The
Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory was founded in Nicolson Street,
Edinburgh in 1906, by
William Speirs Bruce, who had travelled widely in the
Antarctic and
Arctic regions and had led the
Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE) 1902–04. Bruce had originally studied medicine at the
University of Edinburgh, but had transferred his studies to the
natural sciences and, through his varied experiences, had established a reputation as a polar scientist. He had also collected a large number of
botanical,
biological,
zoological and
geological specimens, together with vast amounts of
meteorological and
magnetic data. The laboratory, established in
Edinburgh at premises in Nicolson Street, provided a place to examine, store or display these materials, an office from which Bruce could work on the SNAE scientific reports, and a base from which further expeditions could be planned.