William Speirs Bruce: Scottish nationalist and polar explorer

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Speak, Peter
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1992
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Antarctic; Svalbard; Antarc*; Polar Record; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400028011; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400028011

ABSTRACT William Speirs Bruce (1867–1921) had two consuming passions throughout almost the whole of his life: Scottish nationalism and polar science. His early life in London and Edinburgh is seen as a prelude to polar oceanographic exploration, culminating in the success of the Scotia Antarctic expedition, 1902–04. His later life was frustrated by the limited achievements of the Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate (which was founded to exploit the mineral resources of Svalbard), by a perceived prejudice against him in government and professional societies in London, and by the lack of support for his Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory.