As you approach the Tay Road Bridge whether by car or by train through the Tay Rail Bridge you begin to understand why they call the river “Silvery Tay”. The city is situated on the east coast of Scotland on the north bank of the firth of Tay.
Dundee is Scotland’s fourth largest city and one of the most beautiful! Driving across the bridge you can clearly see the Law Hill. The city is built around this extinct volcano. You can drive right up to the top of the hill and from this vantage point you can see the whole of Dundee!
Dundee is Scotland’s sunniest city (it faces south) with over 1400 hours of sunshine every year. Its title “City of Discovery” comes from the HM Frigate Unicorn, the oldest surviving ship in the UK.
Dundee is known for its “3 Js” – Jute, Jam & Journalism. Although the Jute & Jam industry is no longer predominant in Dundee, you can still see the towers associated with the industry. Verdant Works is ideal for tourists wishing to learn about Dundee’s Jute Industry.
Keillers of Dundee pioneered the manufacture of marmalade here. They bought a shipload of oranges which they were unable to sell. Janet Keiller specialized in selling jam and using her knowledge invented marmalade.
Although Jute and Jam are no longer made in Dundee, the journalism sector still thrives. The company began as a branch of the Thomson family business. In 1884, David Couper Thomson took over the publishing business, and established it as DC Thomson in 1905. The firm flourished, and now produces more than 200 million comics, books and magazines every year.
Dundee is also a university town with a student population averaging about 32,000. Due to the high numbers of students, Dundee has a lively pub and club scene. The 2 most popular night clubs are Fat Sams & London Night Club.
A recent quality of life survey ranked Dundee near the top due to its clean air, low pollution levels, riverside location and high sunshine hours.
Shopping in Dundee has now taken off with 2 major shopping centres (Overgate & Wellgate) under pinning the west and east of the city centre. The number of out of town shopping centres in Dundee means that the city attracts shoppers from all the small towns nearby.
The town is a fantastic holiday location with Broughty Ferry having one of the cleanest beaches in the UK.
The city is an ideal starting point for touring the best of Scotland with almost all major attractions less then 100 miles away. Kenmore, Loch Earn, Loch Ness and Ben Nevis are beautiful destinations in their own right. The three other major cities, Edinburgh, Aberdeen & Glasgow are all approximately an hours drive.
St Andrews (the home of golf) & Carnoustie both have championship golf courses and are only 20 minutes drive from the city.
Dundee has three country parks all within 3 miles of the city. Camperdown Park, Monikie Park & Crombie Park are all beautiful and unique in their own ways.
Dundee is renowned for its Dundee Repertory Theatre (the rep) and Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre (DCA).
The main Hotels in Dundee are the Hilton Hotel, Apex City Quay, Swallow Hotel & Queens. There are many other smaller hotels and recently many travel lodges/inns have opened to provide room only rates for families on a small budget.
Glamis Castle – known to be haunted due to an ancient curse is a fairy tale castle which will exceed all your expectations.
The town of Glamis also houses the Angus Folk Museum. Visit one of Scotland’s finest museums and learn about Scotland’s history.
Dundee has 2 football teams: Dundee United & Dundee. Some people in Dundee believe that they should unite to form one team. Others have very strong views that the two team should remain separate.
St Andrews Beach has to be seen to be believed. The world famous golf course sits proudly on the beach front.
The British Golf Museum is in St Andrews, the home of golf! Find out about the history of the game and indulge in some interactive highly visual displays.
The best hotel in St Andrews is the MacDonald Russacks Hotel. It was voted one of the Top Golfing Hotels in the world.
St Andrews Castle consists of the ruins of the castle built around the 13th century. Here you can explore the secret dungeons and admire the views.
St Andrews Cathedral & St Rule’s Tower are the remains of the largest cathedral in Scotland.