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Dundee maritime attraction gets £3.55m funding boost

AIM Design An artist's impression of visitor centre with a domed roof and a ship in dry dock on its leftAIM Design
Discovery Point will use the money to create two new exhibitions and a restaurant

A popular Dundee tourist attraction exploring the city's maritime history has been awarded £3.55m for the next stage of its redevelopment.

Discovery Point includes Captain Scott's Antarctic exploration ship RRS Discovery, which is currently undergoing a major restoration project.

The Heritage Fund money will also go towards two new exhibition galleries and a restaurant in its visitor centre.

Dundee Heritage Trust said it hoped the funding would help secure the ship's future as "one of the world's most-important historical vessels".

Mather & Co A museum interior showing an artist's impression of a climate science exhibition with interactive touchscreens and mapsMather & Co
One of the current exhibitions explores how Discovery's pioneering voyages continue to shape global climate science

RRS Discovery was purpose-built in the city to take explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott to the Antarctic in the early 1900s.

The ship returned there in 1986 to a permanent home in the city.

Last year the Hope Cross, a poignant memorial to polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton from his crew, went on display at Discovery Point after a journey of more than 7,000 miles from the South Atlantic.

The new attractions add to a 360° virtual recreation of Dundee in 1901 that was opened in the centre in 2022.

The new exhibitions will shed light on the early explorers' fascination with Antarctica and how Discovery's pioneering voyages continue to shape global climate science.

Building work on the project is expected to begin next year and conclude in 2028.

Dundee Heritage Trust chairman David Henry 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."

Dundee Heritage Trust A large ship with three masts in dry dock. The V&A Museum of Design is in the background.Dundee Heritage Trust
RRS Discovery returned to Dundee in 1986 and is currently being refurbished