The Story So Far...

The story of Captain Robert Falcon Scott RN (1868 -1912) is one of the greatest epic tales in human history.  Through his life, which he dedicated to the scientific exploration of the Antarctic regions, and in his heroic death, he has inspired the lives of many.  His work paved the way for the modern Antarctic as a continent for science and international co-operation.

Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition (1910 -1913) was not, however, in the business of creating heroes.  The main objective, as expressed by Scott in his prospectus, was “To reach the South Pole and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement”.  The expedition had further objectives in scientific research and geographical exploration and intended to make “…bagging the Pole merely an item in the results”.  To achieve this, Scott took with him the most extensive team of scientists to visit Antarctica during the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration.

Their wide ranging achievements were overshadowed by what became the loss of the race to the South Pole to the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the subsequent death of Captain Scott and the Polar Party.  Nevertheless their efforts paved the way for the foundation of modern polar studies with the foundation of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge as a national memorial to Captain Scott and the Polar Party.  This has ensured the continuation of their legacy of scientific exploration to this day.