SS Explorer

About

The SS Explorer is a historic ship located in Leith Docks in Edinburgh. Built in 1955 as the first purpose built Scottish marine research ship. This extraordinary piece of engineering heritage is a time capsule into life at sea between the 1950’s and 1980’s. The cabins are almost exactly as they were when the ship was decommissioned in 1985, complete with TV’s, phones and life jackets. See the difference between how the crew and officers lived. The SS Explorer Preservation Society intends to restore as much of the ship as possible, including a working main engine and create an exhibition and visitor museum ashore next to the ship. If you are interested in a tour of the SS Explorer please email us to arrange this. Unfortunately due to the historic nature of the ship it is not suitable for those with mobility issues as the many stairs inside are very steep. We are working on ways around this, but at the minute our only solution is a video tour on our website.

At a glance

• Typical visit: about 1 hour 30 minutes