Dundee

Eco-friendly travel guide to Dundee advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to explore the attractions in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom.

View of Dundee

Air quality: 4 / 5

Exploring by foot: 3 / 5

Exploring by bicycle: 3 / 5

Public transportation: 2 / 5

Parks: 2 / 5

Outdoor activities: 3 / 5

Locals' English level: 3 / 5

Safety: 3 / 5

Accommodation: US$10 - $30

Budget per day: US$40 - $90

Responsible Travel

It is the fourth largest city present in Scotland, and the area of this city is 60 km2; also, it is densely populated. There is a river Tay in which this city lies; to be more specific, it is present on the central lowland. Scotland's government sets around 32 council areas, and Dundee is one of them. In earlier times, this city was the number one jute-producing city globally; therefore, it was known especially for jute. There was an industrial revolution in this city during the 19th century, which led to the rapid expansion of Dundee.

Air Quality and Pollution

The air quality of this city is good enough. However, this city's air quality was horrible in earlier times, but it has improved a lot. Traffic and road transport is an essential factor of air pollution in this country. The majority of the people uses their vehicle to move around the city which creates a lot of smoke. It is also the reason for noise pollution in this city. There is separate legislation for air pollution control as this city's government is very particular about controlling air pollution. There is a separate Local Air Quality Management Council that regularly checks the air of that particular area within the city. It was set up under the environment act 1995 IV. Suppose the pollution level of 10 pm is found in the air which is more than the set standard, in that case the air quality action plan is implemented which is a set of suggestions and procedures on controlling growing pollution.

Respect the Culture

We must respect the culture of the particular place we are visiting. We must always learn from different cultures, traditions, religions, religious practices, and other things. It can help us to expand our knowledge about different cultures. There are various cultural festivals which are celebrated in this city with great enthusiasm and joy. This place's culture can be seen in various literary forms, art forms, and various other such as music and dance.

Top 10 Places to Visit

Dundee Science Centre: It is a museum that exhibits multiple designs and experiments done in science, especially by different city scientists. Some experiments include robotics and human senses. This centre has a Theatre in which films related to science and technology are shown regularly at regular intervals. This centre also holds Dundee Science Festival, which runs for two weeks.

Discovery Point: It is a place which is located on the waterfront in Dundee which contains various documents of discovery which was done on Royal research ship. This discovery includes natural wilderness and fascinating beauty of regions which lies on polar site. It is shown through state of the art including various special effects and various order visuals presentations. There is a fun activity in this area where visitors who visit this place can climb up to the vessel. There was a war ship called HMS Unicorn, which contains 46 cannons and was introduced in 1824.

The Perth: It is a Perth which is located on the western side of Dundee. You can explore and shop various things in this Perth. There is a church near Perth which was established in the 15th century. Franklyn garden is also present in this Perth which is a beautiful public park. There are different tree and plant species present in this garden.

Glamis Castle: This Castle attracts a lot of tourists who visit this city. It is an ancient Castle, and it is said and believed that this Castle is present over here for more than 1000 years. Shakespeare referred to this Castle in his famous novel ‘Macbeth’. There are various myths about this Castle, including multiple monsters, ghosts, and vampires present in this Castle. There is also a ghost tour organized by the authorities present in this Castle.

Verdant Works: This city was known for jute production in an earlier time as various jute industries were present in this city. This museum is present at a place which was earlier a mill in 19th century, and all the machinery’s used in the production of jute are still present here. There are various photos, videos, and other multimedia evidences, proving that this city was once the major producer of jute all over the world.

The McManus: This museum charges zero entry fees. Therefore, visiting this museum is free of cost. This museum has a collection of various artworks during the 19th and 20th century. A Natural Historical collection present in this museum focuses on exhibiting the wildlife present in this city's lowlands and Highlands.

Dundee Old town: It is a very Old Town which was established in this city. One of the best things present in this city is Saint Paul's Cathedral, a tower with a height of 213 feet. It is an old building established in 1853 with great architectural style. The best way of roaming around in this Old Town is by walking, which can help you explore everything.

The Mills Observatory: It is a Mill Observatory built in 1935 and is present on the western side of this city. It is a space observatory where you can stargaze the Sky as there is a computerized telescope present in these observatories. There is also an exhibition based on astronomy, planetarium, and space explorations. It is present near the River so you can even take a magnificent look at the River Tay. There are various documentaries based on the universe shown in these observatories. There’s also a shop in this Observatory which sells multiple products.

Scone Palace: It is a lousy list where monarchs belonging to Scotland were crowned at a time in the past. It was used as a Royal as residents where the Royal guests used to stay in this Palace. All the major parts of this Palace were built in the 19th century. There is also a long Gallery as well as a display where various arts are shown. This Palace also owns a garden that is spread over an area of 100 acres. There are also luxury apartments where you can accommodate easily with six people as it is a three-bedroom, one Hall, and one kitchen apartment.

Broughty Castle: This Castle is located on River side. This Castle was built in 1495, and this Castle has played a significant role and took part in various wars held between the people of Scotland and the Britishers. This Castle has a gift shop along with a cafe. If you move towards the observation room, you can get a fantastic view of the entire city. There is a museum present in this Castle.

Glamis Castle

Explore

Exploring can be exciting and can help you to get rid of boredom. You can roam around the city if you want to explore different things. The best thing that can be explored is various food dishes prepared by different restaurants or local stalls, helping you understand the taste of cultural and traditional dishes. You can explore multiple breweries, cafes where you can enjoy various types of beverages. There are beaches which can also be explored which can help you in refreshment. You can also explore variety of clothes and traditional dresses of that particular place while you visit there. You can also find hidden places of the city you are visiting by exploring it with the help of local person who can help you in your expedition.

City Parks

City parks are suitable to meet a lot of people for a morning or evening walk. This city's crime rate is low, which means that you can even walk in these parks at night. These parks are well maintained. There is a canteen in some parks where you can purchase some snacks and beverages, but you should pay proper attention to cleanliness and throw the wrappers and other waste only in dustbins. One of the most famous parks present in this city is Baxter Park, spread over 37 acres and is located towards its eastern side. This place was designated as a park in 1862. There is a garden in this park where you can roam and see various landscapes present in Scotland's multiple cities. Though this park was designated in 1862, it was officially opened in 1863.

Baxter Park

Barnhill Rock Garden

Magdalena Garden

Baxter Park

National Parks

There are national parks which are present in this country. One of the best parks rated by most tourists is Camperdown Country Park, which is present in this city's Camperdown area. This park is the largest in the entire town, spread over an area of 1.6 square kilometres. You can even see Pine Marten, which is one of the rarest mammals found in Britain. Some of the national parks are listed below:

Riverside Nature Park

Broughty Ferry natural reserve

Beaches

It is a public beach which the government of this city well maintains. You can try various water sports. It is the most famous beach present in this city. Many people visit these beaches even the locals visit this beach on weekends to face a good crowd, especially on weekends. This city has excellent marine life, which can be seen through snorkelling, and the gears required, such as oxygen tanks, fins, and other things, are provided by the local agent who will help you in snorkelling. You will need to pay extra for these water sports. You can even try water surfing as there are trained guides present on this beach, helping you learn water surfing through their expertise. Other than this, beaches can be used to move around. Broughty ferry beach is a large sandy beach that has dunes and a castle. This beach even has lifeguard services, and the lifeguards use them to patrol this beach. If you want to enjoy yourself with your pet, you can take him here, but the dog or pet's responsibility will be yours. There are few shops available on this beach which is suitable for shopping. Various activities other than snorkelling and water surfing include windsurfing. You can even practice kayaking to roam around using a kayak different in size from a boat. You can even swim on this beach but at your risk.

Broughty Ferry Beach

Monifieth Beach

Broughty Ferry Beach

Landmarks

Landmarks are often those places that catch the majority of the tourists in that particular area. There are different landmarks present in this country. The first landmark is Albert square. This square has a museum and art gallery where you can witness various artists and their work in their respective fields. There are various statues of different famous people placed in this square. Another important landmark is Dundee Black Watch World War 2 War Memorial. It is a memorial built as a tribute to 440 brave men who lost their lives during World War 2. Many people visit this memorial every day. Another important landmark is the Tay bridge disaster memorial. The Tay bridge disaster happened in 1879 due to a large and violent storm in which the Tay rail bridge was collapsed. This collapsing of the bridge caused death of around 60 people, but according to the authorities, the deaths are estimated to be 75. In the memory of those who passed away in this disaster, this memorial was built. Another historical landmark is the Cox stack which is a high chimney of the recorded height of 85 meters present in this city. This chimney was constructed in 1866 and was used by the jute industry run by the Cox brothers. At that time, this jute factory was one of the largest jute factories in the entire city. Other than this, other landmarks are also present in this city, but the ones mentioned above play an essential role in this country's history.

Museums

There are various museums present in this city which are based on different categories. There is a V&A museum that was opened in 2018. It is the first museum in Scotland based on designs. There are a lot of visitors who visit this museum annually. In 2009 this museum faced around 624600 people who visited the museum. This museum's idea was decided at the University of Dundee in 2007 when the Dean of the College of Art and design suggested this idea. The design of the museum was decided by a competition to which a Japanese architect won. The construction of this museum was started in 2014. There was a grand opening of this entire museum, and before it was opened to the public, two days were given to the international and national press to review this museum. The grand opening involved a firework show along with a 3D festival. The primary aim of establishing this museum was to make it a visual arts centre. However, a cafe, a print studio, a cinema with two screens, and two art galleries show contemporary art are also present here.

Eat

As this is an essential part of Scotland, therefore you can have a variety of dishes. Even restaurants serve different cuisines such as Italian, Chinese, Asian, and various other dishes. But while visiting a particular place, you must always try and eat the famous dishes made particularly at that destination. Similarly, some of the famous dishes in this city include brose, porridge, sowans, and skirlie in cereals. Brose is a Scottish dish in which porridge is left uncooked, and it is mixed with boiling water. This dish is consumed with salt and butter or even buttermilk. Porridge is a dish eaten by a lot of people of Scotland, especially as a morning breakfast. It can be a sweet or a spicy dish, depending upon your wish. This cereal can be mixed with sugar, honey, and other things mixed with spices, meat, and vegetables. Locals prefer to eat it hot, and this fish tastes best when it is hot. Sowan is an oat porridge that is sour in taste, and skirlie is a dish in which oatmeal is fried with onions and seasonings.

Traditional Local Restaurants

Various people are living in this city in which some of them are vegetarian, some non-vegetarian, and many of them love to eat seafood. It is the reason why there are dishes of different variety and category. If you are vegetarian, then there is a clap shot which is a traditional dish of Scotland; also, this dish is made of potatoes and turnips, which are matched together, and in terms of spices, there are butter, salt, pepper, and chives. Their best vegetarian dish in this city is Curly Kail. Some of the non-vegetarian dishes involve Ayeshire Bacon. It is a dish made from pork, especially salt-cured pork, and is cooked by applying various cuts. It is generally consumed as breakfast. Another unique non-vegetarian dish is Roll mops which include onions, gherkin, which needs to be pickled, green olives, and pimento. These are rolled up. There are various restaurants where you can have these dishes.

The bush bar

Josies Fish and Chip Shop

The Manchurian

Taza

Bell Rock Tavern

Vegetarian and Vegan

People in this city do not consume non-vegetarian dishes, and many other tourists who visit this city prefer to eat vegetarian. Therefore, there are many vegetarian cafes and restaurants present in this city. Many people have now started turning vegan, due to which various vegan cafes and restaurants are recently being inaugurated. Even milk is not considered a vegan product; therefore, these restaurants and cafes have plant-based milk. Plants have a wide variety of various fruits, vegetables, and dishes that are rich in proteins. These are very healthy for the body and help a person to remain fit.

The flame tree cafe

Serendipities

The Bach

Jacamar Food and Drink

Mozza Dundee

Street Food

There are varieties of street foods which are present in this city. There are generally stalls in which these street foods are available, so purchasing them will generate a little support to the local vendors. These street foods are really great in taste and do not cost a lot. You will get to try their local street food within your budget so you don’t have to worry about the price of the food at all.

Kate's Kitchen Street Food

Drink

There are beers of different flavours in this city; you can enjoy them by visiting a beer bar or clubs. Other than this, there are other alcoholic drinks also available such as ginger wine which includes a flavour of ginger and raisins. Non-alcoholic drinks include breakfast tea.

Tap-water

Dundee is a city in Scotland where it is entirely safe to drink water from taps. The water supplies in Dundee are regularly tested to make sure the water is clean and safe to drink; besides tasting good, the water here is free. More importantly, drinking tap water means you are not buying plastic bottles and recycling refillable bottles for your personal use.

Organic Cafés

Organic cafés are in trend no matter what city you visit. Here in Dundee, organic foods are growing in popularity, leading to establishing cafés for such criteria. Also, these places help maintain a sustainable atmosphere that helps improve the café's image. Here are some famous organic cafés in Dundee you must visit:

The Flame Tree Café

Birchwood Food Emporium

The Bach

Pacamara Food & Drink

Breweries

71 Brewing Co. Ltd. is the most famous brewery in Dundee, which crafts crisp lagers and seasonal beers inspired by progressive new world flavours and traditional classics. Here is a list of the best breweries in Dundee, Scotland.

MoR Beers

Law Brewing Company

St. Andrews Brewing Co. Caird Hall

BrewDog Dundee

Activities

Dundee's arts, science, and discovery traditions make it a great place to visit in Scotland. It is the fourth-largest city in the country, overlooked by tourists and full of hidden gems. There is a lot to explore in Dundee, but the city also offers you several other things that you can do apart from flipping history pages.

Enjoy Trout & Pike Fishing from the bank, boat, and River at Salmo Fly Fishing Scotland.

Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and other water sport activities at Paddle Active in Fife on the East Coast of Scotland.

Yoga and Retreats

The yoga centres and retreats in Dundee help you feel every breath in the city's beautiful ambience. Here is a list of some popular yoga retreats that you can choose according to your requirements.

Nomad Yoga Dundee

Yoga Dundee – Breathe Bae Breathe

Holistic Essences

Heart Space Yoga & Bodyworks

White Room Yoga

Accommodation

Being Scotland's hottest city, Dundee is a city of contrasts with a vibrant and cosmopolitan lifestyle; but it is also friendly, compact, and affordable. It is the cheapest city in Scotland, where living costs are much cheaper and inexpensive than in other cities. Millions of tourists visit here to enjoy a spectacular holiday in this part of the country.

Green Hotels

Eco-friendly accommodation in Dundee is easy to find, and options range from cosy cottages, quirky hotels, self-catering eco-lodges to grand castles and luxurious hotels – the choice is endless. Here is a list of some best eco-friendly hotels in Dundee:

Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa

Holiday Inn Express Dundee

Hotel Indigo Dundee

Premier Inn Dundee West Hotel

The landmark Hotel and Leisure Club

Hostels and Guest Houses

Accommodation in hostels and guesthouses is more than just somewhere to stay; you can meet new people, save money and lessen your impact on the planet concerning sustainability. Such places enrich your travel experience. Here is a list of some affordable and comfortable hostels and guesthouses in Dundee:

Dundee Backpackers

Athollbank Guest House

McCoinninch Guesthouse

The Old Boathouse

Urban Quarters

West Park Summer Campus

Apartments

Apartments are the best option for tourists/travellers who wants to stay for a longer time. Choosing a private apartment for your long trip in Dundee can save a lot of money as you may find many options to select one for your requirements. Here are some places you might want to consider renting as an apartment in Dundee:

Sherloch Forest Apartments

Dundee Pines Apartments

Bell Estates Apartments

Village Pointe Apartments

Petersburg Apartments

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is an excellent way to save money during travels/trips. Among the Couchsurfing travel community, you will find around 2,125 hosts in Dundee. Such hosts who are willing to let people stay in their homes show a good sign of maintaining peace with foreigners/travellers. As hospitality in Couchsurfing is free, being a responsible tourist/outsider, you must respect their way of living and must help the owner's family in every way possible. Such accommodation type lets you discover unique locals and new places to stay.

Camping

Camping in Dundee allows you to choose your favourite camping spot at a very low and affordable price, not to mention seeing amazing landscape views of the surrounding. Here are some popular campsites/campgrounds in Dundee that will help your dream come true:

Riverview Caravan Park

Nydie Caravan and Camping Site

Drumshademuir Caravan and Camping Park

Foresterseat Caravan Park

Forfar Lochside Caravan Club Site

South Links Holiday Park

How to Get There

Getting to Dundee is very easy and accessible as it is just a 90 minutes-drive from the airport. You can reach here by air; several flights are available from various major cities; alternatively, you can choose Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh's international airports. Apart from airways, you can choose railway or via road options to get in Dundee.

Air

Dundee Airport has been located 3 km from the centre of Dundee and serves two domestic destinations – Belfast-City and London-City. There are few international flights via London City Airport and Paris. It lies on the main A85 Riverside Drive, which links the city centre to its major cities.

Dundee Airport

Bus

Dundee bus station provides you with direct busses to many other major destinations available from the station. Chartered buses are also available and can be booked with local operators. Xplore Dundee bus operator in the city has operating services mainly within the Dundee City and is also a subsidiary of McGill's Buses. Not to mention, the fare ranges from moderate to high depending on the distance of your travel.

Train

Dundee railway station lies on the East Coast Main Line to Aberdeen, Leeds, Edinburgh, and London and is also on the Glasgow-Aberdeen line serving Glasgow and further other destinations. It is the tenth busiest station in Scotland. The domestic station of Dundee is served by London-North Eastern Railway. Thus, this pathway can be a better option than walking and cycling if you want to get to your destination on time.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is not entirely the safest mode of travel; also, it might consume a lot of time to reach Dundee. Usually, you are most likely to have a free ride while travelling in and around Dundee. But it is not that safe for a tourist who doesn't know about the city at all. Hence, it is best to avoid hitchhiking and choose another transportation mode to reach your desired destination.

Others

There are local bus services, taxis, and cabs that will take you to your prescribed locations. Based on your location, you will be able to get many different options available to reach Dundee. Besides travelling via the transportation mentioned above, you can also use mobile apps to book cabs or eco-travel to explore the city.

Moving Around

Dundee is a beautiful and compact city bursting with places of history, interest, and things to see; it is easy to move around. To travel to your favourite spot, you either hop on one of the Green Bus or discover the place on your feet and enjoy the city's scenery and landscape. Travel routes in and around Dundee have been developed with a key objective to encourage active travel through walking, cycling, and public transport.

Walk

Most of the Dundee tours are on foot, taking advantage of Dundee's "walkable city" geography as it's possible to walk safely all over the city. Being a popular place for its outdoor pursuits, Dundee is a great destination for those looking for scenic beauty while walking throughout the city. From Iron Age forts to various other important destinations, the city's area has plenty of amazing landscapes.

Bicycle

Dundee's active travel routes also allow deploying sustainable alternatives through cycling to decarbonize transport. The city is much more than being a central point of attraction as it's also a part of the National Cycle Network routes on the East of Scotland, where you can enjoy the beautiful east coast scenery. It sits at the centre of many major cycling routes, which lead out to the rest of Scotland. And while travelling through bicycle you can also take care of your health and enjoy your ride as you will be actually doing a fitness activity while exploring the city at the same time.

Electronic Vehicles

This beautiful city, Dundee – is perfect for Electric Vehicles and comes under Scotland's leading city in the adoption, promotion, and operation of electronic vehicles. It makes the city widespread EV use, with the drivable range of current vehicles sufficient for practically all journeys within the city. Such EV transports help reducing pollution from road traffic and improve the air quality for citizens. We are slowly moving to the era of electrical vehicles which are more efficient and less polluting in nature than the petrol ones. So you should primarily opt for electric vehicles to prevent pollution in the abroad city from your side.

Public Bus

The only main bus operator in Dundee is Xplore Dundee. It provides operating services mainly within Dundee City. Wishart Coaches – it is a subsidiary company, provides rural bus and coach services in the county of Agnus, from its base in Friockheim. The city's public transport contains several intracity and bus lines. It may not be the fastest mode of transportation, but it's cheap and relatively eco-friendly.

Tram, Train and Subway

Tram, Train, and Subway facilities are available in Dundee in abundance. Such a transportation system runs within the city limits to provide easy and accessible travel. Fares in such modes of transportation are relatively cheaper and affordable, thus choosing these to travel to your desired location might be the best and easy option to explore the city.

Sustainable Shopping

You must find sustainable alternatives to become a carbon-neutral person. You can do so by purchasing eco-friendly objects/items, whether it be clothing or artefacts. It would help if you tried shopping from local and ethical shops to improve local shopkeepers' income. Many tourists/travellers have become more aware of their impact on the planet, thus increasing the use of sustainable products.

Food Markets

Dundee has proximity to many sustainable and family-run farms teeming with vegetables, fruits, and artisanal products. There's this Farmer's Markets on the third Saturday of the month from February to December located outside the Caird Hall in City Square, providing you with a place to purchase fresh and nutritious food. Here are few other places in the city where you can get such items:

Continental Food Store

Arklay Street Mini Market

Euro Foods

Flea Markets

There are around 28 flea markets near Dundee, giving you plenty of options to buy necessary items. Here is a list of some of those flea markets in and around Dundee:

Akm Hussain

Baraka Enterprises

Bargain City of Lake Wales

192 Outlet Inc

192 Flee Market Prices

Second Hand Stores

Dundee has numerous stores and shops that deal with second-hand items and materials. Some of these places are:

Deal Right – SecondHand Dealers

Weird Wild Stuff

Junk -n- Treasure

Mod Lines

Found Vintage Market

Eco-Fashion

Dundee has always been a centre of attraction regarding tons of things. It will continue to be the coolest little city, most likely because of its long-standing connection with fashion. The city hosts several fashion shows to celebrate up-and-coming designers. Such activities promote environment-friendly methods of fashion, leading to a better society. It’s a recent trend in all over the world to go eco-friendly in our life so that we can prevent the nature from the deteriorating effect of the human sins. You should use eco-friendly clothes, ornaments etc and do sustainable shopping that does not harm the nature.

Recycling

The municipality of Dundee has identified the importance of the concept of recycling for Dundee and its society. Concerning the ecological impact on society, these authorities have started a program to divert recyclable materials from landfills or open dump-yards. Various centres such as Riverside Recycling Centre, Dundee Recycling & Distribution Centre Ltd, and many more indulge in recycling.

Waste

The Dundee council's waste management is responsible for discovering compost, collecting domestic waste, disposing of waste materials, operating recycling centres and points, trading waste, and many others. Such facilities provide curbside garbage collection, recycling, and yard debris for all Dundee residents and businesses.

Work and Study Abroad

The University of Dundee offers you plenty of opportunities in various courses to build a bright future. The younger generation is most likely to focus on the career of their choice in which the universities in Dundee help them to achieve it. There are many job opportunities regarding working and earning in and around Dundee. You can find all kinds of part-time work, summer holiday work, temporary work, and Christmas jobs in Dundee, especially for students.

Exchange Student

Many countries are a part of student exchange programs partnering with Dundee's universities. Such programs enable students to study abroad and experience a brand-new culture, meet new people and grow as a person. Being an exchange student, you can experience the amazing local culture and even stay with a host family. You will surely have a wonderful experience as it’s all about the curiosity you have in knowing about the country’s culture and language while you live there.

Au Pair

Au Pairing is a common concept regarding part-time jobs no matter what place you visit. Although au pairing comes with lots of responsibilities but you will also have a wonderful experience there. It is a great opportunity to learn about the local culture and involve with new people.

Volunteering

Organizations like Volunteer Dundee and Voluntary Action offer you the opportunity to help the needy and serve as a responsible citizen of the country. They provide you with various tasks and duties to help those in desperate need of clothing, food, or shelter. Being a volunteer enhances your overall personality; hence, it would be best to get involved in such activities for society's betterment as a tourist.