Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery

Dundee

London's Trafalgar Sq has Nelson, Edinburgh's Princes St has Sir Walter Scott and Belfast has Queen Victoria outside City Hall. Dundee's City Sq, on the other hand, is graced – rather endearingly – by the bronze figure of Desperate Dan. Familiar to generations of British schoolchildren, Dan is one of the best-loved cartoon characters from the comic Dandy, published by Dundee firm DC Thomson since 1937.

Dundee enjoys perhaps the finest location of any Scottish city, spreading along the northern shore of the Firth of Tay, and has tourist attractions of national importance in Discovery Point and Verdant Works. Add attractive seaside town Broughty Ferry, and the Dundonians themselves – among the friendliest, most welcoming and entertaining people you'll meet – and Dundee is definitely worth a stopover.

The waterfront around Discovery Point has undergone a massive redevelopment, centred on the construction of the architecturally outstanding V&A Dundee museum of design, opened in 2018.

Explore Dundee

Discovery Point
The three masts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's famous polar expedition vessel the RRS Discovery provide a historic counterpoint to the modern…
V&A Dundee
The centrepiece of Dundee's revitalised waterfront is this stunning building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Opened in late 2018, it houses an…
V
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,…
HMS Unicorn
Dundee's second floating tourist attraction – unlike the polished and much-restored RRS Discovery – retains the authentic atmosphere of a salty old…
Dundee Law
It's worth making the climb up Dundee Law (174m) for great views of the city, the two Tay bridges and across to Fife. The Tay Rail Bridge – at just over 2…
McManus Galleries
Housed in a solid Victorian Gothic building designed by Gilbert Scott in 1867, the McManus Galleries are a city museum on a human scale – you can see…
D
Dundee Contemporary Arts
Pioneering the development of the city's Cultural Quarter from its opening in 1999, Dundee Contemporary Arts is a centre for modern art, design and cinema…
C
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…
S
St Mary's Church
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…

Discovery Point
The three masts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's famous polar expedition vessel the RRS Discovery provide a historic counterpoint to the modern…
V&A Dundee
The centrepiece of Dundee's revitalised waterfront is this stunning building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Opened in late 2018, it houses an…
V
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,…
HMS Unicorn
Dundee's second floating tourist attraction – unlike the polished and much-restored RRS Discovery – retains the authentic atmosphere of a salty old…
Dundee Law
It's worth making the climb up Dundee Law (174m) for great views of the city, the two Tay bridges and across to Fife. The Tay Rail Bridge – at just over 2…
McManus Galleries
Housed in a solid Victorian Gothic building designed by Gilbert Scott in 1867, the McManus Galleries are a city museum on a human scale – you can see…
D
Dundee Contemporary Arts
Pioneering the development of the city's Cultural Quarter from its opening in 1999, Dundee Contemporary Arts is a centre for modern art, design and cinema…
C
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…
S
St Mary's Church
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…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Dundee.

See
Discovery Point
The three masts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's famous polar expedition vessel the RRS Discovery provide a historic counterpoint to the modern…
See
V&A Dundee
The centrepiece of Dundee's revitalised waterfront is this stunning building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Opened in late 2018, it houses an…
See
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,…
See
HMS Unicorn
Dundee's second floating tourist attraction – unlike the polished and much-restored RRS Discovery – retains the authentic atmosphere of a salty old…
See
Dundee Law
It's worth making the climb up Dundee Law (174m) for great views of the city, the two Tay bridges and across to Fife. The Tay Rail Bridge – at just over 2…
See
McManus Galleries
Housed in a solid Victorian Gothic building designed by Gilbert Scott in 1867, the McManus Galleries are a city museum on a human scale – you can see…
See
Dundee Contemporary Arts
Pioneering the development of the city's Cultural Quarter from its opening in 1999, Dundee Contemporary Arts is a centre for modern art, design and cinema…
See
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…
See
St Mary's Church
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…

Guidebooks

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