Holyrood reception held to mark bicentenary of Scotland’s oldest ship

A Scottish Parliamentary reception was held yesterday (12 September), hosted by Michael Marra MSP and the Unicorn Preservation Society (USP), to mark the bicentenary of Scotland’s oldest ship, HMS Unicorn.

MSPs and other VIPs were invited to the evening reception to hear about the ship’s incredible 200-year history and, going forward, the ambitious plans to secure her future. HMS Unicorn was launched on 30 March 1824, originally constructed as a 46-gun frigate at Chatham Royal Dockyard. The ship was moved to Dundee in 1873 as a training ship for the Royal Naval Reserves and has been moored on the city’s waterfront ever since and is now one of the six oldest ships in the world.

A much-loved Dundee tourist attraction and accredited museum, those gathered at Holyrood were told of the exciting plans for the HMS Unicorn’s future, Project Safe Haven, a major development which will secure the future of HMS Unicorn, ensuring she doesn’t succumb to the wear and tear of time. Project Safe Haven will also improve the tourism experience in Dundee, bringing more economic benefit and helping those within the city to thrive through the creation of more jobs and opportunities.

A significant injection of funding is required for major preservation work on HMS Unicorn to ensure its existence for future generations. Work has already begun on phase one of the work, to restore strength and robustness to HMS Unicorn’s hull and thereby improve her resilience at her current berth and ready her for her projected move to the nearby East Graving Dock.

The vision and mission of the Unicorn Preservation Society, established in 1968 to protect and preserve HMS Unicorn, is to deliver a world class museum experience, safeguard the future of the ship, inspire those who visit and work with the charity and offer lifelong learning and engagement opportunities for the charity’s local communities and beyond. Project Safe Haven, which will see the development of a Maritime Heritage Centre at the heart of Dundee, is the vehicle through which this will be achieved. Project Safe Haven will see a purpose built, environmentally sound Heritage Centre for visitors, learners and the community and will house collections, events and larger group activities.

Michael Marra MSP said:

“HMS Unicorn is a precious, beautiful and beloved artefact in our nation’s maritime history. She deserves the care and attention that outstanding volunteers and professional museum staff are now providing. I was glad to be able to bring her unique story to the attention of fellow members of parliament on this 200^th anniversary. In common with so many Dundonians HMS Unicorn played a part in my childhood with days out with grandparents and I am glad to still be able to take my own children along to enjoy learning about our past. The challenge we must all now rise to is to secure HMS Unicorn’s future as an asset for the city and the country.”

Museum Director, Matthew Bellhouse Moran, said:

“A Scottish Parliamentary reception to celebrate HMS Unicorn’s bicentennial year seemed a fitting tribute to mark an astonishing 200-year history as one of the oldest ships in the world still afloat today, and certainly the oldest ship in Scotland still afloat today. HMS Unicorn has been part of the fabric of life in Dundee over the last 151 years and is held in great esteem. As we move forward, we are now looking to secure the future of HMS Unicorn for the next 200 years. As a charity we have made good progress towards raising the necessary funds, but we need more significant funding to secure the much-needed preservation work to fulfil our vision of Project Safe Haven. Without this her existence for future generations is in serious question.”

To support the preservation of HMS Unicorn and to help Project Safe Haven come to life by becoming a ‘Shipmate’ of HMS Unicorn, please visit: https://www.hmsunicorn.org.uk/hms-unicorn/supporting-us