She was built by John Brown and Co. at Clydebank, Scotland, as part of a fleet of seven ships delivered by the company between 1892 and 1909.

She was also the vessel that carried one of the anchors for RMS Titanic to Belfast.

She was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1914 for use by the Royal Navy during the First World War as an armed boarding steamer, serving as HMS Duke of Albany.

She was torpedoed and sunk about 9:10 AM on 24 August 1916 by the Imperial German Navy submarine SM UB-27 in the North Sea approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of the Pentland Skerries at approximately 58°42′N 2°23′W / 58.700°N 2.383°W / 58.700; -2.383.

The subsequent Court of Inquiry into the sinking determined that some casualties were the result of her depth charges exploding as she sank, and recommended "When any vessel is in imminent danger of sinking all Depth Charges should be rendered inoperative by inserting the safety catch so as to prevent loss of life...due to the depth charges exploding after the vessel has sunk."