SS Explorer, Research vessel in Leith, Scotland
SS Explorer is a steam-powered research vessel dating from 1955, now moored at Edinburgh Dock in Leith. The ship has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, and is open to visitors as a floating museum.
Built in Aberdeen in 1955, the vessel carried out research expeditions in Scottish waters, the Barents Sea, and along Irish coasts before being taken out of service in 1984. Efforts to preserve her began some years after she was retired, driven by interest in protecting Scotland's maritime engineering past.
The SS Explorer is closely tied to Scotland's fishing research traditions, and many of the preserved spaces on board give a direct sense of how crews lived and worked during long expeditions. Visitors can walk through the crew quarters and get a feel for life at sea as experienced by the scientists and sailors who served on her for decades.
The vessel is moored in Leith docks, within walking distance of central Leith. Restoration work is ongoing, so some areas on board may have limited access depending on when you visit.
This was Scotland's first purpose-built fisheries research ship, and it is the only one of its type still afloat. On board, the triple expansion steam engine was considered a technical step forward at the time it was installed, and it can still be seen in the engine room today.
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