How To Spend A Weekend In Dundee

Known as the City of Discovery, it seems like there are still plenty of people who haven’t discovered Dundee. Sitting on the banks of the silvery Tay, the city is often ignored for the bigger names Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Choose to spend a weekend in Dundee though and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

It’s easy to access, packed full of stories and thankfully devoid of those endless tourist lines you might find elsewhere. I was asked by Visit Dundee to explore for a few days and trust me, you won’t struggle for things to do in Dundee.

I don’t know if this should be a disclaimer or an endorsement, but I was actually born in Dundee and grew up not far away in Fife. In my youth, this was always the city that my family visited and where I came to spend pocket money. That means I’ve got a real attachment to the place along with a few extra insights!

Antarctic Exploration On The RRS Discovery

The first stop was always a childhood favourite of mine and I don’t think any weekend in Dundee would be complete without it. The RRS Discovery tells a tale of exploration, bravery and heroic endeavour. This was the age of Antarctic exploration so Discovery was specially built in Dundee to cross thousands of miles of open sea before smashing through thick pack ice towards Antarctica and the South Pole.

The Discovery was captained by Robert Scott, anchoring in Antarctica in 1902 where it became frozen in the ice, allowing the crew to set about their scientific explorations. Towards the end of the year Robert Scott, Edward Wilson and Ernest Shackleton spent 3 months reaching further south than ever before.

After 2 years, relief ships arrived to help them home but Discovery was still trapped 20 miles from open sea. If she wasn’t free in a matter of weeks then the crew were to abandon her.

No sailor wants to abandon ship and after a frenzy of blasting and lucky change in weather, the Discovery was back in open water again.

Captain Scott and his crew returned to Britain heroes, with a huge wealth of scientific knowledge. This wouldn’t be the ship’s last expedition and inside you can learn about all of its history. It’s hard to comprehend, but aboard the Discovery you get a taste of the hardship that those men lived through.

Verdant Works & The Jute Boom

Aside from the City of Discovery, Dundee is said to be built on the 3 Js – Jute, Jam & Journalism. The first of these was what really transformed the city in the 19th century. Verdant Works is a fascinating museum, telling that story inside one of the old jute mills. It covers everything about Dundee’s weaving history and the lives of those who worked in these places.

When jute arrived from India, Dundee had the necessary weaving experience, along with an excess of whale oil, needed to make the fibre supple. Dundee’s shipyards ramped up production and women and children filled dozens of mills. Eventually around half of the population were involved in the jute industry.

The city had a practical monopoly on jute cloth and they shipped it around the world. American wagons were covered in Dundee jute and they supplied sandbags and food sacks around the world.

Verdant Works gives us an idea of what life was like inside these mills. See the full process of weaving and how it evolved to really define Dundee. Learn not just about the vast army of workers, but also how the Jute Barons who owned the mills became fabulously wealthy.

While the workers lived in tightly packed tenements, the barons built lavish houses on the edge of the city. It’s said that Broughty Ferry became the richest square mile in Europe.

Dundee would be unrecognisable without the jute mills and without Verdant Works we wouldn’t be able to appreciate that industry. It’s one of the top attractions in the city and I’d strongly recommend it as part of any weekend in Dundee.

A Wealth of History In The McManus

At the heart of Dundee’s impressive cultural collection is the beautiful, gothic McManus building. Built as a memorial to Prince Albert in 1867, the stunning architecture is only one of the attractions. Free to enter, inside you’ll find room after room of collections. There’s so much to see that you might end up spending your entire weekend right here.

I enjoy exploring local history and The McManus had me well covered. Most of my time was spent on the history of Dundee right from the Neolithic, through to Pictish stones, carved log boats and how Dundee became the city it is today. Art lovers are in luck as well with the Victoria Gallery, displaying some of the city’s collection of nationally important paintings.

D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum

One of the lesser known things to do in Dundee is visit the D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum. This is somewhere I’d never heard of before, but was lucky enough to be shown around by curator Matthew Jarron. It’s part of the University and so only open every second Saturday of the month and Friday afternoons in the summer. Check here if you’re hoping to add this stop to your weekend in Dundee!

This small museum houses a collection of animal remains from all around the world. D’Arcy Thompson was the first biology lecturer in Dundee and so while he wasn’t hunting animals for a collection, he did benefit from those that did. Along with the fascinating specimens, the museum has made a real effort to point out the negative aspects of exotic animal collecting.

There is a stuffed penguin gifted from Ernest Shackleton, the skeleton of a gorilla that died while being transported to a life of captivity and some rather gory dissected remains in jars. It’s something different, but it was very worth seeing.

Broughty Castle Museum

When you can’t decide if you should visit a castle or a museum, just combine the two! Broughty Castle Museum does exactly what it says on the tin. Another interesting local museum telling the story of Broughty Ferry, but situated inside a medieval castle.

Built in the 15th Century to defend against the threat of a naval invasion, the castle became home to Lord Gray. In 1547, during the War of the Rough Wooing, Patrick Gray actually sold the castle to the English! Broughty Castle was used as their naval base and held out against the Scots for 3 years. The castle was eventually surrendered and Gray was very lucky not to be executed for treason.

The castle eventually fell out of use, was rebuilt by a railway company and passed on to the War Office in 1855. The threat from Russian ships during the Crimean War resulted in it being strengthened for modern artillery. Staying in use during the 1st and 2nd World Wars, it was a base for submarine miners, ready to fill the Tay with dangerous explosives.

Free to enter, visitors can explore the history of Broughty Ferry and the people who live there. A particular highlight is the top floor, filled with armour and weapons along with a great view over the River Tay.

Stretch The Legs With DD Walking Tours

The best way to learn about local history is from a local and the pair from DD Tours do it well. Joining their not child-friendly tour “Fannies & Belters” was one of the highlights of this trip. There wasn’t too much walking so don’t worry about getting sore feet on this one. You might have to worry about sore sides though, it was quite simply hilarious.

I won’t give away any spoilers but these were the stories about Dundee folk that you’re unlikely to come across in a book. Expertly told in a conversational, flowing way the group were hooked on every word. We heard about suffragettes, slavery and scandals with stories that made me wince, laugh and very nearly cry.

DD Tours are constantly coming up with new ideas to keep their tours fresh. I’m confident that no matter which tour is running, this is still going to be one of the top things to do in Dundee.

Explore The Surrounding Area

You don’t need to stick inside the city limits during your weekend in Dundee. One of the benefits is the city’s location and everything that’s nearby so dip your toe into Angus as well! There’s a wealth of history out there, including mysterious Souterrains like this one at Tealing.

This was constructed in the Iron Age, around 2000 years ago, originally covered over and hidden away. It might seem isolated now, but it’s likely roundhouses surrounded these above ground.

There are plenty of theories around what they were used for. A hidden bunker during times of attack, a grain store to keep things dry or some kind of ritual site. Souterrains lay hidden for a very long time, usually accidentally dug up by ploughing. Sometimes future generations even built their houses right on top.

There’s a great story about a woman who often baked oatcakes above her fire. A few would always go missing and she was convinced it was the work of fairies or ghosts. One day after watching an oatcake disappear in front of her eyes, she convinced her neighbours to help dismantle every stone of her little cottage.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until somebody lifted the hearth stone. Underneath was a big pile of ashes and dozens of oatcakes, lying inside a hidden Souterrain!

Eassie Stone & The Pictish Mystery

Moving slightly forward in time from the Iron Age and the area around Dundee is rich with Pictish remains. They’re often found near churches just like the fantastic Eassie Stone. It was originally found lying in a stream nearby so this may have been the site of an ancient Pictish place of worship.

One side of the stone is carved with a cross and Biblical figures. The other side (shown) has warriors, a tree, a bull and some uninterpreted Pictish symbols. We know so little about the Picts but they really capture the imagination. If you want to explore early Scottish history while visiting Dundee, you’re in luck!

Glamis Castle’s Beautiful Gardens

I’ve visited Glamis Castle many times in the past, it’s undoubtedly one of the best in Scotland. Usually, I’m engrossed in the stories and legends tied up inside the stone walls, I could wander there for hours. This time however, I was going to focus more on the outside of the building and take my time in the gardens.

Unsurprisingly, there are stories to be found here as well! The largest sundial in Scotland has stood outside Glamis for 350 years, just slightly older than an enormous chestnut tree planted to mark the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The Italian Garden has been painstakingly restored to something close to its original design and provides a beautiful setting with the castle backdrop.

Following the route round, you come to a pine woodland filled with carved scenes from Macbeth. Pine trees are sometimes thought boring and unimaginative, but these are much older and much grander that the youngsters found in commercial forests.

The last stop on my trail was the enormous walled garden, complete with impressive statement gates. Many country estates chose to hide their working, kitchen garden away out of sight. At Glamis Castle they included it as part of the grand drive and so it stands today proud, elegant and above all still useful.

The Gin Bothy Experience

Glamis Castle isn’t the only thing to see around here. The Gin Bothy have set up their Bothy Experience in the village’s old blacksmith workshop. Inside the old buildings you’ll find an explanation of what a bothy is and how that idea formed into the gin they make.

A bothy is a simple hut or cottage, many farm workers around Dundee would have once lived in. There are still many of them around the hills and glens, providing hillwalkers with simple respite from a days hard exploring. This ethos of both Scotland and the outdoors is poured into each Gin Bothy bottle.

As well as exploring the story, you can also book a tasting and visit their onsite shop. If you want to enjoy this as part of your weekend in Dundee, just make sure somebody else is driving!

Living History At Barry Mill

Travel back in time and experience a rare working relic at Barry Mill just between Dundee and Carnoustie!

For hundreds of years, watermills like this were a vital part of Scottish society, without them people didn’t eat. Mills are actually one of the few types of buildings actually marked on old maps. Sadly there are few left in working condition, which is what makes Barry Mill so important!

There has been a mill on this site since at least 1539, although most of this building is from the 19th Century. Amazingly, Barry Mill was still running commercially right up until 1982. The process has barely changed in all that time, with every step powered by water from the Barry Burn. Kids and adults alike will be hypnotised by the intricate combination of levers, pullies and cogs.

You can see the enormous kiln where the grain was dried after delivery. Then follow the process where it’s poured down a chute, shovelled into sacks and pulled up to the loft by a chain. Next the grain is poured into a hopper and filtered down to the first set of grinding wheels.

An automated elevator of cups lifts it all back up and into the second set of stones. That’s where the oats are properly ground into oatmeal, ready for delivery.

It’s incredible to see how innovative people were and how intricate a process like this is. I know lots of tales about millers and grain, but actually being able to see a mill clanking along brings those stories to life!

Tayside Police Museum

Hopefully you don’t have a run in with the law during your weekend in Dundee, unless it’s at the Tayside Police Museum. Situated in the old Kirriemuir police station, its complete with working cells and packed with stories. The Tayside region covered everything around Angus, Dundee, Perth & Kinross and the museum charts the history of the force right back to the 1800s.

It’s a real community project and the guides are all volunteers, but without visitors, small museums like this would just disappear. You can hear about local stories from the lighthearted and comical, to the last man hanged in Dundee who claimed to be Jack the Ripper. I massively underestimated how much there was to see here and ended up running late for my dinner reservation!

The Dragon of Dundee

I think it’s only fair to end our weekend in Dundee with a story. Especially since you might wonder at a strange metal dragon statue right in the middle of the city.

Over a thousand years ago, a shadow fell across the countryside here. Nobody knew what was happening but they could tell something had changed. Livestock started going missing and strange, distant noises were heard in the night.

One day a farmer from Pitempton sent one of his nine daughters to fetch water from a well. Getting impatient at how long it was taking, another daughter followed her. Neither had returned, so one by one the girls disappeared searching for their sisters.

Eventually the farmer realised something was wrong and he went to the well himself to find a horrific sight. His daughters had been killed by a terrifying dragon and he was lucky to escape with his own life. Running to the town, screaming about what had happened, Martin the blacksmith was heartbroken.

He was betrothed to the farmer’s eldest daughter but wasn’t the kind of man to run away. He picked up a freshly forged sword and strode off towards the dragon’s lair.

Martin fought the beast with fury and the dragon had met its match. It tried to flee across the hills but Martin wouldn’t let it go far. A crowd had gathered to watch the him battle the monster and shouted “Strike Martin!” With a great thrust of his sword, Martin pierced the dragon’s heart. It staggered around before falling to lie it’s head on a rock and died.

The place where they battled was named Strike Martin which developed into Strathmartine. On the outskirts of Dundee you can still find Pitempton road and Baldragon Wood. Even better though, in the middle of a field is the carved Pictish “Martin’s Stone”. You can just make out a figure on a horse along with a serpent like “dragon” at the base.

Where to Eat

So where are you going to eat while you’re in Dundee?

Madigan’s Tearoom & Bookshop – Excellent, comforting home cooking style food. It’s not just a tearoom but a brilliant second hand bookshop too!

Jahangir Tandoori – An iconic and award winning Dundee balti & tandoori restaurant. With a huge menu and delicious food, there’s a reason it’s still around after 35 years.

Don Michele – One of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever experienced. Family-run, authentic and welcoming, I can strongly recommend the lasagne!

Where to Stay

I stayed at Landmark House Hotel in the Glen Isla suite which was a taste of luxury I’m not used to. The hotel itself is a converted 19th century mansion on the outskirts of Dundee so there are plenty of interesting features inside.

This post was part of a sponsored trip for Visit Dundee, however all words, thoughts and stories are my own.

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