North Carr lightship could be a beacon for Dundee tourism

It’s an exciting time for Dundee’s maritime heritage.

The recently-renovated RRS Discovery museum has added a new Discovery Dome, and HMS Unicorn will celebrate its bi-centenary next year.

Both of these ships deserve all the attention – and the funding – that comes their way.

They are of huge historic significance to Dundee. And I am delighted to see the money, time and effort that is going into their preservation.

But there’s another vessel that tends to be forgotten about. And that’s the stunning North Carr lightship that sits close to the Unicorn in Victoria Dock.

The writer Andrew Batchelor next to a quote: "The North Carr lightship deserves to be remembered on the same level as both the Discovery and the Unicorn."

The North Carr has her own fascinating story to tell.

She is the last remaining Scottish lightvessel – essentially a floating lighthouse – and one of only two lightships to have served in Scottish waters.

She survived bombing during the Second World War and was involved in one of Tayside’s most notorious sea tragedies, the 1959 Mona disaster, which cost the lives of all eight Broughty Ferry lifeboat crew members.

The Dundee Maritime Trail takes visitors past all three historic Dundee ships. But the North Carr stands out for all the wrong reasons.

RRS Discovery lit up at night next to the V&A Dundee museum. — RRS Discovery with its neighbour V£A Dundee.

The HMS Unicorn in Dundee — HMS Unicorn in Dundee – one of the oldest ships in the world. Image: HMS Unicorn

North Carr lightship at Victoria Dock in Dundee. — The North Carr lightship at Victoria Dock, Dundee.

At first glance, she looks derelict and in need of desperate repair.

But there is hope there too.

North Carr lightship could be part of harbour transformation

Taymara, the charity which saved the North Carr from the scrapheap when it bought her for £1 more than a decade ago, is working to restore the lightship, then move it to East Graving Dock.

The hope is that she can become part of a new dual attraction with the Unicorn.

It’s a fabulous idea.

I have previously called for a maritime museum at Dundee Harbour to reflect the city’s rich seafaring and shipbuilding history.

Interior of North Carr lightship showing rusting ceiling. — The North Carr Lightship is rusting inside and out.

Visitors could learn more about Dundee’s heritage, as a whaling port and a place of trade. And having two important vessels there would help to complete the package.

Hopefully we will have the Eden Project opening nearby in the coming years too, bringing another boost to the area and opening up another part of the city to tourists and locals alike.

Dundee’s fleet of floating treasures

It’s looking to be an exciting time for the harbour and dockside area.

And while it’s great to see funding being made available for our other great ships – the Discovery received £409,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund while HMS Unicorn was awarded £100,000 from the Headley Trust, the biggest donation in the charity’s history – I’d like to see the North Carr get her share too.

❤️❤️❤️ Been thinking about this bonnie ship a lot recently. The North Carr Lightship looking lovely in Dundee's Victoria Dock, captured by Jim Glover. I hope we can see this ship get the much needed TLC it so needs and deserves! pic.twitter.com/YdWdF529tY

— Dundee Culture (@DundeeCulture) April 16, 2023

She has a unique story to tell. And we should all – politicians, public, everyone with a stake in celebrating the city – be taking her future more seriously.

The North Carr lightship deserves to be remembered on the same level as both the Discovery and the Unicorn.

Taken on their own, each is a brilliant asset for Dundee. But together they could be making a much bigger splash.