Things to do in Dundee & Angus
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Reading Rooms
Dundee’s hippest venue is an arty, bohemian hang-out in a run-down former library that hosts some of Scotland’s best indie club nights. Live gigs have ranged from island singer-songwriter Colin MacIntyre (aka Mull Historical Society) to Ayrshire rock band Biffy Clyro.
reviewed
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HM Frigate Unicorn
One of Dundee’s floating tourist attractions retains the authentic atmosphere of a salty old sailing ship. Built in 1824, the 46-gun Unicorn is the oldest British-built ship still afloat – she was mothballed soon after launching and never saw action. By the mid-19th century sailing ships were outclassed by steam and the Unicorn served as a gunpowder store, then later as a training vessel. When it was proposed to break up the ship for scrap in the 1960s, a preservation society was formed. Wandering around the four decks gives you an excellent impression of what it must have been like for the crew forced to live in such cramped conditions. The Unicorn is berthed in Vict…
reviewed
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RRS Discovery
The three masts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s famous polar expedition vessel the RRS Discovery dominate the riverside to the south of the city centre. The ship was built in Dundee in 1900, with a wooden hull at least half a metre thick to survive the pack ice, and sailed for the Antarctic in 1901 where she spent two winters trapped in the ice. From 1931 on she was laid up in London where her condition steadily deteriorated, until she was rescued by the efforts of Peter Scott (son of Robert) and the Maritime Trust, and restored to her 1925 condition. In 1986 she was given a berth in her home port of Dundee, where she became a symbol of the city’s regeneration.
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City Square
The heart of Dundee is City Sq, flanked to the south by the 1930s facade of Caird Hall, which was gifted to the city by a textile magnate and is now home to the City Chambers. A more recent addition to the square, unveiled in 2001, is a bronze statue of Desperate Dan, the lantern-jawed hero of children's comic the Dandy (he's clutching a copy in his right hand), which has been published in Dundee since 1937.
Pedestrianised High St leads west into Nethergate, flanked to the north by St Mary's Church. Most of the church dates from the 19th century, but the Old Steeple was built around 1460.
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Discovery Point
The three masts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's famous polar expedition vessel the RRS Discovery dominate the riverside to the south of the city centre. The ship was built in Dundee in 1900, with a wooden hull at least half a metre thick to survive the pack ice, and sailed for the Antarctic in 1901 where it spent two winters trapped in the ice. From 1931 on it was laid up in London where its condition steadily deteriorated, until it was rescued by the efforts of Peter Scott (son of Robert) and the Maritime Trust, and restored to its 1925 condition. In 1986 the ship was given a berth in its home port of Dundee, where it became a symbol of the city's regeneration.
Exhibitio…
reviewed
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Montrose Basin Visitor Centre
At the southern edge of town, Montrose Basin Visitor Centre has indoor and outdoor hides, and viewing platforms with high-powered binoculars and remote-controlled TV cameras where you can zoom in on the local wildlife. In summer you can see curlews, oystercatchers and eider ducks – and perhaps an otter if you’re lucky – and in autumn the basin is invaded by huge flocks of pink-footed and greylag geese. The birdwatching is best from two hours after high tide till two hours before the next high tide – check times at any tourist office.
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McManus Galleries
Housed in a solid Victorian Gothic building designed by Gilbert Scott in 1867, the recently restored McManus Galleries is a city museum on a human scale – you can see everything there is to see, without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. The exhibits cover the history of the city from the Iron Age to the present day, including relics of the Tay Bridge Disaster and the Dundee whaling industry. Computer geeks will enjoy the Sinclair ZX81 and Spectrum (pioneering personal computers with a whole 16K of memory!) which were made in Dundee in the early 1980s.
reviewed
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Glamis Castlew
Looking every inch the Scottish Baronial castle, with its roofline sprouting a forest of pointed turrets and battlements, Glamis Castle was the legendary setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth. A royal residence since 1372, it is the family home of the earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne – the Queen Mother (born Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; 1900−2002) spent her childhood at Glamis (pronounced glams) and Princess Margaret (the Queen’s sister; 1930−2002) was born here.
reviewed
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Verdant Works
One of the finest industrial museums in Europe, the Verdant Works explores the history of Dundee’s jute industry. Housed in a restored jute mill, complete with original machinery still in working condition, the museum’s interactive exhibits and computer displays follow the raw material from its origins in India through to the manufacture of a wide range of finished products, from sacking to rope to wagon covers for the pioneers of the American West. The mill is 250m west of the city centre.
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Verdant Works
One of the finest industrial museums in Europe, the Verdant Works explores the history of Dundee's jute industry. Housed in a restored jute mill, complete with original machinery still in working condition, the museum's interactive exhibits and computer displays follow the raw material from its origins in India through to the manufacture of a wide range of finished products, from sacking to rope to wagon covers for the pioneers of the American West. The mill is 250m west of the city centre.
reviewed
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Tay Rail Bridge & Tay Road Bridge
At just over 2 miles long, the Tay Rail Bridge was the world's longest when it was built - it was completed in 1887 and replaced an earlier bridge whose stumps can be seen alongside. The original bridge collapsed during a storm in 1879, less than two years after it was built, taking a train and 75 lives along with it. The 1.5-mile Tay Road Bridge was opened in 1966.
Tay Rail Bridge costs 80p per car southbound, but is toll-free for northbound traffic.
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HM Frigate Unicorn
Unlike the polished and much-restored Discovery, Dundee's other floating tourist attraction retains the authentic atmosphere of a salty old sailing ship. Built in 1824, the 46-gun Unicorn is the oldest British-built ship still afloat – she was mothballed soon after launching and never saw action. By the mid-19th century sailing ships were outclassed by steam and the Unicorn served as a gunpowder store, then later as a training vessel. When it was proposed to break up the ship for scrap in the 1960s, a preservation society was formed. Wandering around the four decks gives you an excellent impression of what it must have been like for the crew forced to live in such cramp…
reviewed
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James McLaren & Son
Forfar, the county town of Angus, is the home of Scotland’s answer to the Cornish pasty: the famous Forfar bridie. A shortcrust pastry turnover filled with cooked minced beef, onion and gravy, it was invented in Forfar in the early 19th century. If you fancy trying one, head for James McLaren & Son, a family bakery bang in the centre of Forfar, which has been selling tasty, home-baked bridies since 1893.
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Playwright
Next door to the theatre, and decorated with photos of Scottish actors, this innovative cafe-bar and bistro serves a 'grazing menu' of light meals (£5 to £8) from noon to 5pm, a lunch and pre-theatre menu (£17/20 for two/three courses) and a gourmet à la carte menu that concentrates on fine Scottish produce with dishes such as saddle of lamb with wild mushrooms and roast halibut with shellfish sauce.
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Dundee Contemporary Arts
The focus for the city's emerging Cultural Quarter is Dundee Contemporary Arts, a centre for modern art, design and cinema. The galleries here exhibit work by contemporary UK and international artists, and there are printmakers' studios where you can watch artists at work, or even take part in craft demonstrations and workshops. There's also the Jute Cafe-Bar.
reviewed
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Metro
Sleek, slate-blue banquettes, white linen napkins, black-clad staff and a view of Victoria Dock lend an air of city sophistication to this stylish hotel brasserie, with a menu that ranges from steaks and burgers to Caribbean jerk chicken with coconut curry. There’s a three-course dinner menu for £21.50. Located just east of the city centre, close to the Frigate Unicorn.
reviewed
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Pictavia
Adjoining Brechin Castle Centre (a gardening and horse-riding centre on the A90 just west of Brechin) is Pictavia, an interpretive centre telling the story of the Picts, and explaining current theories about the mysterious carved symbol stones they left behind. It’s worth making a trip here before going to see the Pictish stones at Aberlemno.
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Metro
Sleek, slate-blue banquettes, white linen napkins, black-clad staff and a view of Victoria Dock lend an air of city sophistication to this stylish hotel brasserie, with a menu that ranges from steaks and burgers to Caribbean jerk chicken with coconut curry. There's a three-course dinner menu for £21.50. Located just east of the city centre, close to the Frigate Unicorn.
reviewed
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Jute Cafe-Bar
The industrial-chic cafe-bar in the Dundee Contemporary Arts centre serves excellent deli sandwiches and steaks, as well as more adventurous Mediterranean-Asian fusion cuisine. Early-bird menu (5pm to 6.30pm daily) offers a two-course dinner for £12. Tables spill out into the sunny courtyard in summer.
reviewed
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Jute Cafe-Bar
The industrial-chic cafe-bar in the Dundee Contemporary Arts centre serves excellent deli sandwiches and steaks, as well as more adventurous Mediterranean-Asian fusion cuisine. Early-bird menu (5pm to 6.30pm daily) offers a two-course dinner for £12. Tables spill out into the sunny courtyard in summer.
reviewed
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Agacán
With a charismatic owner, quirky decor and wonderfully aromatic Turkish specialities (Iskender kebab is our favourite), it's no wonder that you have to book ahead at this little spot on a corner, a 20 minute walk up Perth Rd from the centre. If you can't get a table, you can settle for takeaway.
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Dil'se
Dundee loves a curry, and nobody does it better than this sleek modern Bangladeshi restaurant most of the way up Perth Rd. The bold, contemporary approach extends beyond the delicious old favourites to new dishes, such as Mas Bangla, which brings the subcontinent to Scots salmon.
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André’s
A quaint little corner that appears to have been fashioned out of someone’s attic bedroom, André’s nevertheless offers an authentic taste of France with a small, ever-changing menu of French classics ranging from onion soup to boeuf bourguignon.
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Jahangir
The food is good, but it’s worth going to this curry house for the décor alone – pure Hollywood Moghul, with a turbaned doorman, an over-the-top tent, and a tinkling fountain inhabited by live goldfish and carp (no, they’re not on the menu).
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Reading Rooms
Dundee's hippest venue is an arty, bohemian hang-out in a run-down former library that hosts some of Scotland's best indie club nights. Live gigs have ranged from island singer-songwriter Colin MacIntyre (aka Mull Historical Society) to Ayrshire rock band Biffy Clyro.
reviewed
