Virtual reality experiences at Dundee's Discovery Point offer a deep-dive into the frozen Antarctica

Visitors at Dundee’s Discovery can put themselves in the shoes of Arctic explorers through cutting-edge virtual reality this weekend.

It comes as the museum hosts the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust (NZAHT) and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) as part of a wider tour bringing the icy Antarctic to UK audiences.

NZAHT’s ‘Discovery Hut’ experience allows users to step inside Discovery Hut, just as Captain Scott did over a century ago, with UKAHT’s ‘A Frozen Night’ offering a journey to an Antarctic dog-sledging base in the 1960s.

Scott’s Discovery Hut was the first expedition base built on Antarctica’s Ross Island and constructed for the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904 aboard the RRS Discovery.

The VR experience offers a plethora of interactions, including a ride in a hydrogen balloon, feeding huskies, meeting penguins, and helping a sledging party.

The experience allows users to step inside Discovery Hut. NZAHT

It shares the stories behind this unique shelter’s place in polar history and the explorers that inhabited it.

“We’re excited to bring the hut to people virtually, making it accessible to those who may not have the opportunity to visit these historic sites in person,” explained Francesca Eathorne, NZAHT executive director.

“It gives great insight into the everyday items the explorers had with them and how they used the hut to support the important science and exploration they undertook.

“The conservation work our teams undertake is world-leading, and sharing it through VR helps us to educate people about the importance of saving this cultural heritage for future generations.”

The Frozen Night experience then features Stonington Island, one of the earliest British sites, established in 1948 and a key dog-sledging base.

Visitors will ‘experience the wonders and risks of Antarctic life and fieldwork’, travelling inland by dog sled into the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Frozen Night experience features Stonington Island, a key dog-sledging base. UKAHT

“A Frozen Night is UKAHT’s first virtual reality experience based on a true story from the archives and narrated by those who lived and worked in our southernmost base, Stonington Island, that enabled teams to travel far inland into the Antarctic Peninsula,” said Camilla Nichol, CEO of UKAHT.

“Now, for the first time, A Frozen Night allows people to virtually travel into Stonington’s past.”

Both experiences are open at Discovery Point until Sunday, May 11, and are included in museum admission or an existing museum pass.