Dundee, Scotland

Introduction

Dundee is a city with population of 148,000.Location is about 64 miles north of Edinburgh on the east coast of Scotland. This where the River Tay (Scotland's longest river system) enters the North Sea. 

RRS Discovery, a ship dating from 1901

Central Dundee

Information on Dundee 

The name is very ancient. It is comprised of dun (meaning hill or mound) and Deagh (a personal name linked to an old world for fire).

Dundee has a long history in heavy industry as manifested in shipping, ship building and jute mills. In Britain, Dundee is synonymous with manufacture of products derived from jute. This is a raw material which was imported from the Indian sub-continent.Jute was converted into such products as ropes, sacks, aprons, floor coverings and many other household items. At one stage there were about 100 jute mills operating in Dundee. All of  these mills are now out of production, although there remains one restored mill, the Verdant Works. This latter mill is used for educational purposes and is open to visitors.

Inside Verdant Works Jute Mill.

 
The city has retained links with the maritime sector, as manifested in a busy port and the repair and maintenance of drilling rigs. However, Dundee has also moved on and has developed specialisms in:

Semi-submersible drilling rigs


  • Design. Building on a 2015 UNESCO City of design award the new V&A Museum was opened in 2018. This represents the first design museum in Scotland. This museum is housed in a stunning new building on the city's waterfront.
V&A Dundee.

 
Inside V&A 

  • Design and development of video games. This is a skill which is now supported by the local Abertay University. This establishment has a dedicated department for the study and teaching of such entertainment.
Dundee is also known for journalism, particularly comic strips, marmalade and the RRS Discovery. The latter is a traditional three-masted ship built in 1901 for exploration in the Antarctic. It is now a visitor attraction.

'Desperate Dan' comic strip character.

 
Other visitor attractions include the Dundee Science Centre and the McManus Art Gallery & Museum. There is also an observatory located high above the city on Balgay Hill.

McManus Art Gallery & Museum 


In addition to the specific attractions listed above, Dundee could prove a useful base for visiting:
Dundee benefits from a wide range of hotels and other visitor accommodations.

More information

For more information on Dundee and Scotland in general please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle.




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