Verdant Works is a bridge leading to Dundee’s past as an industrial textile epicentre. Overrun with ceiling beams and natural light dancing in from the perfect square window panes, this lofty converted mill helps paint the picture of local jute production during the 19th and 20th centuries. A must-see and the UK’s only designated jute museum.
Like something from a Wes Anderson movie set, McManus Galleries operates out of a striking gothic revival building guarded by brooding steps. And yet, inside is where the magic happens. The curved glacial white ceiling and ethereal rays cast a calming ambience over the museum and art gallery collections, which span the entire gamut from natural history and fine art to decorative art. An unmissable attraction for art-hungry wanderers.
McManus Galleries, Albert Square, Meadowside, Dundee, Scotland
Dundee is the doyen of Scotland’s burgeoning video game scene. A masterpiece by artist Alyson Conway, the weirdly adorable Lemmings Statues found frolicking around Perth Rd pay homage to the video game characters created by DMA Design, the brains behind the original GTA titles. Gamers in the know can’t surpass such a unique photo op!
A mandatory selfie site, the High Street Desperate Dan Statue is the perfect tool to up the Instagram game. Notorious for his wild west ways and love of cow pies, this comic strip icon wowed the UK with his cameo in The Dandy in 1937. As home to DC Thomson — Dundodian media powerhouse and Dan’s publishers — it’s only fitting that the city hosts this legendary statue.
Less of a house and more of a trench, Tealing Earth House is an underground passage or stone-lined souterrain dating all the way back to the Iron Age. Although its use is debated, there’s no denying that it was unearthed during the 1800s. Based solely on evidence from within the chamber, archaeologists suspect its roots likely point to the early centuries AD, sometime during Roman occupation of Scotland.
A sizeable chunk of an extinct volcano, Dundee Law is a soothing staple in the city’s varied skyline, with its history dating back to around 400 million years ago. Topped with a towering monument, archaeological findings revealed prehistoric graves and confirmed that it once served as an Iron Age hillfort.
The Reading Rooms, with its cool industrial interiors, is a leading light in Scotland’s underground club scene. This former library is a hotbed of creativity and home to a bespoke music collective offering a smorgasbord of musical styles — including electro, dubstep, reggae, funk and soul, techno and rockabilly — that amalgamate to an inimitable party atmosphere with live music and off-the-hook beats.
As the oldest UK-built ship still bobbing about, HM Frigate Unicorn plays a starring role in Dundee’s harbour-side heritage. A little rougher around the edges than the RRS Discovery, yet just as magical, HMS Unicorn — 46 gun barrels and all — dates back to 1824, predating many of the city’s buildings. Aptly named, the unicorn has long been the heraldic symbol of Scotland.
With artistic director Andrew Panton holding the reins and two creative ensembles under one roof (Dundee Rep actors and the Scottish Dance Theatre), this charming company puts on life-affirming productions time and time again, including a roller-coaster ride of internationally acclaimed shows.
Praised as one of Scotland’s more out-the-box fortresses, Claypotts Castle dates back to the 1500s. A place of architectural intrigue, this Scottish gem boasts its original timber roof, rounded towers, stair turrets, stand-out attic corbelling and garnished elevations.
Dancing with artwork, mosaics and vibrant pops of colour, Agacan Kebab House is part gallery, part Turkish restaurant. This multifaceted local institution serves up a storm in the form of authentic traditional Turkish kebabs and meze infused with flavour and love.
A testament to Dundee’s rich design heritage, the V&A Museum of Design Dundee is set to descend upon the city in 2018. This already iconic cabinet of curiosity is Scotland’s first ever design museum and the only Scottish location to showcase V&A international touring exhibitions outside London. Through drawing upon historically significant objects and globally renowned collections, this hotbed of innovation is a platform for Scotland’s design gurus to expand all creative realms.
V&A Museum of Design Dundee, Dundee Waterfront, Dundee, Scotland
