Voyage of the Scotia 1902-04

People of the Expedition

Letter from Robert McVitie to Colonel Bailey, secretary of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society

It was an enduring cause of considerable bitterness for the organisers of the 1902-1904 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition that the British government refused to make any financial contribution to their efforts, while offering relatively generous support to similar ventures originating in England.

Thus William S Bruce, the principal organiser and leader of the Scottish expedition, had to raise all his funding privately and from within Scotland. This was an arduous and time-consuming task which considerably limited his plans for the expedition.

This letter from Robert McVitie to Colonel F Baillie (then secretary of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society) shows evidence of a generous £50 donation, along with an expression of resentment at the government's attitude.