Edinburgh-born Maggie Coll is preparing for the “adventure of a lifetime”, spending five months 9,000 miles away from home, including penguins in Antarctica.
Maggie, an outdoor enthusiast, said the conditions and climate of the Scottish Highlands helped her prepare for the trip.
The 31-year-old is part of a small team that will count penguins during the Antarctic summer and operate the world’s southernmost post office in Port Lockroy.
The crew will live on a small island the size of a football field in near-constant daylight, without running water or a flush toilet, and will collect data for the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
Maggie, who says she is happiest outdoors and discovering new places, previously spent two years traveling across Canada and Australia.
As a nature monitor, she will count and monitor the gentoo penguin population on the island data sent back to scientists in Britain.
She said: “As a Scot I spend a lot of time in the Scottish hills and in winter they say the climate is similar to a Scottish winter.
“So hopefully this has given me a bit of preparation for what is undoubtedly a very cold environment.
“I think it will be amazing to see the incredible nature and landscapes. I think it will be the adventure of a lifetime.”
Maggie is joined by base leader Lou Hoskin, museum manager Aoife McKenna, store manager Dale Ellis and postmaster George Clarke.
Each member was selected with their interests and life experiences in mind through a series of interviews.
Maggie said: “The process was quite detailed. We had an interview via Zoom and then we went to a three-day selection event.
“We worked in pairs to do team building activities – one was building a tent, one of us was wearing oven mitts and the other was blindfolded.
“We have completed many different interesting and fun tasks as part of the recruitment process, but hopefully that will complete the building of my tents.”
The crew will live in Base A on Goudier Island, a small port of Port Lockroy known as the birthplace of British Antarctic science.
The small island has three buildings, the largest of which, Bransfield House, houses a living museum and shop in addition to the famous Post Office.
The crew sleeps in a six-bed dormitory in a steel Nissen cabin and passes the time playing board games, watching DVDs and listening to music on a portable speaker.
Each team member packed a personal box with luxury items such as toiletries, favorite treats from home and even Christmas and birthday presents. Four team members celebrated their birthdays during the trip.
Within two weeks of arrival, the crew receives food delivery with supplies for the entire voyage.
For the first time, the staple food will be completely vegetarian – a decision made with sustainability in mind.
The food delivery, packed in July, includes non-perishable items such as tinned vegetables, powdered milk, pasta and rice and “four giant bags of Yorkshire tea bags”.
Despite its remoteness, the island will regularly receive visitors from all over the world, as cruise ships visit once or twice a day during the season and send thousands of postcards from the island every year.
Proceeds from the gift shop and post office pay for the operation of Port Lockroy and its future preservation.
