A trip to ‘Base A’ on Antarctica sounds like the ultimate in get-away-from-it-all breaks
Published 13th Oct 2026, 06:00 BST
In 1944, the UK launched a secret mission to establish a presence in Antarctica, partly to support territorial claims. And so the aptly named “Base A” in Port Lockroy became the UK’s first permanent scientific base on the continent.
Port Lockroy has been a “home for explorers, whalers, scientists, and sailors who have made vital contributions to Antarctic history”, according to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
Wordie House on Winter Island is almost as old and is home to the continent’s second-longest-running climate records, which have helped scientists realise the Antarctic Peninsula is “one of the fastest-warming places on the planet”. Unfortunately, the resulting increases in rainfall and snow have taken their toll on the historic sites.
A new mission – including Lesley Johnston from Glasgow, who will digitally capture Wordie House so people can explore it online – has now been launched to protect the buildings.
Despite global warming, conditions are still sub-zero; there’s no running water or flushing toilets; a ‘treat’ is a Cup-A-Soup or a chocolate bar; and it’s one of the most isolated places on Earth. Given the state of the world, it sounds perfectly delightful.