Voyage of the Scotia 1902-04

People of the Expedition

David Wilton, zoologist on the Scotia expedition

David W Wilton (died 1940), an expert in skiing and sledging, was zoologist on the 1902-1904 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition on the exploration ship Scotia. Wilton Bay on Laurie Island in the South Orkney Islands, where a party from the expedition wintered, was named after him.

The results of Wilton's zoological researches occupy five of the seven published volumes of the "Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of S.Y. 'Scotia' during the years 1902, 1903, and 1904".

On the safe return of the Scotia in 1904, in recognition of Wilton's contribution to the success of the expedition, he was awarded the Bronze Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society along with four of his colleagues on the scientific staff.