The National Heritage Lottery Fund has handed an historic ship charity a grant of £796,000 to carry out urgent preservation work on Scotland’s oldest ship.

The money will be used by the Unicorn Preservation Society to renovate 200-year-old HMS Unicorn, which is docked in Dundee.

It is part of the charity’s Project Safe Haven, which aims to create a visitor centre at the docks to “enhance community engagement and celebrate HMS Unicorn’s maritime heritage”, said the Society.

The charity is now looking to fundraise for further money to match the Lottery grant by April to unlock a further funding.

“This incredible pledge from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is a massive boost to our fundraising efforts; finance is urgently required to secure the future of this 200-year-old ship for future generations to enjoy, said the charity’s executive director Matthew Bellhouse Moran.

“This grant is both a recognition of HMS Unicorn’s immense historical significance and a vote of confidence in our vision to secure her future, namely Project Safe Haven.”

“However, the clock is ticking. We urgently need the support of individuals, businesses, and organisations to raise the finance needed for the next stage of Project Safe Haven.

He said that the charity is looking to raise a further £650,000 o unlock £10 million of strategic grants for the next stage of works “to save this national treasure and create an inspiring legacy for future generations”.

National Lottery Heritage Fund director for Scotland Caroline Clark added: “"HMS Unicorn is a spectacular surviving relic of our maritime heritage. Holding nearly 200 years of history within its hull, it is not only the oldest ship in Scotland but one of the oldest in the world, and incredibly one of the last remaining warships from the age of sail, still afloat.”

---