Day: October 1, 2021

Stocky & Dee’s ‘Pup-cycle’ charity initiative gives dog collars a new lease of life

–  Luxury dog brand encourages customers to return used puppy collars – 

Luxury dog accessories firm, Stocky & Dee, is encouraging pet owners to do their bit to cut out waste and return their used puppy collars. Stocky & Dee’s ‘Pup-cycle’ initiative up-cycles outgrown puppy collars and donates them to dogs homes to be worn again. 

The charity initiative from the Edinburgh-headquartered family business asks customers to send back collars which their puppy has outgrown in return for a discount on a future purchase.

Stocky & Dee refurbishes these collars, if required, and donates them to a different dog charity every month with the first being The Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home. Their Pup-cycle initiative is one of the many ways Stocky & Dee encourages the reusability of their products and helps in their drive to be a sustainable business that does not negatively impact the environment. 

Customers can follow the journey of their returned collar by visiting Stocky & Dee’s website where they can see their former puppy collar with its new owner.

To date the company has refurbished and donated 65 collars to five dog homes in the UK. This is an extension to their ‘Puppy Pack’ offer where customers are offered a puppy collar for half price when purchasing the fully grown collar. 

In addition to up-cycling outgrown puppy collars, Stocky & Dee will soon be launching a service that sees no used Stocky & Dee products end up in landfill. As each piece is built by one of the Stocky & Dee team they have the ability to up-cycle, alter and be creative with these used products so they can continue to be used. This includes anything from the metal on each product to the yarn fabrics used. 

Founder of Stocky & Dee and textiles graduate, Mairi Robb, said: “We want to be with our customers on their whole dog journey from pup to pensioner. As dog owners, we understand how much people want to spoil their new pups but appreciate how expensive this can be, especially considering how fast they grow.

“Our puppy pack allows customers to treat their puppies without breaking the bank and our Pup-cycle initiative allows them to send back these collars, in return for a voucher and see it continue it’s life with a new owner. 

Katie Kennedy, Corporate Engagement and Events Co-ordinator at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home said: “Through Stocky & Dee’s support and their Pupcycle initiative we’ve been able to provide our furry residents with the trendiest collars. 

“As we receive no regular government funding we rely heavily on the generous support of the public, companies, and charitable trusts to fund our work. We are very grateful for the support that Stocky & Dee has shown us throughout lockdown to now and look forward to continuing the partnership.” 

During the peak of the pandemic when animal charities were hit hard across the globe, Stocky & Dee created a bespoke Rainbow Dog Collar with donations going to Mrs Murrays Dog & Cat Home in Aberdeen, raising over £1000 for them so far.

The design was so popular that it has been made part of the permanent collection.  

Stocky & Dee was launched in Scotland in 2019 by husband and wife team Mairi and Chris Robb. It has experienced rapid growth, partly as a result of the surge in pet ownership during the pandemic. 

St James Quarter completes Leith St Eats line up with Wingstop and Thai Express Kitchen

St James Quarter is spicing things up with two new international restaurants joining the already mouth-watering and diverse F&B line up in the heart of the city.  

Designed around a crescent ‘urban garden’ theme, Leith St Eats offers a hangout spot from lunchtime right though till late evening hosting a compelling line-up of local, national, and international eateries.

Wingstop, the international chicken wing restaurant, is set to occupy a 1,800 sq ft space at Leith St Eats on level one, becoming the restaurants’ most recent UK signing, the first in Scotland and adding to its 1,500+ branches worldwide. Partnered with rap artist Rick Ross in the US, the brand has already made its mark on the UK scene, collaborating with the likes of Gymshark, Reprezent Radio and Xbox.

Also bringing a new distinctive offer to St James Quarter is Thai Express, the global leading brand for fast casual Thai dining. Thai Express will be taking 2,600 sq ft located at Leith St Eats and bringing a new format – ‘Thai Express Kitchen’ to Edinburgh.

The new concept will add to the Quarter’s evening offering and will boast an open kitchen, allowing diners to marvel at flames created by wok chefs. Renowned for its signature Pad Thai and trademarked “General Thai”, Thai Express has over 350 stores worldwide, however this will be a first for the Thai Express Kitchen format, bringing that “same same but different” feel.

Completing the line-up alongside Five Guys, Tortilla and Edinburgh-based Maki & Ramen within Leith St Eats is gourmet kebab brand GDK.

Conceived in Berlin, GDK offers an elevated but authentic kebab experience with lean meats, hand-made breads and signature sauces.

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome more delicious eateries to the Quarter. The success of our restaurants and food outlets so far has been second to none and I’ve enjoyed not only hearing the incredible feedback from customers but also seeing the enjoyment from the staff at each establishment.

“Adding more ‘firsts’ to the list with Wingstop and Thai Express Kitchen really shows the calibre of our offering within Quarter and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in to try them out.”

Tom Grogan, Director, Lemon Pepper Holdings, said: “We have taken our time to look for the perfect location for our first Wingstop location in Scotland and we are delighted with the site we have chosen in Edinburgh at St James Quarter.

“We look forward to introducing our Flavours and Wings to the guests of this iconic development.”

Sachin Pattani, Managing Director, Thai Express, added: “We are eager to open our doors to the public. We have really pushed the boat on the design by introducing one of a kind double decker seating, a hanging garden, and an impressive 12 meter mural.

“As well as extending our food and drink offering with exciting twists on your traditional Thai classics. St. James is the perfect setting to unveil our new concept.”

The recent signings will join the likes of Ka Pao, Black Sheep, Bross Bagels, Salerno Pizza, Bonnie & Wild, Sushi Samba and Pho as St James Quarter continues to strengthen an already formidable line up of dining options.

Brand new poetry festival Push The Boat Out launches Poetry Mile

Push The Boat Out (PTBO) Scotland’s newest and most boundary-bending poetry festival, launches its online and hybrid offer today, October 1st in Edinburgh.

Taking place from the 15 – 17 October 2021 within the creative hub of Summerhall, Push The Boat Out will be the second poetry festival ever to be held in Scotland and has already been making waves for its mission to change perceptions of poetry.  

Named after the poem “At Eighty” by the first Scottish makar Edwin Morgan, PTBO is inspired by the vibrancy and range of contemporary poetry, hip hop and spoken word and creates an environment where all variations of this vital artform are encouraged to grow, evolve and even collide. 

The festival is directed by Jenny Niven (Former head of literature Creative Scotland and Acting Director Edinburgh International Book Festival), and was co founded by Jenny Niven and Kevin Williamson (Rebel Inc, Neu Reekie!).

The flagship project of the hybrid offer from PTBO is ‘A Poetry Mile’ an unique project which saw 23 leading poets commissioned to produce more than 70 brand new poems relating to locations within a square mile of Summerhall.

The poems have been built into an app which custom generates walking tours of some of Edinburgh’s most iconic locations, from the Scottish Parliament (where users hear spoken word poet Leyla Josephine’s devastating response to the Alex Salmond allegations) to the Sheep Heid Inn (where Michael Pederson recounts his time there as a skittle boy).

Users determine the type of experience they’d like to have, from ‘melancholy’ to ‘historical’ to ‘queer poetry’ and are served a bespoke audio map to follow.  Each poem is read by the poet themselves, creating hundreds of possible individual audio tours.

The project, supported by James and Morag Anderson, and the Futures Institute at Edinburgh University, offers an original, contemporary take on a modern, complex city and features poets such as Edwin Morgan prize winner Alycia Pirmohamed, spoken word icon Hollie McNish and three Edinburgh city makars, Christine de Luca, Alan Spence and recently anointed Hannah Lavery.

 Totally covid safe, the app can be enjoyed on foot, promoting the mental health benefits of walking, or from anywhere, online (an idea which appealed to the Futures Institute for students planning to come to Edinburgh).

The project is Push the Boat Out’s  innovative imagining of what a truly hybrid festival, born in covid times, might look like and proudly supported poets to create new work during difficult times.

Poetry rabble rouser Michael Pederson will host a bespoke Poetry Mile walk, lunch and game of skittles at Scotland’s oldest surviving public house, The Sheep Heid Inn, as part of the festival.

Michael Pederson says: ‘Edinburgh is a city buoyed by poetry – poetic sentiment is the cement that clasps together its ancient rock; is what marbles the sea haar, and propels the gelid the wind that pummels our bodies, spilling down a deep fissure for a quick getaway; it’s the butt of the joke brewing in its underbelly.

“Of course, the only real way to map this City is by poetry, by voices, by visitants, by denizens. Ordnance Survey is over, The Poetry Mile is here – tread careful & trust no-one (but us).’

Julia Sorensen, PTBO comms manager and poet laureate of St Albert, Edmonton, Canada said: ‘A Poetry Mile feels like a collection of secrets. It’s not that poems are things we should’ve kept to ourselves – it’s the opposite – it’s just that there’s been no space to tell them yet.

“A Poetry Miles gives poets a place to share personal and specifically-located stories through their work, and the poems help users discover – or re-discover – the city afresh.

Dr Patricia Erskine, Culture & Community Director, Edinburgh Futures Institute said: “Nothing conjures up a sense of place quite like a poem. The wonderful new poems in A Poetry Mile will evoke warm feelings, engage your senses, draw out hidden memories and create some new ones.

“At the Edinburgh Futures Institute, we challenge, create and make change happen. So it has been incredibly exciting to support Push The Boat Out as they created this extraordinary digital project. The poems and walks may chime with us or they may change how we think about the city, its buildings and its green spaces.

“Whether it’s your first time or you’ve walked the routes many times before, the poems are sure to inspire anyone who wants to walk A Poetry Mile in Edinburgh, in person or online.”

Today PTBO also announce our wider online offer, with a range of events streamed live, offered on catch up, or developed into podcasts which will be released immediately following the festival.

These include partner events with leading Scottish literary organisations Scottish BAME Writers Network, Gutter Magazine, Shoreline of Infinity and Stewed Rhubarb press. A one of kind bespoke sign language poetry workshop is offered by Chinese filmmaker and poet Yi Ru.

All online events are free.

Completing the festival’s accessibility offer is a series of free events, including Artists’ talks with Alec Findlay, Sean Wai Keung and Pip Thornton, and sessions showcasing the work developed in partnership with leading reading charity, Open Book Reading.

Jenny Niven, director of Push The Boat Out, said: “With the festival born during, and in some ways in response to, covid times, we’ve been thinking since the beginning about how to keep innovating and creating, and make vibrant contemporary poetry as accessible as we can in these unusual circumstances.

“We’re really pleased to be able to offer such a wide selection of our events available to anyone who can’t physically come to Summerhall – as well as our lovely Poetry Mile app which you can use from absolutely anywhere.

“Nonetheless we can’t wait to be.”

To access A POETRY MILE click here:

https://walks.pushtheboatout.org/

For the FULL PROGRAMME visit:

https://shows.pushtheboatout.org/

RoSPA alarmed by rise in cyclist and child road deaths

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is deeply concerned that latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures show an increase in the number of fatal collisions involving cyclists and children, despite an overall reduction in the number of road deaths following a year of lockdowns.

The DfT published the Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2020 which shows that last year 1,460 people were killed on our roads, which is a fall of 17 per cent compared with the figure in 2019.

In 2020, there were a total of 115,584 reported road casualties of all severities, which was a fall of 25 per cent from the previous year. For much of 2020, there was a COVID lockdown and the RAC estimated that miles travelled in Great Britain were 21 per cent down on the previous year.

Alarmingly, data from the DfT shows that in 2020, 141 cyclists were killed in road accidents. This was up 41 per cent from 100 deaths in the previous year. The number of children killed on Britain’s roads also increased, from 49 in 2019 to 52 in 2020.

David Walker, Head of Road and Leisure Safety at RoSPA said: “By any measure 2020 was an abnormal year. It is of no surprise that the overall number of road casualties fell. This is in no small part due to less traffic on the roads.

“With traffic levels returning to pre-pandemic levels and some understandable reluctance towards using public transport, we must today continue to focus on the harm to motorists and more significantly, from motorists.

“We welcome the fact that more people have been getting out on their bikes and recognise the reduction in the rate of deaths per mile travelled. However, this should not distract from the shocking fact that more cyclists and more children died on our roads than in the previous year.

“At RoSPA we believe that having more cyclists and pedestrians should not result in an increased number of serious and fatal accidents involving vulnerable road users.

“We must continue to act decisively if we want to maintain the position of British roads being among the safest in the world.”

With travel restrictions in place throughout 2020, there was a huge increase in the number of people electing to use active travel such as walking and cycling.

According to the DfT‘s Road Traffic Estimates in Great Britain 2020, pedal cycle traffic was up by 45.7 per cent from the previous year.

Crimestoppers Scotland receives record number of calls

Over the past year (1st April 2020-31st March 2021) independent charity Crimestoppers Scotland and their youth programme Fearless received a record 16,500 calls and contacts from the Scottish public.

This increase sees the most disseminations to Police Scotland and Law Enforcement ever – representing a 10% increase in crime information compared to 19/20 and a 65% increase over five years.

Responding to school and youth service closures, Fearless delivered 12 Scotland-wide campaigns focused on empowering young people with key information about high harm crimes.

Over 58,000 young people from all across Scotland visited the charity’s youth website Fearless.org and reported crime – 100% anonymously – more than ever before. 

Information from the public also achieved:

  • 549 Criminals arrested and charged (thanks to Police Scotland & Law Enforcement)
  • Three people were arrested and charged with murder/unlawful killings.
  • ‘Street’ Value of drugs recovered £1,479,599. Nearly ONE AND A HALF MILLION.
  • Six Wanted Persons and Fugitives were arrested and charged.
  • 27 disqualified and uninsured drivers were arrested and charged.
  • Five arrested for possession of a firearm and five firearms recovered.

Angela Parker, National Manager for Crimestoppers Scotland, said: ‘The past year has been unprecedented and very challenging, but people across Scotland came forward and trusted us with their information.

“From drug dealing to child harm and neglect, we heard from thousands of people concerned about crime in communities. We are so encouraged and grateful for the people who contacted our charity – thanks to the Scottish public, life is better for many and communities are safer.” 

 Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie (Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing) said: “We want the public to know they can trust us when they come to us with information, we take their reports seriously and carry out thorough investigations into incidents or crimes that may be reported. 

“We also understand though that speaking to the police in person about certain situations can be daunting for some. In that respect, Crimestoppers is an essential partner for Police Scotland, enabling people to submit information anonymously and allowing that information to be shared with us quickly.

“We’re also grateful to Fearless for its ongoing survey giving young people a chance to speak about what they think about crime and how safe they feel in their communities. Their input will help shape our approach and interactions with young people for the future.’’

Ash Denham MSP, Minister for Community Safety said: “The Scottish Government is committed to tackling crime in Scotland by working across the country with partners, such as Crimestoppers, to help communities remain safe and resilient where people can live their lives safe from crime and harm.

“By picking up the phone and contacting Crimestoppers you can help to prevent, detect and solve crime. The number of reports to Crimestoppers has reached a record high in the past 12 months.

“This has been of particular importance and value during these challenging times and I would like to thank them sincerely for the part they play in helping keep people in Scotland safe.”

Still two weeks left to make your mark in Green Pencil Award 2021

Edinburgh libraries’ successful environmentally themed creative writing competition, open to all P4 – P7 aged children in Edinburgh and, once again, to young people in S1-3 runs until 15 October 2021.

There has been a lot of attention recently regarding climate change and its effects on the natural environment. In November 2021 the Unite Nations will host COP26  in Glasgow.

We challenge you to think, if you were an animal, a bird, a tree, a plant or even a mountain or river in Scotland, what would be your story about climate change.

Or perhaps …

You wish to tell us what experiences you are going through, if we don’t tackle climate change, what does the future look like in 2030.

Entries could be poetry, prose or story, all we asked was that the writing is the author’s own work and was no longer than one side of A4 paper.

Hear last year’s winning entries on Tales of One City.

As the nights draw in …

Heart of Newhaven’s October newsletter

All about project updates …


Our friendship benches are now being decorated!

On October 8th, a group of older and younger people  from the New Spin intergenerational project at the Citadel will decorate the first of our six friendship benches, all of which have been made by Mens Shed.

The New Spin group will be working with local artist Johnathan Elders to create patterns for the backs of the bench. Further benches will be decorated in further sessions, so each will be unique. The project is being run with the help of Thrive, to celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10th October.

Fruit tree planting in Victoria Park

Our Greening Team have been busy with plans for the area and pupils from Trinity High and Trinity Primary Schools will be helping to plant some young fruit trees in Victoria Park this winter to enhance the area, by adding beauty, interest and biodiversity.

There are already a couple of small trees in situ, so those will be added to, to create a mini orchard. The trees will be Scottish heritage fruit trees, specially chosen for the site, and will include apple, pear and plum. 

Each one will have its own protective cage, provided by Edinburgh City Council, and the pupils will learn from a Royal Botanic Gardens representative how best to plant and care for them.

We hope to work on more tree-planting and wilding projects in the future, not just in the parks but in the more built-up parts of our neighbourhood, where urban nature needs some encouragement. 

 Keep abreast of the latest news on our Greening Page

Environment Page


And more on green issues

The Heart of Newhaven Community was assessed by It’s Your Neighbourhood, part of the Keep Scotland Beautiful charity recently, and despite it only being the first year of our association with them, we have scored a Level 3, (out of five) which means we are “advancing”.

The score was helped by having achieved our goal of funding from the Scottish Land Fund to acquire the site, as well as successfully engaging with a variety of local communities and groups. Well done everyone involved. The next level is “thriving” and the top level is “outstanding”. How long will it be?

Forth Reflections

On October 22nd from 2pm – 4 pm we are collaborating with an exhibition in the main entrance to Ocean Terminal called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing’. The event is being organised in conjunction with the Edinburgh Wellbeing PACT and the Forth/Edinburgh Shoreline Project.

Conceived during the dark days of winter lockdown this project is the passionate responses of well over a hundred different people to a part of the Forth coast that is special to them.

A long storyline of enmeshed crafted memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.

Each participant expressed their response to their chosen 1km of coast on a calico square and many people have focused on the coast’s local history and wildlife, its beauty and diversity and the many species and memories that have been and are still being lost. While frustration and anger can be seen in many pieces about marine and intertidal pollution, there is also heartfelt hope for the future.

We hope that as many people as possible will call in and have a chat. Not only will it be an opportunity to talk to us about our plans for the Heart in general but we also want to have conversations about wellbeing and what it means to each of us in our community. As inspiration we will be displaying a selection of the calico squares created by local people.

Call in to see the display and have a chat.

Keep watching our website and social media platforms for the latest news, as we await the move of Victoria Primary School pupils to their new home and the handover of the keys for the site from Edinburgh City Council to the Heart.

Edinburgh creative projects get go ahead with Lottery funding

Thirteen creative projects from Edinburgh-based artists and creative organisations are taking place thanks to more than £253,000 National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland.  

And If Not Now When? – a new audio-visual installation being exhibited at National Museum of Scotland; Open Book – a project aimed at making literature accessible to diverse populations and Positive Imaginings, an innovative outdoor show presenting the issue of climate change for young audiences are among 44 projects in total sharing in £903,734 of funding.  

And If Not Now When? (above) is a new work from sound-designer Philip Pinsky and film-maker Karen Lamond. The interactive audio-visual installation aims to inspire a re-imagining of our urban spaces and what our human experience of them is and can be. 

The installation will be on public display at National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh from 1st to 14th November 2021 (during COP26). 

Co-creator and sound designer Philip Pinsky says: “Through our work we are inviting the public to experience a transformed urban reality with the aim of inspiring social change and provoking answers to the question, how can we respond to the climate emergency?” 

Open Book uses literature as a tool for combating social isolation, supporting wellbeing, inspiring creativity and amplifying marginalised voices.  

Open Book’s co-founder and development director Marjorie Lotfi says: “Participants describe our groups as ‘a lifesaver’, an ‘oasis’ and a ‘way to connect’ with others when they feel isolated by geography, disability or circumstance. 

“Funding means we can continue this work from Shetland to Ullapool to Stranraer, in community groups, groups for the elderly and refugees and migrants, in prisons, and in public sessions in English, Gaelic, Scots and Arabic.” 

Speactram is the debut album from vocalist, lyricist and poet Marcas Mac an Tuairneir. This debut release will see Marcas embrace the Gaelic language whilst showcasing musical influences from the genres of pop, pop-folk, R&B and dance.

A key element of this new work will be an exploration of LGBTQ’s place within the Gaelic corpus.  

Marcas Mac an Tuairneir says: “I am grateful to Creative Scotland for seeing the worth in me as an artist and this new development in Gaelic music.

“As an urban new speaker of Gaelic, it is important to me that Gaelic arts represent the myriad experiences of the community across Scotland and in Canada too.”  

Finally, Positive Imaginings is a new outdoor show from Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education CIC.

Director Arran Sheppard said: “Creative Scotland funding will enable us to bring the Positive Imaginings show to communities in Edinburgh and Glasgow during COP26, giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to engage with the Climate Emergency in a creative and empowering way.”

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players who raise £34 million for good causes across the UK every week, our Open Fund awards are helping artists and creative organisations develop innovative projects that enrich the lives of people across Scotland, while raising questions about the important issues of our time and ensuring our collective creative voice continues to be heard.”

A full list of recipients of Open Fund awards is available on the Creative Scotland website.

RRS Discovery secures vital funding to safeguard it’s future

Support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund protects iconic ship for the next generation, just weeks before Scotland hosts world climate conference

RRS Discovery, the world’s first ship to be designed specifically for scientific research and the sole survivor from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, has been safeguarded from critical deterioration thanks to £409,000 funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

RRS Discovery, whose work is still used by climate change scientists, is the centrepiece of Dundee’s Discovery Point, one of two five star rated visitor attractions expertly cared for by the Dundee Heritage Trust. Now, more than a century after she was built in Dundee, urgent repairs are needed to preserve this iconic ship for future generations.

Specialist ship surveyors instructed by Dundee Heritage Trust recently found that the fabric of RRS Discovery has deteriorated, as is common with a wooden ship of her age, with an estimated £1.3m of work needed to prevent further damage and to secure her future as an internationally acclaimed visitor attraction.

The first stage of the urgent repair work, covered by the £409k funding announced today, will address:

  • timbers in the ship’s stern which are in an advanced state of degradation, affecting structural integrity
  • the stanchions or supports along the portside, which are in poor condition, resulting in rainwater leaking into the hull. Action is urgently required to avoid further damage and progressive decay; and
  • recaulking, necessary for ensuring the ship is watertight.

Built in Dundee in 1900 for Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s first Antarctic expedition, RRS Discovery undertook the world’s first scientific research in the Antarctic. 

The ground-breaking science carried out on this, and later expeditions, produced critical benchmark data and technological innovations that are still used by climate and environmental scientists. 

The historic ship returned to the city in 1986 and was greeted by thousands of people lining the docks – a turning point in Dundee’s fortunes after many years of decline. She remains a much-loved, iconic presence on Dundee’s waterfront and is Trip Advisor’s top-rated attraction in the city, consistently retaining the highly prized Travellers’ Choice Award, given only to those ranked in the top 10% internationally. 

Today’s funding news comes as Scotland gears up to host COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, hosted in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021.

Dundee University’s Dr Simon Cook, an expert in Geographical and Environmental Science, said: “As the world’s first scientific research ship, RRS Discovery occupies a unique position in the history of climate change science.  

“It is very fitting that this funding is being announced as Scotland prepares to host COP26, 100 years after Captain Scott and his crew first ventured to the uncharted Antarctic wilderness, setting a benchmark for scientific discovery that is still important to this day.

“Today, satellites are one of the most important tools for learning about climate change in Antarctica, but we lack data from before the advent of satellite technology. Observations made in the RRS Discovery’s ship logs about sea ice extent, for example, are still being used today to understand longer term changes in ice cover and the climate of this region.” 

RRS Discovery is officially recognised as one of the country’s most important historic ships and is the only polar research vessel in the UK’s National Historic Fleet. 

She is one of the last wooden three-masted sailing ships to be built in Britain and the only example of the type to survive. She was built in Dundee because of the city’s expertise in constructing strong whaling ships and was designed to withstand the ice-packed areas of the Antarctic. 

RRS Discovery was involved in three pioneering areas of polar research:

  • the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04 – the first extensive and highly successful scientific exploration of the Antarctic land mass, under the command of Captain Robert Falcon Scott;
  • the Discovery Oceanographic Expedition 1925-27 – the first maritime research undertaken to explore the natural habitat of whales, resulting in the world’s first whale conservation programme; and
  • the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition 1929-31 – an extensive survey of the land masses and oceans of the South Atlantic and Antarctic.

The critical work announced today will form the first phase of the ship’s conservation, with further renovations planned as part of Discovery Point Transformed.  

This £12m redevelopment project was given the green light at the beginning of August 2021 thanks to substantial investment from the Scottish Government as part of the Tay Cities Deal and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional fundraising currently underway. 

This project, run by the Dundee Heritage Trust, will transform one of Dundee’s most popular and highly rated museums, Discovery Point, into a new multi-element visitor attraction with a strong emphasis on climate change and environmental sustainability. 

Jim Pettigrew, Chair of Dundee Heritage Trust said: “RRS Discovery is the pride of Dundee and the jewel in the crown of our historic waterfront, which is now a major tourist destination attracting visitors from around the globe. 

“This essential conservation work is also an important step towards our £12m plans to redevelop Discovery Point, with a major fundraising campaign taking place to secure the remaining investment needed to make this possible.”

Dr Simon Thurley, Chair, National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: “We are delighted to support this essential preservation work to RRS Discovery, a ship of national importance in Scotland and the UK.

“The National Heritage Memorial Fund exists to safeguard some of our finest heritage at risk of loss, and thanks to our support of £409,000 RRS Discovery will continue to be an important draw to visitors to Dundee’s historic waterfront.

“The ship joins the many hundreds of important and much-loved treasures that can be seen and enjoyed across the UK thanks to the National Heritage Memorial Fund.”

The work is expected to be carried out within 12 months. RRS Discovery will remain open to the public throughout.

Waterfront “will lead the way”

An outline business case to create a £1.3bn well-connected, sustainable new coastal town at Granton Waterfront will be considered at the Policy and Sustainability Committee next week.

If approved, a final business case for a first phase of regeneration will be developed over the next 18 months using the skills and experience of a development partner, whilst also progressing plans for a low carbon heat network solution. 

Over the next 15 years the regeneration of Granton Waterfront will deliver around 3,500 net zero carbon homes, a primary school, health centre, commercial and cultural space, sustainable transport provision and a new coastal park.

Progress has already been made in the area, including accelerating the delivery of around 661 Council-led homes alongside the provision of key amenities and enhanced connectivity.

There has also been positive progress in growing a cultural and arts cluster in Granton Waterfront.

Recent announcements include the start of works to refurbish the Granton Station building into a creative work space with a lease being given to leading Scottish arts Charity Wasps, and arts charity Edinburgh Palette has been granted a lease in our vacant industrial until on West Shore Road.

The industrial unit was recently used for a successful music, visual arts and cultural festival by the Hidden Door on a temporary basis.

The iconic Granton Gasholder is now also illuminated every night for a period of up to two years, a beacon of light for the project following a joint initiative with Edinburgh College. 

Council leader, Adam McVey, said: “This business case gives us a blueprint to go forward and clearly demonstrates our commitment to tackling climate change as we start to gear up for COP26 next month.

“Granton Waterfront is one of the seven strategic development sites in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region deal and as one of the most environmentally friendly areas under development in Scotland is expected to lead the way in sustainable development in the city as part of Edinburgh’s commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.

Depute leader and lead on the Granton Waterfront project, Cammy Day, said: “This development is making a large contribution to Edinburgh’s housing needs and our proposed City Plan 2030 being considered by councillors on the Planning Committee this week.

“Granton Waterfront will lead the way in the city providing much-needed sustainable housing following the 20 minute neighbourhood approach with shops, healthcare, cultural and leisure and education facilities all nearby.

“It will be well connected to the rest of Edinburgh and beyond with new sustainable travel links and active travel routes running through the site adhering to the principles of sustainable travel in our City Mobility Plan.”