Scotland and the Antarctic

Section 2: Antarctic Exploration ... Nineteenth Century

HMS Challenger 1872-1876

The Challenger expedition was the first major oceanographic research undertaken of the world oceans. Challenger sailed over 68,000 miles taking recordings of weather, currents, sea temperatures, soundings and dredges of the sea and the sea bed. Much of the research material and many of the specimens ended up in the University of Edinburgh. The collating of the papers and specimens from the expedition took many years. William Speirs Bruce first became interested in oceanography when working as a student on the Challenger material - good training for his own Antarctic voyage in 1902 on board the Scotia.

Challenger circumnavigated the world and became the first vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle under steam.