Dr Andrew Tibbs has only been in post for a couple of months as the newly appointed interim chief executive of Dundee’s Unicorn Preservation Society.
But in a sit-down interview with The Courier to learn more about his role and the latest in the £30 million race against time to save Scotland’s oldest ship, the Fifer’s bold vision for the future of HMS Unicorn is clear.
“When you look at ships of her age and older across the world – the Mary Rose, the Victory, Vasa in Sweden, Viking ships in Oslo – all of these are on the world stage,” he says.
“We’ve got the world’s third oldest floating ship – Unicorn – here in Dundee, and we should be on the world stage with them.
“That’s where we want to go with her. We want to create an experience that gets the international attention.
“But also something that Dundee and Dundonians can be proud of and that’s in our city.”
What’s the latest on £30m plan to safeguard future of HMS Unicorn?
We’re drinking coffee at the Apex hotel with the 201-year-old HMS Unicorn visible through the window.
She sits quietly in Dundee’s Victoria Dock.
But her future now rests on the success of Project Safe Haven, a multi-million-pound campaign to move her into the East Graving Dock and finally address the structural vulnerabilities threatening her survival.
It’s not a simple move. As Andrew puts it: “We’re shifting a 201-year-old lady just a few hundred yards, but that may well be the riskiest few hundred yards of her life.”
But ambitions are high that the ongoing project, recently boosted by National Lottery funding, can not only safeguard the critically-endangered ship, but open a new chapter that celebrates Dundee’s maritime heritage.
It’s part of a vision to turn the city into a “multi-day” tourist destination alongside other waterfront attractions like the V&A, the restoration and ambitions for RRS Discovery and the Eden Project.
HMS Unicorn’s journey from acorn to East Graving Dock
That idea of a journey of growth, challenge and survival sits at the heart of Andrew’s vision.
The ambitious proposals for HMS Unicorn are about more than it being a visitor attraction. It’s as much about it being a visitor experience.
“I often talk about telling Unicorn’s story ‘from acorn to Graving Dock’,” he says, gesturing toward the ship.
“Because that’s how it started. The oak that made her came from English forests.
“They ran out of oak after her – the next ship had to be built in India, out of teak.
“That detail? It’s part of the narrative. She didn’t just appear.”
How did Dr Andrew Tibbs end up at helm of HMS Unicorn project?
Storytelling is second nature to Andrew, 46, who was born in Dunfermline.
With a PhD in Roman archaeology and a background ranging from fieldwork to communications, the Stirling and Reading University graduate’s career has wound through academia, public engagement, and heritage leadership.
He spent the first 10 years of his life in Carnock, west Fife.
There, at a time when his imagination was captivated by running free in the fields, he was first captivated by tales of Roman forts near his childhood home – myths he later disproved through study.
“There was no Roman fort in Carnock,” he chuckles. “But the legend got me hooked.”
After spells at Archaeology Scotland and SRUC, he led communications efforts before returning to academia in Durham, where his work in university colleges often straddled heritage and operations – including managing a medieval castle that doubled as a museum and a hotel.
Now, he’s relishing the fact that he’s gone from a 1,000-year-old castle to a 201-year-old ship – and the problems are “remarkably similar”, he smiles.
Taking HMS Unicorn to the ‘next level’
Andrew, who lives in Newport, became a trustee of the Unicorn Preservation Society after moving to Dundee two and a half years ago. It was his partner’s job that brought them back to the area.
When former Unicorn Preservation Society chief executive Matthew Bellhouse Moran, who spoke to The Courier in January, left to join the Scottish Maritime Museum, the trustees turned to Andrew for continuity and a move to the “next level” at a critical point in the ship’s life.
It’s a short-term post of up to a year. But the timing is crucial.
A £1 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant is underwriting the current phase of work. The ship’s internal structure has to be strengthened in preparation for her eventual move into dry dock where further assessment can take place. Further funding applications will follow.
“We’re designing an internal skeleton to stabilise her shape,” he explains.
“Right now, she’s just bobbing gently in one spot, but that movement takes a toll. When we move her, she can’t wobble. That’s the best way to put it.”
The East Graving Dock, however, has its own issues.
“It hasn’t been emptied in 40 years,” Andrew says.
“The gate is jammed. We need to test the walls to see what happens when we empty her. We need to see what’s lurking in the sediment. There might be nasties down there.”
How much work will HMS Unicorn require?
Assuming all goes to plan, HMS Unicorn will be moved into the dock around autumn 2028, coinciding with the year’s highest tides.
“Until she’s out of the water, we won’t know what’s going on below the waterline,” Andrew says.
“The plan is to move her, put her into a specially designed cradle, drain the dock and inspect her properly.
“That’s when we can make decisions about her longer term future, with more funding required.
“She’s double-hulled, copper-sheathed – but the last proper inspection was in the 1990s.”
Preservation with purpose
For Andrew, it’s not just about the ship. It’s about telling the story of Dundee.
Other attractions tell one story. But what’s missing is the story about Dundee’s maritime heritage, he says – and probably the biggest element of that is the Unicorn.
That vision includes working with the community, local tradespeople and colleges to reignite lost shipbuilding, conservation and heritage skills.
The restoration itself should also part of the visitor experience.
“We want to show people the rot, the pigeons, the challenges,” he says. “That’s all part of her story. And people need to understand why she needs help – not just what she used to be, but what she is now, and what she could be.”
A city of heritage
Unicorn’s future is inseparable from Dundee’s. Andrew is therefore keen to continue working with other heritage attractions to create a unified visitor experience.
“We’ve got Discovery, the V&A, Verdant Works, the McManus, the Eden Project on the way – and us. That’s a heritage route waiting to happen. We don’t want to be a one-day city. We want people here for three, four days, immersed in a bigger story.”
He points to local support as vital – from the council, the National Lottery, heritage partners and especially the Northwood Charitable Trust.
As the summer visitor season approaches, Andrew knows the pressure is mounting.
“It’s the best job and the hardest job,” he says.
Yet despite the scale of the challenge, Andrew is optimistic.
“You’ve got to dream big,” he smiles. “It’s a heck of a job.
“But it’s all about ensuring she lasts another 200 years.”
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