- For other places with the same name, see Dundee (disambiguation).
Dundee is an industrial city and port of 150,000 people (2016) in Angus, North East Scotland. It stands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which broadens out into the North Sea here. Its prime visitor attractions are the sailing ship RRS Discovery, the Verdant Works jute mill, and the V&A design museum. It's also a convenient base for nearby major golf tournaments, and for exploring Deeside and the Eastern Highlands.
Understand
Dundee used to be a grubby, rough industrial town famous for its three J's of jute, jam and journalism. Jute (see "Verdant" listing) still marks the landscape: the mills have closed but many still stand as offices and apartments. Jam was made from fruit grown nearby. Journalism refers to the D C Thomson publishing empire, whose renown was less for their journalism than for their stable of comics and cartoon strips. These include the Sunday Post with "Oor Wullie" and "The Broons", the Dandy with "Desperate Dan" and the Beano with "Dennis the Menace". Of course that wasn't all the city had to offer: delicacies such as Dundee Cake, studded with sultanas and almonds, was probably what your Great Aunt Morag enjoyed for Sunday tea along with some Dundee Marmalade to top it off. And then there was the bridge that famously and tragically fell down. And Dundee's great cultural icon was William McGonagall (see info box), surely the world's worst poet.
But the industrial grubbiness is gradually disappearing, enabling the city to shine in its attractive natural setting. There are major visitor attractions already and more appearing. There's a student buzz from the universities, and generally a friendly feel to the place. It's definitely worth a day or two to visit.
Dundee has its own dialect: the vocabulary is much the same as Lowland Scots (see Scotland#Talk) but pronunciation is distinctive. "T" is often dropped in a glottal stop, but the signature sound is the short "eh" (phonetic: ɛ) replacing ay, ae, e, i, ie, uy, y and more. So a pie is a "peh"; "eh" can mean I, yes, what? or hmmm... Dundonians can conduct entire conversations by just saying "eh".
Visitor information
- Dundee Visitor Information
- Dundee City Council
- 1 Visit Scotland iCentre (TIC), 16 City Square (next to Caird Hall), ☏ 44 1382 527527. M-Sa 09:30-17:00. Information on Dundee and elsewhere in Scotland.
Get in
By plane
Edinburgh Airport (EDI IATA) is usually the most convenient. From there, take Xplore Dundee's Edinburgh Airport Xpress Service from directly outside the terminal all the way non-stop to just across from the train station in Dundee. Alternatively, take Stagecoach Bus Jet 747 to Inverkeithing in Fife to catch the hourly train to Dundee, or to Halbeath for the hourly Stagecoach Bus X54. Otherwise take the tram or bus from the airport to Edinburgh Haymarket, or Gateway for trains or buses to Dundee.
1 Dundee Airport (DND IATA) is 2 miles west of city centre on A85 - with light baggage you could walk it in 30 min. You can fly to Dundee from London City (LCY) or Belfast City (BHD) with Loganair year-round. You can fly from London twice daily Monday to Friday, and there is one service on a Sunday, flights take around 1 hr 45 min. The Belfast flights operate once per weekday and Sunday lunchtime with flights taking just over one hour. These air routes are flown using ATR-42 turboprop aircraft, with 48 seats.
By train
Dundee has Scotrail trains hourly or better from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, all taking 80 min. Three direct daytime LNER trains run from London King's Cross (6 hr) via York and Newcastle, but it's usually more convenient to change in Edinburgh. From the Midlands and Southwest, take the CrossCountry train, winding all the way from Penzance via Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield and York.
The railway north to Aberdeen was closed for 12 weeks following a landslide and serious rail accident near Stonehaven on 12 Aug 2020, but it re-opened in November.
The Caledonian Highland Sleeper to Aberdeen runs Su-F from London Euston, departing after 21:00 and ejecting you onto a chilly Dundee platform at 06:00. The southbound train picks up around 23:00 to reach Euston towards 08:00. You might prefer to take the Lowland Sleeper from Euston towards midnight and change to a day train in Edinburgh. Going back, you need to leave Dundee around 22:00 to join the southbound sleeper at 23:30 from Edinburgh.
2 Dundee railway station (DEE). The station is just south of city centre, close to Discovery and the ramps onto the Tay Road Bridge. The station was rebuilt in 2018 with a SleeperZ hotel on its upper floors. There's not much in the concourse and the retail units are unlet, but there's a WH Smith beyond the ticket barrier. 
There's also a station halt at the west edge of town at Invergowrie, which might be more convenient for Ninewells Hospital area.
Four miles east of town is the seaside town of Broughty Ferry, with an hourly train (towards Arbroath) taking 7 min.
The slow trains to Arbroath also stop at Monifieth and Carnoustie.
By car
From Edinburgh and the south follow M90 / A90 north, about 55 miles (90 km) or just over an hour's drive. A slow scenic route is to branch off onto A92 towards Kirkcaldy then wind along the Fife coast and through St Andrews.
From Glasgow follow M80 then M9 / A9 to Perth, and then swing east onto A90. It's 75 miles (120 km), about a 90-min drive.
From Aberdeen follow A90 south: it's 67 miles (105 km) and will take about 80 min.
A90 skirts the north of Dundee, where it's called Kingsway. The speed limit of 40/50 mph is vigilantly enforced.
By bus
Scottish Citylink buses run hourly from Glasgow Buchanan station (1 hr 40 min) and Aberdeen Union Square (1 hr 20 min), and every two hours from Edinburgh St Andrews Square (90 min): beware slower buses that meander through the small towns. Megabus competes on those city routes, and also runs direct from Manchester (6 hr). National Express coaches take 11-12 hr from London Victoria and continue to Aberdeen.
3 Dundee bus station is on Seagate. There are no left-luggage facilities, but lots of cafes & fast-food nearby.
Get around
The main sights are all within walking distance. The local bus you're most likely to use is Stagecoach Bus 73, which runs every 10 min between Ninewells Hospital, Dundee High Street and bus station, Broughty Ferry, Monifieth, Carnoustie and Arbroath.
By taxi you'll pay about £6 for a journey within the city centre and £15 to Broughty Ferry.
The world's worst poet William McGonagall (1825-1902) was a Dundee hand-loom weaver inspired to take up poetry, which he recited publicly. His “Poetic Gems”, as he called them, were lengthy doggerel that often championed noble values, e.g. for female emancipation, and against the evils of alcohol:
His talent ranged over battles, shipwrecks and the Scottish countryside. In 1883 a whale swam into the River Tay and was landed:
But his most celebrated works were those extolling the "Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay! With your numerous arches and pillars in so grand array...." And so on, and on, and on, until tragically
He published some 200 poems of similar brilliance. He was mocked, he was pelted with eggs, he endured practical jokes (most famously the hoax award of the Siamese Order of the White Elephant), he was chronically poor. A true artist: nothing and nobody could stop the flow of his poetry. |
See
- 1 RRS Discovery, Riverside Drive DD1 4XA. Apr-Oct M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 11:00-18:00; Nov-Mar M-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00. Discovery, launched in 1901, is an Royal Research Ship (RRS) specifically built for Antarctic exploration. Built in Dundee, she's a wooden sailing vessel with only auxiliary steam power. Discovery was commanded by Robert Falcon Scott, and also aboard was Ernest Shackleton. They reached Antarctica in early 1902 (summer), intending to spend one winter, but the ship became icebound for the next two years. They were just about to abandon ship in Feb 1904 when the ice broke and they escaped homeward to public acclaim. Both men were to return: Shackleton in 1907-09 didn't quite reach the South Pole, but survived; Scott in 1910-12 did reach it, but behind Amundsen, and all his party perished on the trek back to the coast. The museum has an extensive display of the 1902-04 expedition, and then you go aboard the dry-docked ship, which had a later career as a polar merchant vessel. Adult £11.50, combi with Verdant Works £18.65.
- 2 Dundee V & A, 1 Riverside Esplanade DD1 4DE. Daily 10:00-17:00. The Dundee branch of London's Victoria and Albert museum, with a focus on design in Scotland. The building on the waterfront is a striking modern design with an interior of ship's planking, as if Discovery next door had arrived as an Ikea flat-pack. Free, charges for special exhibitions.
- 3 McManus Gallery & Museum, Albert Square, Meadowside DD1 1DA. M-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:30-16:30. McManus is in three sections: museum tracing Dundee's story, natural history museum, and art gallery; plus exhibitions. The building, a Gothic construction by George Gilbert Scott, opened in 1867 as a memorial to Prince Albert. Free.
- 4 HMS Unicorn, South Victoria Dock Road DD1 3BP. Apr-Oct daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-Mar Tu-Su 10:00-16:00. A 46-gun frigate launched in 1824 at Chatham Docks in England, but immediately mothballed, so she was never fitted with masts, rigging or guns. Her hull was roofed over and her only sea voyage was in 1873 when she was towed north to Dundee to act as a training hulk. This means her original Georgian timbers are in unusually good condition. Her sister ship HMS Trincomalee also survives, and can be visited in Hartlepool. Adult £7.25, child £3.50.
- 5 Verdant Works, West Henderson’s Wynd DD1 5BT. Apr-Oct M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 11:00-18:00; Nov, Feb-Mar M-Sa 10:00-177:00, Su 11:00-17:00, Dec Jan W-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00. In the 19th century you just had to have jute. Curtains and carpets and blankets, hard-wearing clothing. Satchels and roof felt, ropes of all kinds, sails for ships, tents for soldiers. The raw material is a coarse flax that grows in Bengal: it was processed here because Dundee had fast ships to import it, whale oil to make it soft and workable, flax-weaving technology, and then again the fast ships to export finished goods globally. The city's mill owners grew very rich; the mill workers didn't, nor did the Bengalis. Verdant Works, built in 1833, was one of many jute factories here. Many of them still stand, converted into offices and apartments; Verdant was turned into a museum in 1996. Volunteers demonstrate the clanking machinery. Adult £11.50, combi with Discovery £18.65.
- 6 Dundee Science Centre, Greenmarket DD1 4QB, ☏ 44 1382 228800. Daily 10:00-17:00. Interactive science museum. Adult £8.60, child £6.50.
- 7 St Paul's Cathedral, High St DD1 1TD. Tu-F 10:00-16:00, Sa 11:00-15:00, Su 10:00-12:30, 19:30-21:00. Anglican cathedral in Decorated Gothic style by George Gilbert Scott, completed in 1855.
- 8 St Andrew's Cathedral, 150 Nethergate DD1 4EA. M-F 08:30-17:30, Sa 10:00-12:00, Su 10:30-12:30, 17:30-19:30. RC cathedral with a Victorian Gothic facade opened in 1836.
- Tay Bridges: There are three... well, two-and-a-scrap really:
- 9 Tay Road Bridge. Opened in 1966, this carries the A92. It's a mile and a half long, and climbs 100 ft from Dundee to Newport-on-Tay in Fife. No tolls, and there's a footpath and cycleway from which you can admire the scenery. It may be closed in high winds, check current road conditions online.
- 10 Tay Rail Bridge. Opened in 1887, this carries the railway across to Wormit in Fife. It's almost 3 miles long; refurbishment in 2003 included scraping 1000 metric tonnes of bird droppings from the structure.
- Tay Rail Bridge. And then there's the infamous first Tay Rail Bridge, remnants of which can be seen next to the current rail bridge. It opened in 1878 but collapsed in high winds on 28 Dec 1879, taking a train with it, and all 75 aboard were killed.
- 9 Tay Road Bridge. Opened in 1966, this carries the A92. It's a mile and a half long, and climbs 100 ft from Dundee to Newport-on-Tay in Fife. No tolls, and there's a footpath and cycleway from which you can admire the scenery. It may be closed in high winds, check current road conditions online.
- 11 The Howff, Meadowside DD1 1LN. 24 hrs. An ancient cemetery in the heart of Dundee, it was part of Greyfriars Monastery until Mary Queen of Scots gave it to the city in 1564. The well-preserved gravestones are mostly 19th-century, including that of James Chalmers (d 1853), inventor of the adhesive postage stamp. The last burial here in 1878 was of George Duncan, businessman and MP. Today the Howff is a secluded, peaceful place.
- 12 University of Dundee Botanic Garden, Riverside Drive, DD2 1QH (2 miles west of centre, take bus along Perth Rd). Daily Nov-Feb 10:00-15:30, Mar-June & Sept Oct 10:00-16:30, July Aug M-F 10:00-20:30, Sa Su 10:00-16:00. 9-hectare garden with tropical glasshouses. Adults £3.90.
- 13 Mills Observatory, Glamis Road, Balgay Park DD2 2UB (2 miles west of centre). Nov-Mar M-F 16:00-22:00, Sa Su 12:30-16:00. A public astronomical observatory open in winter. In summer it's only occasionally open daytime, as the nights are too short for looking through telescopes. Free.
- 14 Camperdown Wildlife Park, Camperdown Country Park, Coupar Angus Road DD2 4TF (NW edge of town off A923). Daily Mar-Sep 10:00-16:30, Oct-Feb 10:00-15:30. Menagerie with birds and (mostly small) beasts. Adult £6, child £5.
- 15 Dundee Museum of Transport, Unit 10 Market Mews, Market Street, DD1 3LA, ☏ 44 1382 455196. Mar-Oct W-M 10:30-15:30; Nov-Feb W Sa Su 10:30-15:30 but not W in Jan. Small but interesting collection of mainly Scottish marques. Adult £5, child £2.50.
- 16 Broughty Ferry is the small town 4 miles east of Dundee which was the historic crossing point over the Tay. It has a small castle built in 1496 now housing a local history museum (Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00, Su 12:30-16:00, admission free).
- Broughty Ferry to the east merges into Monifieth where many Pictish stones have been found, which are in the National Museum in Edinburgh. You'll need a car or bike to reach Ardestie and Carlungie Earth Houses, two Iron Age souterrains off A92. They're free to enter April-Oct.
- Tealing Earth House is a Pictish souterrain from 100 AD. Next to it is a 16th century dovecot, and the village has a 17th century church. Tealing is on A90 six miles north of the city.
Do
- 1 Dundee Rep Theatre, Tay Square DD1 1PB. Programme of theatre, dance and music.
- 2 Dundee Contemporary Arts, 152 Nethergate DD1 4DY. Daily 10:00-00:00. Modern art exhibitions, events and films.
- 3 Caird Hall, City Square DD1 3BB. Often hosts concerts, bands, etc. Caird Hall is also home to a grand 1922 Organ.
- 4 Whitehall Theatre, Bellfield Street DD1 5JA, ☏ 44 1382 434940. Mostly light fare: musicals, tribute acts, light opera and comedy.
- 5 Ice Arena, 7 Dayton Drive DD2 3SQ (in Camperdown). Public skating & lessons most days. It's the home rink of Dundee CCS Stars: they play in the Elite Ice Hockey League, with games most weekends Sept-March.
- Walk up 6 Dundee Law, a 572-ft extinct volcano, for views over the city and Tay.
- Olympia Swimming Pool, 3 East Whale Lane DD1 3JU. Full facilities M-F 16:00-20:30, Sa Su & holidays 10:00-17:30. Leisure pool is open daily from 10:00, but full facilities - waves, flumes and diving pool - only as noted.
- Places of worship: Dundee has over 30 churches, 3 mosques, a Sikh temple and a Buddhist group. See section above for the two cathedrals.
Sports
Football
The city has two professional soccer teams, with stadiums almost adjacent.
- 7 Dundee FC, Sandeman St, DD3 7JY (a mile north of the city centre). Dundee FC play at Dens Park, capacity 11,000, aka "Kilmac Stadium". They play in the Scottish Championship, the country's second tier.
- 8 Dundee United, DD3 7JW. Dundee United play at Tannadice Park, capacity 14,000, barely 200 yards from their rivals. They have bragging rights as they were promoted in 2020 and now play in the Scottish Premiership, the top tier.
Golf
- 9 Carnoustie Golf Links, 3 Links Parade, Canoustie DD7 7JF (12 miles east of Dundee), ☏ 44 1241 852480. Golf has been played here since the 16th century and the club was constituted in 1842. It now has three 18-hole courses, the Championship, the Burnside and Buddon Links, plus (just for a lark) the five-hole Nestie. The Championship regularly hosts the British Open, the last being in 2018; the Women's AIG Open is here 16-22 Aug 2021. By train use Golf Street Station, half a mile east of Carnoustie Station.
- See St Andrews for the Royal & Ancient: best known is the Old Course, but they run half a dozen others, and there are several more clubs and courses that are not part of R&A.
- See Perth and Kinross for Gleneagles.
- 10 Caird Park Golf Club is north edge of Dundee. There are also clubs at Downfield to the northwest, and Ballumbie Castle north.
Other
- Skiing: see Braemar for Glenshee, an hour's drive north on A93. See also Aviemore, but most of this ski area is closed in winter 2020/21.
Events
- Westfest is a music festival and community fair held in June on Magdalen Green. The next is probably 6 June 2021 but tbc.
- Flower and Food Festival, Camperdown Country Park. 3 days in early Sep. Flower and food show with several competitions. We can only envy the judges of the Scotch Broth and the Dundee Cake competitions. The next event is probably 3-5 Sept 2021, tbc. Adult £10 one day, £20 all 3 days.
Learn
- Dundee University
- University Of Abertay
- The High School of Dundee
- Dundee & Angus College
- Tayside Language Centre
Work
- The City Jobcentre is in the Wellgate Centre, open M Tu Th F 08:30-17:00, W 10:00-17:00.
- Adecco is a recruitment agency on Commercial St, open M-F 08:00-17:30. You can search their job offers online.
Buy
The Overgate and the Wellgate are Dundee's two main shopping malls which sit at either end of the city centre. Each has various national and international brands such as H&M, Debenhams, Gap, Superdry and Next in the Overgate, and New Look in the Wellgate.
In addition to this, there are substantial branches of High street stores along the Murraygate and city centre area.
Dundee also has the usual large-scale out of town retail parks that are common in Scotland's bigger towns and cities.
Eat
There is a flourishing café culture in Dundee city centre. Lots of fast-food, takeaways, cafés and restaurants.
- Duke's Corner, 13 Brown Street DD1 5EG. Su-Tu 12:00-00:00, W-Sa 12:00-02:30. Lively entertainment venue, serving burgers, salads, pizzas from noon. Student clientele. Good for lunch or early dinner, gets noisy once the music starts.
- 1 Parlour, 58 West Port DD1 5EP. M-Sa 08:00-17:00. Popular café near Uni, small place so it gets busy and cramped. Menu changes daily, lots of vegetarian options.
- Balaka, 115-117 Perth Road DD1 4JB. M W 12:00-13:30 & 17:30-23:00, Tu Th 17:30-23:00, F Sa 15:00-00:00, Su 17:00-23:00. Long-established budget Indian restaurant.
- Jahangir Tandoori, 1 Session Street DD1 5DN. M-Th 12:00-22:00, F Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 17:00-22:00. Friendly family restaurant with goldfish pool.
- Phoenix, 103 Nethergate DD1 4DH. M-Sa 11:00-00:00, Su 12:30-00:00. Good pub grub at reasonable prices.
- Dil'se, 99-101 Perth Rd, DD1 4JA, ☏ 44 1382 221501. Daily 16:00-23:30. Friendly Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant. Earlybird dinner (17:00-19:00) £17 pp.
- City Harbour Chinese Buffet, Unit 3 & 4, City Quay, 21A Camperdown St DD1 3JA. Daily 12:00-16:30 & 17:00-21:30. Waterfront all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.
- Tickety Boo's, 51 Commercial Street DD1 2AA (corner with Seagate). Su-Th 11:00-00:00, F Sa 11:00-01:00. Highly recommended for food & drink.
- Old Bank Bar, 34 Reform Street DD1 1RH. Su-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:00. Belhaven pub with reliable food.
- Rancho Pancho, 16 Commercial Street DD1 3EJ. M-Sa 17:00-22:00, Sa 12:00-14:30, Su 17:00-21:00. Mexican classics, hefty portions.
- The Counting House, 67-71 Reform St DD1 1SP (opposite McManus). Daily 08:00-00:00. JD Wetherspoon's efficient chain choice.
- Molly Malone's (formerly The Globe), 53 West Port DD1 5ER. Daily 11:00-00:00. Belhaven pub with extensive menu including vegetarian.
- Don Michele, 177 Perth Road DD2 1AS, ☏ 44 1382 660600. M-Sa 17:00-23:00, Th-Su 12:00-14:30. Italian restaurant.
For self-catering, there are lots of supermarkets. Tesco predominates, with four branches: in the city centre, one next to the railway station (24 hr), one in South Road near Sterling Mills and another on Kingsway. ASDA have a big store on East Kingsway (24 hr) and a smaller one on Gilburn Road. Morrisons are on the Forfar Road, north of A90 Kingsway.
Drink
Pubs are dwindling, as in other cities, but there's no shortage. The main concentration is along Hawkhill, Perth Road or West End of the city, with another strip along Nethergate. The student unions of Dundee and Abertay Universities are great for a cheap night out. The following were all in business in early 2020, and see also "Eat" listings.
City centre pubs:
- Tickety Boo's, Seagate at Commercial Street.
- Klozet, Seagate is the main gay bar.
- Trades House Bar, Union Street.
- The Old Bank Bar, Union Street.
- The Westport Bar, North Lindsay Street.
Pubs along Hawkhill, Perth Road, and West End:
- The Nether Inn, Nethergate. Cheap Student 'Scream' pub.
- Phoenix, Nethergate at Perth Road. Traditional pub
- Jute Cafe Bar, Perth Road. Trendy bar attached to Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre
- Braes, Perth Road. Modern bar, middle-aged clientele at weekends.
- Speedwell Bar, Perth Road. Locally renowned traditional pub
Nightclubs are all in the city centre:
- Fat Sams, South Ward Road
- Reading Rooms, Blackscroft
- Underground, South Tay Street.
Local breweries include 71 Brewing and St Andrews Brewing Co. There's a gin distillery atVerdant Spirits.
Sleep
Central choices include:
- Sleeperz is right above the railway station, B&B double £60.
- 1 Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa, 1 West Victoria Dock Road DD1 3JP (near foot of Tay Bridge), ☏ 44 1382 202404, fax: 44 1382 201401, ✉[email protected]. Stylish contemporary 4-star hotel, in the new City Quay development, with views of the river and Quay with ship Unicorn. Double (room only) £70.
- 2 Best Western Queens Hotel, 160 Nethergate DD1 4DU (close to railway station and University of Dundee), ☏ 44 1382 322515. Good chain choice, central. Double (room only) £50.
- 3 Premier Inn Dundee Centre, Riverside Drive, DD1 4XA (at Discovery Point), ☏ 44 333 777 4656. Riverside budget inn with 150 rooms. Make sure to pay for parking (£3 / night) immediately on arrival. £9 pp for breakfast in Beefeater. Double (room only) £40.
- Malmaison, 44 Whitehall Crescent DD1 4AY (opposite railway station), ☏ 44 1382 339715. Central mid-range hotel, dog-friendly. Double (room only) £75.
- 4 Travelodge Dundee Central, 152-158 West Marketgait DD1 1NJ, ☏ 44 871 984 6301. Central budget hotel. There's another Travelodge north of the centre on Strathmore Ave, and a third (listed below) on the A90 ring road. B&B double £50.
- 5 Best Western Invercarse Hotel, 371 Perth Road DD2 1PG (West End, near Botanical Gardens), ☏ 44 1382 669231. Chain 3-star hotel. Double (room only) £60.
- 6 Dundee Backpackers, 71 High Street DD1 1SD, ☏ 44 1382 224646. Central hostel with dorms and private rooms. Dorm £18 ppn.
- 7 Holiday Inn Express Dundee, Dock Street Dundee DD1 3DR (at foot of Tay Bridge; railway station 400 yards), ☏ 44 1382 314330, ✉[email protected]. Very central 3-star hotel. Rooms are small but not cramped, equipped with tea/coffee maker. B&B double £60.
- Student accommodation is mostly empty in summer. Try contacting the local Universities (via websites under "Learn") to see if they have anything to offer. Other flats and apartments may also be available: Dundee empties out in summer unless there's a major golf tournament nearby.
- Taypark House is a Victorian Gothic mansion a couple of miles west of town centre.
There's a string of hotels along the A90 at the edge of the city, including:
- 8 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dundee (formerly The Landmark Hotel), South Kingsway DD2 5JT (A90 ring road NW edge of city), ☏ 44 1382 641122. 4-star lodging in 19th-century mansion with extensive gardens. £15 pp for breakfast. Double (room only) £80.
- 9 Premier Inn Dundee West, South Kingsway DD2 5JU (on A90 ring road, NW edge of city), ☏ 44 333 777 4659. Budget hotel, handy for motorists. Double (room only) £40.
- 10 Travelodge Dundee Strathmore Avenue, 296A Strathmore Avenue, Dundee, DD3 6SH (North edge of city), ☏ 44 8719 846460. Budget chain hotel, convenient for motorists. B&B double £50.
Further out in the countryside:
- 11 The Hideaway Experience, Balkello Farm, Auchterhouse DD3 0RA (6 miles north of city), ☏ 44 1382 320707. Luxurious cottage on farm. B&B double £350.
- 12 Landal Piperdam, Piperdam, Fowlis DD2 5LP (7 miles NW of city on A903), ☏ 44 1382 585000, ✉[email protected]. Self-catering lodges by small loch. B&B double £250.
Connect
Dundee has good 4G and mobile coverage from all UK carriers, though Three may be scratchy away from the centre. As of Nov 2020, 5G has not reached the city.
Stay safe
The local police is Police Scotland and the main office is in the town centre at the end of West Bell St beside Dundee's Sheriff Court. In the UK, '999' is the number to call the emergency services, and 101 for less urgent calls to the police. The pan-European emergency number 112 also works.
Dundee has an extensive CCTV system, covering most of the city and the entire city centre. This is owned by Dundee City Council and run by Tayside Police and has helped reduce crime significantly.
Dundee, like any other major city, has its anti-social problems, mainly drugs. The area round the rear of the Wellgate centre (Hilltown) and Stobswell have a bad reputation and care should be exercised on The Law at night. Overall the city has a good reputation.
Dundee has a dual carriageway going through it, the Kingsway, which almost splits the city in half. Be aware of speeding cars, as in any other busy city, as accidents are common.
Go next
- South across the Tay is St Andrews, an ancient university town by the sea. It's the home of the Royal and Ancient, the ruling body of golf, and is the former ecclesiastical capital of Scotland. Frequent buses take 30 min. With your own car, continue south to Falkland Palace and the charming fishing villages of East Fife.
- A short bus or train ride brings you to Perth and Stirling.
- Visit the nearby glens: Glenshee, Glenisla and the Tay Valley. North on A9 through Dunkeld and Blair Atholl leads to Aviemore, the Spey Valley and Inverness.
- North along the coast is Aberdeen and Deeside, and eventually Inverness. So the coast route and the Tay Valley route together make a natural circuit of the east/central Highlands.
| Routes through Dundee |
Edinburgh/Glasgow ←  / Perth ← | W  N | → Forfar → Aberdeen |
| Edinburgh ← Kirkcaldy / St Andrews (via Tay Bridge) ← | S  NE | → Arbroath → Montrose |