HMS Unicorn: The 200-year-old Dundee ship built from 1,000 oak trees that needs £1 million to survive

She was launched in the same year that Beethoven produced his glorious ninth and Lord Byron died while fighting for Greek independence.

Now, as she sets sail into her third century, a major fundraising campaign has been launched to safeguard the future of Scotland’s oldest surviving ship.

HMS Unicorn, originally constructed in 1824 at Chatham Royal Dockyard as a Leda-class 46 gun frigate during the reign of George IV, has long been a centrepiece of Dundee’s rich maritime heritage, having been based in the city for close to 156 years.

She served as a training ship for the Royal Naval Reserves for nearly a century, before being transferred to her permanent home at Victoria Dock, where generations of visitors have been able to soak up her storied history.

One of the oldest surviving ships in the world, she was constructed from around 1,000 oak trees at a cost of £26,500 - about £2.4 million today - and designed to be a powerful and agile warship, capable of housing a crew of 300.

While awaiting active service on the River Medway in the south-east of England, the Royal Navy added her iconic roof to preserve her, an innovation that has ensured her exceptional condition over the past 200 years.

Her unique design combines two great eras of shipbuilding - the traditional wooden craftsmanship of the 18th century and the emerging iron technology of the 19th century. And while more than 95 per cent of her original materials remain intact, the vessel is structurally at risk, and requires urgent intervention to secure her long-term future.

A newly launched ‘Lead the Lift’ campaign aims to raise over £1m over the next year to elevate HMS Unicorn into a permanent cradle, stabilise her structure and redevelop the surrounding site into a world-class maritime heritage destination and centre for learning.

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Those behind the fundraising drive say it will secure the physical survival of the ship, transform her into an inclusive and accessible space for the community, and champion engineering innovation through sustainable design and skilled craftsmanship.

Ultimately, the campaign hopes to relocate the ship to a refurbished East Graving Dock and create a new dockside visitor centre, including a cafe, shop, and learning space. Earlier this year, the group behind the proposals, known as Project Safe Haven, secured a grant worth nearly £800,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Dr Andrew Tibbs, chief executive of the Unicorn Preservation Society, which has looked after the ship since 1968, said: "HMS Unicorn is an internationally important treasure. Lead the Lift is about much more than preservation, it is about securing her survival, transforming her dockside home, and creating new opportunities for education, skills and community connection. We are inviting individuals, businesses and partners to join us in this once-in-a-generation project."

The campaign also seeks to honour HMS Unicorn's proud naval heritage, preserving and sharing the stories of service and tradition she represents, including her years as a training vessel for the members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service.