The first stop on the cruise we took last year was … Dundee! It’s only about twenty-five miles or so away from Son of the Rock Acres but it cost £200 less, each, for us to board at Newcastle rather than embark a day later at Dundee. No brainer.

The ship’s docking point in Scotland’s fourth city did give me a view of the Tay Bridge I hadn’t had before, though.

To the extreme right of the above photo is the new V&A Dundee, better seen in the photo below with RSS Discovery and Discovery Point beyond V&A:-

Wandering round the city centre I came across these stone penguins having a wee daunder:-

Nearby was this plaque commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Great War. “Dedicated to the glory of god and to those men and women who in all corners of the world gave their lives in service of our beloved country. We Will Remember Them, 11th November 1989.”

Penguins are a feature of Antarctic life.

Outside Discovery Point Dundee stand four penguin statues. The road is just behind here so not all the Discovery Point Museum building is in shot.

View from Museum. The new Dundee Railway Station building is across the road behind the penguins:-

Watercolour of “Penguins at Cape Crozier” painted by a member of the Discovery Expedition, Edward Wilson:-

See previous posts on RRS Discovery here and here.

RRS Discovery Wardroom. Fairly sumptuously appointed:-

By contrast here’s the Mess room. The ‘men’ lived and slept here, in hammocks:-

Galley:-

Junior Officer’s Quarters. A grade or so up from the ‘men’ you’ll note:-

These do look reasonably comfortable – but they were apparently the coldest part of the ship and the mattresses could freeze under the sleeping officer:-

Senior Officer’s quarters, a bit less spartan:-

Shackleton’s Quarters weren’t quite so plush:-

Scott’s, though, seem very salubrious:-

In the Discovery Point Museum at Dundee are many fascinating exhibits. These few photos feature some about the ship itself.

Model of RRS Discovery:-

Cut away showing engines:-

Cut away showing hull construction and its reinforcing:-

Hull construction illustration. Three different woods, Green Heart Pitch Pine, English Oak and Riga Fir, build for strength and flexibility:-

RRS Discovery was Scott’s and Shackleton’s research ship in the Antarctic, now berthed at Dundee, centrepiece of a museum at Discovery Point, Dundee. New V&A in background:-

RRS Discovery viewed from left:-

RRS Discovery, bow section:-

Stern portion. Again V&A in background:-

Main mast:-

Mast and lifeboat:-