Dundee

Understand

Dundee used to be a grubby, rough town famous for its three J's: jute, jam and journalism. Jute (see "Verdant" below) 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 railway bridge that infamously collapsed. 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 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 is available online, the physical Tourist Office has closed down. Dundee City Council posts info on city public services.

Getting there

By plane Edinburgh Airport (EDI IATA) is usually the most convenient and economical. The "Fly Dundee" bus travels from right outside Edinburgh Airport to Dundee city centre (Union Street) in 1 hour 20 minutes. The service is operated by Xplore and can be booked online using the fly Dundee website. If you arrive and get through baggage-claim significantly earlier than your booked bus ticket, it is easy to rebook online before boarding. An advanced return fare is £22 per adult. Ember also provide a bus service that calls at Edinburgh Airport and Dundee Railway Station. 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 Edinburgh Gateway for trains and 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. There are no public transport connections at the bus stop. If the taxi rank is empty when you exit the airport building, then you will need call or use an app (see Getting Around). Loganair is the only commercial operator, providing scheduled flights to/from London Heathrow (LHR) twice per day weekday and once on Sundays. Loganair also fly Dundee to Kirkwall (Orkney Islands) and Sumburgh (Shetland), and previously provided a service with Belfast City. Booking flights from other cities, with a connection at London Heathrow, are possible but may not be the best choice compared to flying to Edinburgh Airport.

By train Scotrail trains run hourly or better from the other major Scottish cities, all taking 80 min: from Edinburgh via Kirkcaldy and Leuchars (for St Andrews), from Glasgow Queen Street via Stirling and Perth, and from Aberdeen (for ferries to Orkney and Shetland) via Stonehaven and Arbroath. Change at Glasgow from Inverness, Aviemore and Oban (for ferries to the Hebrides). From London King's Cross, th

Getting around

The main sights, shops, and restaurants, are all within walking distance. Getting around the larger city and its residential areas can usually be done with the bus routes provided by Xplore Dundee. Single tickets can be bought on the bus with exact-change or using contactless card. Savings are easily made by buying bundles or day/week tickets using their phone app. Other bus routes are operated by Stagecoach, usually originating from other towns in the region. Moffat & Williamson run a few services for local villages.

3 Nethergate bus stops & taxi rank (Steeple Church). The majority of Xplore busses stop on Nethergate, outside the Steeple Church. (updated Mar 2025) 4 Dundee Seagate Bus Station. Stagecoach and Citylink operate from a bus station with covered waiting areas. There are no left-luggage facilities, but lots of cafes & fast-food nearby. (updated Mar 2025) 5 Albert Square bus stops (Meadowside). Some Xplore routes operate from Albert Square, by the McManus gallery rather than Nethergate. (updated Mar 2025)

Cycle Hub for bike rentals is by the V&A, 100 yards from the railway station. Taxis can are regulated by Dundee City Council and set the Taxi Fares of the meters and these should be followed unless you booked through an app (which may charge about £1-2 more). It is etiquette in the UK to round up to the nearest £1 as a tip, but is not required. Most taxi drivers accept contactless card payments, but some require cash. A ride within the city shouldn't exceed £9. From Ninewells Hospital to Broughty Ferry you can expect to pay £20.

The national/international taxi booking services, such as Uber and Lyft are not available in Dundee, although Uber plan to be present in the future. Some of the companies have their own app, although it may be quicker to phone their office.

City Cabs, ☏ +44 1382 450450. Bookable by phone and website, and by Android/iOS app. (updated Mar 2025) Tele Taxis, ☏ +44 1382 825825. Bookable by phone and website, and by Android/iOS ap

See

1 RRS Discovery, Riverside Drive DD1 4XA, ☏ +44 1382 309060. M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Discovery, launched in 1901, is an Royal Research Ship (RRS) specifically built for Antarctic exploration. She's a 3-masted wooden sailing ship with only auxiliary steam power, built in Dundee because its shipwrights still had expertise in polar sail-powered vessels that was being lost elsewhere. Discovery was commanded by Robert Falcon Scott, and also aboard was Ernest Shackleton. They reached Antarctica in early 1902 (austral 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, then you go aboard the dry-docked ship, which had a later career as a polar merchant vessel. Adult £17, conc £13, child £9.50, combi with Verdant Works adult £24.50. (updated Mar 2025) 2 Dundee V & A, 1 Riverside Esplanade