Plans to transform a historic Scottish vessel into an interactive floating museum in Edinburgh, have been unveiled at an event in Leith.

The SS Explorer, which has been berthed in Leith docks since 1996, is regarded as a pioneering vessel that made a significant contribution to climate science and biodiversity work. In service between 1956 to 1984, the ship allowed marine biologists to better understand sea temperatures and pollution, British fish breeding and fishing levels, and helped shape knowledge of oceanography and marine life.

The SS Explorer Preservation Society (SSEPS), who saved the ship from demolition in the mid 1990s, are now hoping to restore the research vessel to its former glory - and educate a new generation about Scotland’s marine heritage via a new floating museum and accompanying onshore interpretation centre.