery and waterfront regeneration.

With new pedestrian connections like the proposed Eden Bridge, locals and visitors alike could flow seamlessly between attractions, restaurants, shops and green spaces, creating a vibrant new heart for the city.

Hope for the next century

Project Safe Haven is about much more than repairing an old ship - it’s about preparing HMS Unicorn for her next 100 years.

By the time the project is aiming to be completed in the 2030s, Dundee will not only have preserved one of the world’s oldest surviving ships, but also built a cultural anchor for the future.

A new visitor centre is proposed for the Unicorn (Picture: LDN Architects)

From schoolchildren learning about history and engineering, to tourists discovering Dundee’s place on the world stage, to locals proud of a waterfront reborn, the impact will be felt far beyond the dock walls.

As the Unicorn Preservation Society often says, this is a “100-year plan”. A plan to ensure that the ship endures - not just as a relic of the past, but as a living, thriving part of Dundee’s future.

The Unicorn has survived wars, weather and time itself. With Project Safe Haven, she’s not just surviving - she’s preparing to flourish once again, right at the heart of a city on the rise.