I ventured up to Outland Road to find the location of Robert Falcon Scott's birthplace. Scott was born at Outlands House, the family home, in the Parish of Stoke Damerel, in 1868. He was a distant descendant of Sir Walter Scott and he was the father of the naturalist, Peter Scott. Outlands has now long gone and St Bartholomew's Church stands in its place. Within the church is a piece of wood bearing Scott's name. In 1908, Scott had carved his name on a tree at Outlands, from where the wood was taken.
A plaque marks the spot where Outlands once stood, beside Scott Road, which reads: 'Scott of the Antarctic. On this site formerly stood Outlands, birthplace of Robert Falcon Scott. Born 6th June 1868. Scott died on his return from the South Pole which he reached on 17th January 1912.'
The plaque is quite tucked away and would be hard to find if you didn't know where it was. Being on a very busy road, it's passed hundreds of times a day without being noticed.
Scott was a British Naval Officer and explorer who led two expeditions to Antarctica. The first, the Discovery Expedition lasted three years and began in 1901. His second expedition, the Terra Nova Expedition, which commenced in 1910, is more well known and was the expedition where, unfortunately, he lost his life. Scott led a team of five men in a race to reach the South Pole. When he arrived on the 17th January 1912, he discovered that he had been beaten to the position by the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen and his team. Scott and his team, which included Edward Wilson, H R Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans, made their way back but died of a combination of the cold, hunger and exhaustion.
Scott was 43 when he died and his body, and that of his comrades, remain at the camp where he was found. A wooden cross was erected on top of a high cairn of snow which covered the camp.
A memorial stands to Scott at Mount Wise in Devonport.
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