Discover Dundee

Scotland’s sunniest city has something to offer every visitor

Dundee skyline

Dundee has one of the most spectacular settings of any Scottish city. With the Sidlaw Hills behind, the Fife shore to the south and the North Sea to the east, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better located city to explore.

Scotland’s fourth largest city has reinvented itself in recent times – its rich heritage was acknowledged by the city being named as the UK’s first (and currently only) UNESCO City of Design. Planning a visit to this dynamic destination? Here are our rated recommendations for your Dundee Weekend Escape.

Things to do in Dundee

Dundee’s major selling point is its location. Facing south across the wide, silvery Firth of Tay, it’s one of Scotland’s sunniest cities. For the best panoramic over the city, take a gentle stroll up Dundee Law, the extinct volcano that dominates its northern skyline.

The city centre itself is compact and best explored on foot – all its main attractions are within a few blocks of St Mary’s Tower, one of the city’s few remaining medieval edifices. A short distance away, the grandiose frontage of the Caird Hall welcomes you to the broad City Square, which hosts a Christmas market and ice-skating rink during the festive season. Reform Street leads from the Caird Hall to Albert Square, where you’ll find an outstanding museum and art gallery, The McManus, in a grand Victorian Gothic-style building.

The entire waterfront area of the city underwent a huge transformation in the second decade of the 21st century, which saw the construction of a new jewel in Dundee’s cultural crown: the V&A Museum of Design. Architecturally inspired by Scotland’s cliffs, the iconic building juts out over the water, bringing more than a touch of the glamour of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to this new outpost in the north.

Dundee Waterfront

A wander out west to the Mills Observatory is also a must. Located in Balgay Park on a wooded hill summit, Britain’s only full-time public observatory provides a wonderful opportunity to see breathtaking views of the stars and planets through the impressive Victorian refracting telescope.