Polarizing Facts About Robert Scott, The Doomed Antarctic Explorer

He Was A “Polarizing” Figure

Captain Robert Scott was the British Antarctic explorer who led an expedition to claim the South Pole in England’s honor. However, a simple miscommunication led to frostbite, starvation, and an icy, snow-swept grave.

1. He Was Born To Be An Explorer

Robert Falcon Scott was practically born to be an explorer. By the time of his birth in June 1868, he already had four uncles and a grandfather who had served in either the British Navy or Army. His father, John Edward, however, was a simple brewer. But that didn’t stop Scott from following in the proper family tradition.

 Henry Maull/John Fox, Wikimedia Commons

2. He Was A 13-Year-Old Seaman

Scott and his younger brother, Archie, didn’t waste any time getting their sea legs. After just four years in a day school, Scott found himself in a “cram school,” studying for one task alone: to become a sailor aboard the HMS Britannia. By the time he was 13 years old, he had passed his exams and stepped aboard the legendary vessel as a cadet.

He quickly began finding ways to distinguish himself.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

3. He Was A “Delicate Boy”

Scott would eventually become famous for his hardiness in braving the Antarctic winters. However, he wasn’t always so strapping. In fact, the author Apsley Cherry-Garrard, writing in The Worst Journey in the World, stated that “Scott had been a delicate boy”. 

Thankfully, he matured nicely into a “strong man”. He made for an even stronger sailor.

 J. Thomson, Wikimedia Commons

4. He Won A Naval Race

By July 1883, Scott had earned more stripes as a midshipman—and he was already leaving an impression. During a race aboard the HMS Rover in St Kitts, which Scott’s cutter won, he attracted the eye of someone who would change the course of his life forever: Clements Markham, the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. 

Markham would set young Robert Scott on the path to glory—and doom.

 Daniel Albert Wehrschmidt, Wikimedia Commons

5. He Showed Promise—But Had A Lot To Learn

Unbeknownst to Scott at the time, Markham was keeping an eye out for skilled young navigators to undertake a daring expedition to the Antarctic. Upon meeting the young but promising Scott, Markham couldn’t help but note his “intelligence, enthusiasm, and charm”. But at just 18, Scott still had a lot to prove—and prove it, he would.

 Hulton Deutsch, Getty Images

6. He Ran His Boat Aground

By 1888, Scott was climbing the naval ranks with ease, continuing to pass his exams with near-perfect scores. His clear talents even earned him a coveted spot in the Royal Navy’s torpedo training course. But in 1893, he made his first huge mistake: He ran his torpedo boat aground. 

Fortunately, this time he got off with little more than a “mild rebuke”—and a damaged ego. 

 John Thomson, Wikimedia Commons

7. He Curiously Disappeared From The Records

Despite his little mishap with the torpedo boat, Scott’s naval career appeared to be on solid ground—until he simply vanished from the naval records. For eight months between 1889 and 1890, there was no record of Scott’s highly promising naval service. 

The eerie gap led some historians to speculate about a scandal.

 Harrington Mann, Wikimedia Commons

8. He May Have Had A Secret Affair

One historian suggested that Scott’s curious absence from official documents at this time was because of a reputation-ending scandal: a hush-hush affair with a married American. Allegedly, Scott’s higher-ups covered up the affair by destroying the records. 

However, most historians simply say the records were likely lost. Either way, Scott was about to face a real scandal.

 Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons

9. His Family Faced Financial Ruin

While Scott’s naval career continued sailing smoothly, his family’s fortunes were sinking fast. In 1894, he learned that his father had lost the family’s entire wealth in a series of bad investments. Forced into a lower-paying job, his once-wealthy father became a struggling brewery manager. The turn of the tides would test Scott’s resolve.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

10. His Father’s Downfall Changed Everything

Scott had always enjoyed the security of wealth, but after his father’s financial collapse, his career took on new urgency. He was no longer just a young officer with ambition. He would have to claw his way up the naval ranks to restore his family’s status and replace their lost wealth. 

With his father in poor health and money running out, failure was not an option.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

11. His Father Left Him With A Heavy Burden

In 1897, while serving on HMS Majestic, Scott received devastating news—his father had succumbed to heart disease, plunging his family further into crisis. His mother and two unmarried sisters now depended entirely on him and his younger brother Archie. 

But tragedy was about to strike again in quick succession.

 royal Navy, Wikimedia Commons

12. He Suffered Another Setback

Archie had sacrificed his army career for a better-paying job to provide for the family as Scott pursued his naval aspirations. But in 1898, typhoid fever claimed Archie, removing his family’s last safety net. Now, for Scott, career advancement was no longer just about ambition—it was a desperate financial necessity.

One that would push him to desperate means.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

13. He Collided With Fate

Following his family’s repeated tragedies, Scott was home on leave in 1899 when fate threw him a lifeline. By sheer chance alone, while walking down a London street, he bumped into an old acquaintance—Clements Markham, who had since become the President of the Royal Geographical Society. 

And Markham had the solution to Scott’s financial troubles.

 Bartholomew/John George/Mill/Hugh Robert, Wikimedia Commons

14. He Took Command Of An Antarctic Expedition

Since their first meeting, Markham had put things into motion for an upcoming Antarctic expedition. He was just missing one thing: a captain. A few days later, Scott volunteered himself for command of the Discovery Antarctic Expedition. 

Before setting sail in August 1901, King Edward VII himself visited Scott’s ship, and in a rare honor, knighted him as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.

 W. & D. Downey, Wikimedia Commons

15. He Had Almost No Experience

Scott’s expedition was ambitious, but there was one little problem: almost no one on board (including him) had experience in Arctic or Antarctic conditions. Worse still, there was little specialized training before they left. The team would have to learn on the ice—a brutal trial by fire in the coldest place on Earth.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

16. His Dogs Paid The Ultimate Price

Scott and his team brought dogs and skis to aid their journey across the Antarctic ice and snow—but the brutal conditions proved too much. Disease wiped out scores of Scott’s sled dogs in the first season. However, Scott saw their potential and made a grim decision: sacrifice the weaker dogs to feed the others.

And the dogs weren’t the only ones falling.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

17. He Lost His First Explorer

In 1902, during his first Antarctic winter, Scott learned a painful lesson: the cold would always extract a sacrifice. When a blizzard trapped Scott and his team inside their tent, they had to make a terrible decision: wait it out or push forward. Ultimately, their decision to leave the tent proved fatal when crewman George Vince lost his footing and plunged off a precipice to an icy doom.

Scott’s leadership was certainly in question.

 Robert F. Scott, Wikimedia Commons

18. His Leadership Divided His Crew

It’s difficult to know what was harsher: the Antarctic elements or Scott’s leadership. According to the historical records, Scott ran his expedition like a Royal Navy ship, imposing rigid discipline. Needless to say, his non-Navy crew preferred the icy chill of the Antarctic winds. 

Worse yet, when scurvy swept through the crew, many chose to abandon the mission when a relief ship arrived. Still, Scott trudged onward.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

19. His March Toward The Pole Ended In Disaster

Scott’s great push south was meant to bring glory, but it nearly ended in disaster. Alongside Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson, he marched through the barren, snowy wastelands, coming within 530 miles from the sought after South Pole before conditions forced him to turn back. The return wasn’t much better.

Shackleton collapsed from exhaustion, barely making it back alive. When the relief ship arrived, Scott sent him home to recover. Though, some suspected he had ulterior motives.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

20. Some Believed Scott Had Shackleton Removed

Scott claimed Shackleton left due to illness, but his second-in-command, Albert Armitage, wasn’t convinced. He suspected that Scott had sent Shackleton home out of jealousy rather than concern. Whether true or not, the rivalry between Scott and Shackleton had just begun—and it would only get worse.

 George Charles Beresford/ Adam Cuerden, Wikimedia Commons

21. He Hit A Plateau

By the time he entered his second year in the Antarctic, Scott had turned his sea legs to snow skis. He improved his expedition’s techniques, leading to his greatest achievement yet: the discovery of the Polar Plateau, a vast, untouched expanse of ice. By the end, people were calling it “one of the great polar journeys”.

The journey home, however, would be even more challenging.

 Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, Wikimedia Commons

22. He Blasted His Way Home

By 1904, Scott’s Discovery Expedition was over—but the ice wouldn’t let him go. The expedition’s flagship was frozen in place by unusually stubborn pack ice. It would take two relief ships, weeks of struggle, and the use of high explosives to finally break Discovery free so Scott could return home.

Home to a hero’s welcome.

 National Library NZ, Wikimedia Commons

23. He Became A National Hero Overnight

Scott arrived back in Britain in September 1904 to a hero’s welcome. The public was enthralled by his daring expedition, and rapt with tales from the icy edges of the map. Dignitaries and officials showered him with medals, promotions, and international honors. Even King Edward VII was impressed, inviting Scott to Balmoral Castle, where he was personally promoted to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Captain Robert Scott's rockstar status knew no bounds.

 Wallace Hester, Wikimedia Commons

24. He Was Rubbing Shoulders With Royalty

Scott’s newfound fame launched him into elite social circles. The expedition had taken him from humble naval officer to a celebrity dining with kings, princes, and high-ranking admirals. By 1907, he was on a first-name basis with Queen Amélie of Orléans, Prince Heinrich of Prussia, and top-ranking naval officers.

There was, however, just one person whose attention he had to have.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

25. He Fell For A Sculptor With Famous Friends

With his rising status, Scott soon caught the eye of Kathleen Bruce, a brilliant and unconventional sculptor whose friend group included the likes of Auguste Rodin, Isadora Duncan, Pablo Picasso, and Aleister Crowley. The adventurer and the artist made an unlikely pair—but for Scott, Bruce was about to reshape his life forever.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

26. His Love Life Was A Battle

Scott wasn’t the only one seduced by Bruce’s charms—he had competition. His biggest rival was Gilbert Cannan, an aspiring novelist who had a way with words—and with Bruce. To make matters worse, Scott’s long absences at sea left him at a disadvantage. But Scott knew he could freeze Cannan out.

 Steffano Francis Webb, Wikimedia Commons

27. He Won The Girl—And Started A Legacy

Just as it had in the Antarctic, Scott’s persistence paid off. On September 2, 1908, he married Kathleen Bruce at the lavish Hampton Court Palace. A year later, the happy couple welcomed their son, Peter Markham Scott, who would later found the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

It seemed like Captain Robert Scott had it made. However, it wasn’t long before Scott grew restless with his quiet home life.

 FabTet, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

28. He Had A Bitter Rivalry With Shackleton

Despite living in comfort, Scott yearned to return to the Antarctic—and he wasn’t the only one. In 1906, when Scott quietly inquired about funding for another expedition, he was blindsided by bad news. His old expedition buddy turned frenemy, Ernest Shackleton, had already launched his own polar bid.

Worse still, he planned to use Scott’s old McMurdo Sound base as his starting point.

 Queen Alexandra, Wikimedia Commons

29. He Claimed What Was His

When Scott learned about Shackleton’s plans, he was furious. In a series of heated letters, he demanded that McMurdo Sound remain his exclusive “field of work” and that Shackleton find another route. But Shackleton wasn’t about to back down. 

The two explorers—once comrades—were now locked in a bitter territorial dispute over the frozen continent.

 Lectures pour tous, Wikimedia Commons

30. His Rival Made A Terrible Mistake

After weeks of arguments, Shackleton finally agreed to avoid Scott’s old stomping grounds. But once in Antarctica, he realized his alternate landing sites were impossible. With no other choice, he set up camp near Discovery’s old base. The British polar elite were outraged, and Shackleton was branded a dishonorable opportunist.

 James Murray, Wikimedia Commons

31. He Launched Into Terra Nova

Shackleton returned from Antarctica in 1909 as a hero, having come agonizingly close to the South Pole. But his failure was Scott’s opportunity. He immediately set plans in motion for his own second expedition. By the end of the year, he had secured command of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, better known as the Terra Nova expedition.

This time, he had a clear destination in mind.

 Vanity Fair artist, Wikimedia Commons

32. He Had “Pole Mania”

For his second expedition, Scott wasn’t just chasing a lucrative promotion—he was chasing glory for Britain. His expedition prospectus made it clear: the South Pole must belong to the British Empire. His mentor, Clements Markham, noted that Scott had been “bitten by the Pole mania”. But he wasn’t the only one racing to the south.

 Elliott & Fry, Wikimedia Commons

33. He Received A Terrifying Telegram

In October 1910, Scott arrived in Melbourne, Australia, ready to continue south and claim the pole for England. But an unexpected telegram arrived from a far flung competitor, Norwegian Roald Amundsen: “Beg leave to inform you Fram proceeding Antarctic Amundsen”. Just like that, Scott learned that Norway was now in the race.

And they had a head start.

 Preus Museum Anders Beer Wilse, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

34. His Expedition Was Cursed From The Start

Despite Scott’s optimism and careful planning, the Terra Nova expedition didn’t even reach Antarctica before disaster struck. A violent storm nearly sank the ship, then it got trapped in pack ice for 20 days, delaying the entire mission. When they finally arrived, one of the motor sledges fell through the ice and sank, taking precious supplies with it.

It seemed nothing could go right.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

35. He Ignored A Haunting Warning

From the moment he arrived in Antarctica, Scott faced brutal weather and adverse conditions. Worse yet, his expedition ponies weren’t suited for the bitter cold. And that’s when Scott made a fateful decision by ignoring Lawrence Oates’ advice to slaughter the ponies and move their main supply depot further south.

Oates, an experienced cavalryman, warned him plainly: “Sir, I’m afraid you’ll come to regret not taking my advice”. Scott certainly would.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

36. He Believed His Expedition Was Unstoppable

Despite the setbacks and ominous warnings, Scott’s confidence only grew during the Antarctic winter of 1911. He even went so far as to say that his expeditionary team had reached “as near perfection as experience can direct”. After a few outings, he believed that his team was finally ready for the Pole.

But in reality, trouble was already brewing.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

37. He Gave Clear Orders

11 days before his march to the South Pole, Scott issued a crucial order. He instructed his dog driver, Cecil Meares, who was remaining behind, to use his sled teams to intercept and assist the returning polar party on their return journey. It could very well have meant the difference between survival and an icy grave.

However, like so many things in this expedition, it didn’t go to plan.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

38. He Led A Caravan Into The Unknown

On November 1, 1911, Scott finally set off for the South Pole. His caravan consisted of motor sledges, dogs, and ponies, all moving at different speeds, and supporting a final group of four men who would make the dash for the Pole. As planned, support teams turned back one by one, until only two groups remained in the final stretch.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

39. He Made A Fateful Decision At 87°S

By January 4, 1912, Scott’s team had pushed deeper into the frozen abyss of Antarctica than anyone else—or so they thought. With the end almost in sight, Scott picked his final team to make it to the end. The group included himself, Wilson, Bowers, Oates, and Edgar Evans. What lay ahead for them, however, was a nightmare.

 Henry Bowers, Wikimedia Commons

40. He Reached The Pole—And Saw His Worst Nightmare

After years of planning and months of grueling travel through the snowy wastelands of Antarctica, Scott and his men finally reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912. Sadly, however, they were too late. As the men approached their final destination, they saw a tent. It could only mean one thing: Roald Amundsen had beat them there—it turns out by more than a month.

Scott’s diary captured his devastation: “Great God! This is an awful place”.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

41. He Began A Hopeless March Home

With Amundsen’s flag fluttering mockingly behind them, Scott and his men began their 862-mile return journey on January 19, 1912. Given their disappointment at reaching the South Pole second, their spirits were low. Scott foresaw a miserable journey, writing: “I’m afraid the return journey is going to be dreadfully tiring and monotonous”.

It would be far worse than that.

 Wikimedia Commons, Picryl

42. He Lost His First Man To The Ice

The expedition's descent down the Beardmore Glacier proved brutal, and Edgar Evans was the first to fall—literally. Already weak and confused, Evans suffered multiple falls, the worst on February 17. That night, he collapsed near the glacier’s base and never got up. Tragically, Scott and his team were forced to leave him behind, frozen in the endless white.

In a way, Evans was lucky. The rest of them had to suffer for even longer before the end.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

43. He Waited For Help That Never Came

Hope flickered when Scott reached the 82°S meeting point on February 27, where, as per his instructions, dog teams were supposed to meet them. In his diary, he wrote: “We may find ourselves in safety at the next depot, but there is a horrid element of doubt”. That doubt soon turned into despair—no one was coming.

 Henry Bowers, Wikimedia Commons

44. He Realized They Had Been Left Behind

Things only worsened for Scott after that. In early March, temperatures unexpectedly plummeted to -40°F, slowing the march to a crawl. In his final letter to Sir Edgar Speyer, Scott wondered if they had overshot the meeting point—or if they had simply been abandoned. “We very nearly came through…but lately I have felt that we have overshot our mark”.

Their hopes were bleak at best.

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

45. He Watched A Man Walk To His Fate

The bitter cold and biting winds began to take their toll on Scott and his fellow expeditioners, but none suffered more than Lawrence Oates. His frostbitten toes turned black, each step more excruciating than the last. Knowing he was slowing them down, he made a fateful choice. 

On March 16, he simply told his companions, “I am just going outside and may be some time”. He left their tent, staggered into the storm, and they never saw him again.

 John Charles Dollman, Wikimedia Commons

46. He Collapsed Just Miles From Salvation

With frostbite now consuming his own toes, Scott and his two remaining men staggered forward for another 20 miles before making their final camp. But there was just a hint of cruel irony in their misery. They were only 12.5 miles from One Ton Depot, where vital supplies—salvation—waited. 

Sadly, the next day, a ferocious blizzard rolled in, trapping them in their tent. They never emerged.

 Bowers, Wikimedia Commons

47. He Wrote His Last Words

For nine days, the men lay in their frozen tomb, waiting for a rescue that would never come. Their food ran out, their strength faded, and their letters, once full of hope recounting their adventures, turned into sad goodbyes. On March 29, Scott managed one final diary entry, ending with a desperate plea: “Last entry. For God’s sake look after our people”.

Then, silence.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

48. He Was The Last To Go

Scott likely took his final breath of Antarctic air on March 29, 1912, though he may have lasted one more day. When rescuers found the tent eight months later, the bodies suggested Scott was the last to go, watching his comrades fade before him. 

In his final journal entry, he wrote: “The end cannot be far…It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more”.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

49. His Frozen Body Was Found Eight Months Later

The rescue party described the horrifying scene of finding the legendary explorer along with comrades. Tryggve Gran, one of the men who found them, gave the most chilling account: “Scott in the middle, half out of his bag…the frost had made the skin yellow and transparent…I’ve never seen anything worse in my life”.

 Library of Congress, Picryl

50. His Grave Became A Monument

Scott never left his beloved Antarctica. Rescuers retrieved his personal belongings as well as some scientific finds from the expedition, then sealed the tent shut beneath the ice. Over it, the search team built a towering snow cairn, topped with a makeshift cross made from skis—a final tribute to the doomed explorers.

 Herbert Ponting, Wikimedia Commons

51. He Made A Groundbreaking Discovery

Despite not reaching the South Pole first and tragically meeting his end, Scott’s second Antarctic expedition was remarkably successful. When rescuers arrived, they found 35 pounds of fossils that Scott and his team had painstakingly dragged across the ice even as they starved and froze. Among them were Glossopteris tree fossils—the first ever discovered in Antarctica.

The startling artifacts proved that Antarctica had once been warm and connected to other continents—a discovery that would outlive them all.

 Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

52. His Name Was Carved Into The Ice Forever

Before Terra Nova sailed home in January 1913, Scott’s comrades left behind a final tribute. Ship carpenters crafted a large wooden cross, inscribed with the names of the lost men and a single, defiant line from Tennyson’s Ulysses: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”.

In the end, however, it is Scott’s words from the South Pole that echoed through the years.

 Barneygumble, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

53. He Accepted His Fate With One Final Reflection

Scott’s last recorded words were not of bitterness at meeting such a grizzly end, but of acceptance. In his diary, he wrote: “We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last”.

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  Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4