The first and only city in the United Kingdom to hold the distinction as a UNESCO “City of Design”, Dundee has transformed it’s reputation as a place to circumvent to a city that has become a leading centre for innovation, software, medicine and the arts attracting students and specialists from around the globe. New hotels, restaurants, galleries and a vibrant night life quickly followed to which GQ Magazine stated, Dundee is Britain’s “Coolest Little City”.
Less than ninety minutes from Edinburgh, Dundee is situated in the southeast corner of the historically rich Angus County along Scotland’s longest river, the Firth of Tay. With a population of 151,000 it is the country’s fourth largest metropolis and prides itself as having the most hours of sunshine in Scotland.
From it’s earliest days Dundee was a centre of commerce. Jute, jam and journalism, the three “J’s”, established the city as one of the most prosperous in Great Britain. Reminders, of the past glory are scattered about the city. St. Mary’s Church with it’s “reach to the heavens’ steeple; The Wishart Arch a 16th century remnant of the city’s wall; an absorbing walk through the ages at Dundee’s medieval graveyard, The Howff should all be explored.
In 2001, £1 billion was committed towards the revitalization of eight kilometers of Dundee’s aging waterfront. The opening, in 2018, of the V&A [Victoria and Albert] Design Museum, the first V&A museum outside of London, became the cornerstone in the city’s exciting redevelopment.
This stunning structure has recently been nominated as the “World’s Museum of the Year”. The architecture is striking with many believing, on first impression, that the design is that of a ship dedicated to the area’s seafaring history. However, the cliffs of Scotland’s northeastern coastline are the actual inspiration for Japan’s award-winning architect, Kengo Kuma.
Adjacent to the V&A is Discovery Point is HMS Discovery the last three-masted ship to be built in the United Kingdom and constructed in Dundee in 1901. Under the command of Robert Scott with Ernest Shackelton aboard, she successfully surveyed Antarctica from1901-1904. The Discovery Point Museum is a must visit. Stepping aboard the ship you quickly sense the historic nature and day-to-day responsibilities that the crew had to endure.
There is a pride and vitality in the city! The Wall Street Journal editorialized in 2017 that Dundee is, “One of the Top Ten Destinations in the World to Visit”.
Experience the city then set out over pastoral hills and dales, scenic coastline to see why Angus County has so much to explore. Castles and historical edifices seem ever present while friendly pubs or cafes are never far away. Historical golf courses abound, as this is Carnoustie Golf Country, Great Britain’s most sensational golf destination.
Golf and whisky are synonymous with Scotland and today tasting rooms for the burgeoning gin, vodka, and craft beer industry are scattered throughout the County.
Make the time to truly discover everything that Dundee and Angus County has to offer.
