She was purchased in 1902 by William Speirs Bruce and refitted as a research vessel for use by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition.

She was renamed Scotia and was rebuilt by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company for use as a research vessel by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition.

The ship was strengthened internally, with beams 25 inches (640 mm) thick added to resist the pressure of ice whilst in the Antarctic.

When the conversion of the ship was complete, she was inspected by Colin Archer, who had prepared Fram for Nansen's 1893 expedition to the Arctic.

He had twenty years' experience of sailing in the Arctic and Antarctic on board the whalers Active and Balaena.

[6] She departed for the Falkland Islands on 27 November,[2] en route for Buenos Aires, Argentina where she underwent a refit.

[2] Calling at Saint Helena in June,[8] she arrived at Millport, Cumbrae, Ayrshire on 21 July,[4] and was escorted by a number of ships to her final destination of Gourock, Renfrewshire.

Several other features in the region are named for the ship including several ridges, undersea basins, and in particular the tectonic Scotia Plate.