Skip navigation

Search the site

Or search for a course

  • Undergraduate Course Search
  • Postgraduate Course Search
  • Students
  • Alumni
  • Academic Staff Profiles
  • About
  • News
  • Library
  • Jobs
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
  • Study
    Press ESC key to exit current megamenu

    Undergraduate courses

    School of Business Enterprise Undergraduate Student Laughing | University of the West of Scotland

    Kick-start your career with an undergraduate degree from University of the West of Scotland.

    Find out more about Undergraduate courses

    Postgraduate Taught & Research

    UWS Student Considering Postgraduate & Post-Experience Study | University of the West of Scotland

    Postgrad taught and research degrees will enable you to study at an advanced level, supported by expert academics.

    Find out more about Postgraduate Taught & Research

    More options

    • Open Days
    • English Language courses
    • Graduate Apprenticeships
    • CPD, short courses and modules
    • Potential new courses
    • Supporting your studies
    • Money, Fees & Funding
    • Learning & Teaching policies and procedures
    • UWS campuses

    Find a course

    A-Z Undergraduate courses A-Z Postgraduate courses Open Days & Info Sessions
  • International
    Press ESC key to exit current megamenu

    Study options

    UWS London campus students

    UWS offers a range of career-focused Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral research opportunities across six academic schools.

    Find out more about Study options

    How to Apply

    Application for our undergraduate and postgraduate courses opens in Aug each year and runs until course start date.

    How to Apply about How to Apply

    More

    • Undergraduate (Bachelor's) degrees
    • Taught postgraduate (Master's) degrees
    • Research postgraduate degrees
    • English Language requirements
    • Money, Fees & Funding
    • How to apply to UWS
    • 中文官方网站
    • Partner with us (TNE)

    Find a course

    A-Z Undergraduate courses A-Z Postgraduate courses
  • Life at UWS
    Press ESC key to exit current megamenu

    Campuses

    Discover our campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Lanarkshire, Paisley & London

    Campuses about Campuses

    Student Accommodation

    Find out more about your choice of accommodation on offer.

    Accommodation about Student Accommodation

    More...

    • Living in Scotland
    • UWS Sport
    • Events

    Find a course

    A-Z Undergraduate courses A-Z Postgraduate courses
  • Research
    Press ESC key to exit current megamenu

    Research Institutes, Centres & Groups

    UWS Research Student | Transformative & Ethical Research | University of the West of Scotland

    Our research centres, institutes, groups, advance research and knowledge to tackle the United Nations Global Goals.

    Research Institutes Centres & Groups about Research Institutes, Centres & Groups

    UN Sustainable Development Goals

    UWS is Committed to The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

    United Nations Sustainable Development Goals about UN Sustainable Development Goals

    More...

    • REF 2021
    • Doctoral College
    • Trusted Research

    Find a course

    A-Z Undergraduate courses A-Z Postgraduate courses
  • Search

Tuesday 26 03 2024

Legendary Cutty Sark recreated in VR

Paisley

  • Home
  • News
  • Legendary Cutty Sark recreated in VR
Back
Share this
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Google Plus
  • Email
  • Print

A new immersive virtual reality (VR) experience is allowing members of the public to step back in time and explore the legendary Cutty Sark ship.

The iconic 19th century vessel has been recreated by experts at University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Smartify, the arts and heritage app, on behalf of Royal Museums Greenwich.

The VR tour was developed using state-of-the-art 360 photos, 3D scanning, and drone photography, to accurately replicate the ship digitally in 3D while sections of the boat undergo repair. The tour can be accessed both from home, and at Cutty Sark in London via a QR code. 

As well as providing digital access to the iconic tea clipper ship, the new VR tour includes items from the wider Cutty Sark collection which are not typically on view to the public.

Dr Marco Gilardi, Lead of the UWS Creative Computing Technologies Research Group in the School of Computing Engineering and Physical Sciences, and PI for the project, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been able to apply our research and expertise to bring Cutty Sark to life through VR and state of the art ‘immersive web’ technologies, allowing members of the public to explore this world-famous ship in a unique way.”

Cutty Sark, the fastest sailing ship of its time, was built in Dumbarton in 1869, and was one of the final clippers – ships designed for seasonal trade such as tea – to be built.

Emma Massoud, General Manager of Cutty Sark added: “The VR experience has been an incredible addition to our visitor experience, not only has this allowed our visitors to digitally access an area currently undergoing conservation but it also improves our access offer, with this area now being available for all to view.”

Thanos Kokkiniotis, Smartify CEO and Head of Product, said: " Bringing part of Cutty Sark to life in virtual reality has been a truly gratifying journey. Witnessing the overwhelmingly positive response reaffirms our commitment to making heritage accessible worldwide. We're thrilled that people, regardless of their location, can now embark on an immersive voyage through history.”

Cutty Sark reopened to the public in April 2012, marking a new chapter in the extraordinary life of the last surviving tea clipper and one of the world’s most famous ships. Visitors to Cutty Sark can venture aboard and beneath the beautiful three-masted clipper: walk along the decks in the footsteps of the merchant seamen who sailed her over a century ago; explore the hold where cargo was stored on voyages; and even walk underneath the 963-tonne ship in the dry berth below to view the elegant lines of her hull.

Cutty Sark is part of Royal Museums Greenwich which also incorporates the National Maritime Museum, the 17th-century Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory Greenwich. This unique collection of museums and heritage buildings form a key part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also a major centre of education and research. The mission of Royal Museums Greenwich is to enrich people’s understanding of the sea, the exploration of space, and Britain's role in world history. For more information, visit www.rmg.co.uk

The project was made possible through Innovate UK’s flagship Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme in partnership with UWS – a scheme which brings together universities and businesses to share knowledge and expertise.

The virtual tour is available to access here. 

Back
Share this
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Google Plus
  • Email
  • Print
University of the West of Scotland Crest | UWS | Doctrina Prosperitas
  • Study
  • International
  • Life at UWS
  • Research

Study with us

  • Join us
  • Open Days & Info Sessions
  • Money, Fees & Funding
  • Home

Campuses

  • Ayr
  • Dumfries
  • Lanarkshire
  • London
  • Paisley

Explore

  • Study
  • International
  • University Life
  • Research
  • Students

More

  • About UWS
  • UWS Asia
  • CPD web site
  • Jobs

University of the West of Scotland is a Registered Scottish Charity. Charity number SC002520. VAT Registration Number GB 263 824 940.

The University is recognised by the UK authorities as a “recognised body” which has been granted degree awarding powers.
© 2025 University of the West of Scotland

  • About our website
  • Modern Slavery Statement
  • Policies, Procedures & Guidelines
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • X / Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • WeChat
  • Weibo

By using www.uws.ac.uk you agree to our Website Terms of Use and Cookie Policy.  We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyse site traffic and user behaviour.  Read about how we use cookies and how you can manage them on our Cookie Policy page.  The content of our Privacy Notice has recently been updated to reflect recent legal changes (the General Data Protection Regulation).

Close