The former Sailor's Home was a lodging house which sailors could use whilst waiting for their next passage. Up to eighty sailors would stay here at a time.
Look Up! At the top of the building you can see the names of famous seafarers of the time, some of which remain famous to this day:
Nelson: Born in 1758, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson was a British Flag Officer of the Royal Navy, most noted for his role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 where he lost his life on the deck of HMS Victory.
Cook: Born in 1728, Captain James Cook was a famed explorer, particularly in the Pacific Ocean where he charted parts of New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii from his ship – the HM Endeavour
Blake: Robert Blake, General at Sea: He is credited with developing the Royal Navy and produced the navy’s first ever rules and regulations. The Blake Oilfield (64 miles from Aberdeen) was named after him.
Wood: Born around 1455 Sir Andrew Wood of Largo was to become the Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Originally a trader, his two ships were well armed and were famed for a sea battle in the Firth of Forth where he fought and captured three attacking English vessels.
Duncan: Born near Dundee, Admiral Adam Duncan achieved the peerage as Viscount Duncan of Camperdown – after a successful sea battle near the village of Camperdown on the Dutch coast. A statue of him can be found on Commercial Street . His son later built Camperdown House and grounds on the edge of the city which is now owned by the Dundee City Council as Camperdown Country Park.
Napier: born in 1786, Charles Napier was to serve for sixty years in the Royal Navy and was an innovator who was amongst the first to develop iron hulled ships and steam power.