VIDEO: Relative of Shackleton performs on RRS Discovery using violin made from his former home

A violin made using floorboards from Sir Ernest Shackleton’s former home has been played by a distant relative at the Dundee ship he once sailed on.

Norwich-based folk musician Georgia Shackleton visited the RRS Discovery to perform on the vessel that took the explorer on his iconic journey to the Antarctic in 1901.

Georgia used a violin made from floorboards that were salvaged from her ancestor’s home in Edinburgh, where he lived between 1904 and 1910.

‘Real privilege’ to play on board RRS Discovery

The violin was made earlier this year by Steve Burnett – an Edinburgh-based violin luthier and nature conservationist.

Steve, who is known for making instruments from wood with historical connections, stumbled across Shackleton’s former flat being gutted for renovation – where he found floorboards from the building discarded outside.

A couple of years later, he combined the floorboards with some driftwood he found on a beach in East Lothian to create a violin dedicated to Shackleton and his explorations.

Georgia contacted Steve before composing music on the instrument inspired by the sea and Shackleton’s legacy – with the aim of raising awareness about struggling marine life.

Georgia, 35, described it as a “real privilege” as she performed a tune she wrote, called Elephant Island, during her visit to Dundee.

She said: “I’m very distantly related to Sir Ernest Shackleton.

“I’m sort of descended from the line of Shackletons who stayed in Yorkshire around the 1600s.

“Shackleton was always this sort of mystical figure growing up who we knew we had some connection to.

“Around the age of 10 my dad started putting together the family tree and that’s when I started becoming a bit more interested in some of the heritage and the stories.

“I play in a band called the Shackleton Trio and it’s great to be here with the Shackleton violin.

Bringing together ‘different strands of history’

“I just thought it would be lovely to bring the instrument here and play it on board, and bring together all these different strands of history.

“It’s really quite eerie and a real privilege to be able to use this instrument and write some music on it.”

Steve says he is thrilled that Georgia had the opportunity to play the instrument on board the historic ship.

He said: “It’s great that Georgia got in touch with me after she heard about the violin.

“I know she is really passionate and aware of how much we need to bring into the public eye the need for environmental protection.

“I’d like to think if Shackleton was here today he’d believe what we’re doing is so important.”