Two crates of Scotch whisky belonging to a famous explorer are to be dug up from the Arctic.

The whiskey - left by the Irish polar explorer Ernest Shackleton in 1907 - was found hidden under a hut built and used during an unsuccessful South Pole expedition.

The whisky was first discovered three years ago but now the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust plan to use special cutting tools to remove them from the ice.

Trust spokesman Al Fastier said he would not be tempted to sample the Scotch because "It would be terrible to sample it and find that it was off."