Plans to transform a historic Scottish vessel into an interactive floating museum in Edinburgh, have been unveiled at an event in Leith.
The SS Explorer, which has been berthed in Leith docks since 1996, is regarded as a pioneering vessel that made a significant contribution to climate science and biodiversity work. In service between 1956 to 1984, the ship allowed marine biologists to better understand sea temperatures and pollution, British fish breeding and fishing levels, and helped shape knowledge of oceanography and marine life.
The SS Explorer Preservation Society (SSEPS), who saved the ship from demolition in the mid 1990s, are now hoping to restore the research vessel to its former glory - and educate a new generation about Scotland’s marine heritage via a new floating museum and accompanying onshore interpretation centre.
The SS Explorer, which has been berthed in Leith docks since 1996, is regarded as a pioneering vessel that made a significant contribution to climate science and biodiversity work. In service between 1956 to 1984, the ship allowed marine biologists to better understand sea temperatures and pollution, British fish breeding and fishing levels, and helped shape knowledge of oceanography and marine life.
The SS Explorer Preservation Society (SSEPS), who saved the ship from demolition in the mid 1990s, are now hoping to restore the research vessel to its former glory - and educate a new generation about Scotland’s marine heritage via a new floating museum and accompanying onshore interpretation centre.
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NewsTranscript
00:00If you ask most people in Edinburgh what historic ships are located at Leith Docks,
00:06you'll be met with one answer, the Royal Yacht Britannia.
00:10But in fact another piece of maritime history has been hidden away in Leith Docks for the last 28 years,
00:15predating the arrival of the famous Royal Ship.
00:19The SS Explorer, which was in service between 1956 and 1984,
00:24is regarded as a pioneering ship that made a significant contribution to climate science
00:29and our understanding of marine biodiversity.
00:32And now, a team of volunteers have shared plans to restore the vessel to its former glory
00:38and create an interactive education centre.
00:41Purchased in the mid-90s by volunteer-led charity SS Explorer Preservation Society,
00:47the ship has been berthed in Leith Docks since 1996,
00:51after the charity saved the historic vessel from the scrapyard.
00:55And now, after a years-long survey carried out by specialist marine archaeologists,
00:59the charity hope to conserve the vessel as well as build an onshore museum
01:03that educates a new generation about the historic ship,
01:06which they say is a valuable asset to Scotland's shipbuilding heritage and history of marine science.
01:12Described as a milestone moment in the conservation journey of the ship,
01:16volunteers and trustees of the group hosted an event in Leith to share their plans.
01:22The Preservation Society would like to see Explorer become more publicly accessible.
01:28So, for the last several decades, the ship's been somewhat hidden.
01:33It's been a bit of a secret behind the walls of Leith Docks.
01:39And we're very, very grateful that we're allowed to be in Leith Docks,
01:43but in terms of being publicly accessible, obviously, Leith is changing a lot now
01:48and people will become more aware of us, they'll see the ship more.
01:52Our ambition is to have a shore-side interpretation centre that talks about the history of the ship
01:59and why it's important and why it's important to Leith.
02:01And then to make the ship accessible as much as we possibly can
02:05for people to come on board and find out about the work that the ship did.
02:08The Steamship Explorer was the first purpose-built science research ship
02:15to be built in Scotland for the Scottish Home Department.
02:18And it's part of a chain of vessels and science research at sea
02:24that informs everything we know about what's happening in the seas today.
02:29So, marine biodiversity, ocean temperatures, pollution,
02:34all of that research really was done by ships like Explorer.
02:39So, it's part of a scientific legacy that goes back to the 19th century
02:44but was purpose-built in Scotland.
02:47It was registered in Leith throughout its career.
02:50So, it's got a really strong connection to Leith.
02:52It's absolutely one of a kind.
02:54It was also the first ship to have a computer on board.
02:58At the time that it got its computer in the 1960s,
03:01there were only three computers in the whole of the city of Aberdeen.
03:04One was at the University of Aberdeen, one was at the Marine Lab,
03:08and one was on board the ship.
03:10And the computer was enormous and was so powerful
03:13that when they powered the computer up,
03:16it dimmed the lights on the rest of the ship.
03:19And it got so hot that the crew would come
03:21and warm their hands on the bulkheads
03:23because the whole thing, just the heat of the computer working.
03:27But it was the first time that computers were being used at sea
03:30to process scientific data in real time for them.
03:34So, yeah, it was absolutely innovative and cutting edge.
03:38Well, SS Explorer is quite a significant ship.
03:41It undertook a substantial scientific exploration.
03:46It was involved in marine science and environmental study.
03:51And it has both connections to Aberdeen and here in Leith.
03:56So, the question is, how do we take the ship
03:59that has been maintained by a team of volunteers in a remarkable way
04:05and supported by a number of stakeholders over that period,
04:09how do we move it beyond that to a ship that people can engage with,
04:15can be on, can learn from, like they have in other cities,
04:20like the Discovery in Dundee or the Glenlee in Glasgow.
04:24So, I think the SS Explorer is an opportunity
04:28to provide a museum vessel
04:31and a space that is accessible to the public
04:35that can be visited by families and individuals
04:39with an interest in marine science and heritage.
04:43So, there's lots of opportunities.
04:45It's part of a journey to get there.
04:48And today's a milestone in that.
04:50We need people with all kinds of skills.
04:52We have engineers.
04:54We can train people up in various engineering roles
04:57and jobs on board the ship.
04:59But we also need people who are good at talking to people
05:03and can give tours or would like to talk about the history of the ship
05:06to groups or work with any of the other community groups
05:09in our neighbourhood that would like to work with us.
05:12So, really, if you're interested in the ship,
05:14don't worry about not being a naval architect.
05:17I'm sure we can use all kinds of skills and experience.