Explore 7 Great Attractions Around Dundee, Scotland

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1. Broughty Castle

Broughty Castle is a well-preserved 15th-century coastal fort located on the banks of the river Tay. Completed around 1495, the castle has faced many battles and sieges up to its new function nowadays: a fantastic museum about the surrounding area, its people, traditions, and history. Here, you’ll get a close insight into the richness of this important Scottish region in a marvelous location overlooking the River Tay from the observation post! This is a nice and interesting group or family day out!

Broughty Castle

Address: Castle Approach, Dundee DD5 2TF, UK

Website: Broughty Castle

2. The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum

Located in Dundee’s city center, the McManus Gallery is a stunning Gothic Revival style building housing a museum and art gallery. Here, visitors will enjoy seeing a vast collection of fine and decorative art (including works by local artists) as well as a natural history collection. If you’re looking for a cultural walk or simply going to gaze at some fascinating architecture, this place is for you!

Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum

Address: Albert Square, Meadowside, Dundee DD1 1DA, UK

Website: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum

3. Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre

The Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre is a vibrant and lively place where you have to go even just one time! Housing two contemporary art galleries, a two-screen cinema, a print studio, a visual research center, and many more stunning things, the DCA is a place where there’s always something happening: either it’s a new exhibition, a film screening, or one of the many workshops given there. You’ll for sure have something to do, even if it’s just sipping a coffee at the well-known Jute Café Bar. This is a great place to bring kids and to have a funny, interesting, and creative time!

Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre

Address: 152 Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DY, UK

Website: Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre

4. The RRS Discovery

The famous RRS Discovery is probably one of the most outstanding symbols of the city’s expertise. The last traditional wooden discovery ship to be built in the UK, the impressive boat was launched in 1901 as a Royal Research Ship (RRS) and was heading successfully for Antarctic research. Nowadays, this incredible ship is one of the most famous tourist sites of this Scottish city. At Discovery Point, you’ll discover and experience this heroic and memorable adventure while walking through great museum exhibitions, making you travel back in time onboard of this fantastic ship.

Discovery Point

Address: Discovery Point, Discovery Quay, Dundee DD1 4XA, UK

Website: Discovery Point

5. The Mills Observatory

The Mills Observatory is another great example of Dundee’s diverse fields of activities. This is one of the best scientific features of the area; Britain’s first purpose-built public astronomical observatory! Located at the top Balgay Hill, the observatory proudly stands, welcoming curious visitors coming from all over the place. Here, you’ll watch stars and planets through Victorian and fully computerized telescopes (able to detect around 30,000 objects in the sky). Moreover, helped by the crew, you’ll learn about astronomy and astronomical sciences, or if you’re just passing by, you can admire the surrounding scenery with some spectacular panoramic views over the region. This is a really interesting place to go!

The Mills Observatory

Address: Balgay Park, Dundee DD2 2UB, UK

Website: The Mills Observatory

6. The Tay Rail Bridge

The Tay Bridge is a mind blowing bridge of 3.5 kilometers (2.75 miles) crossing the Firth of Tay between Dundee and its suburb. One of the most noticeable sights in the area, the structure is another example of Dundonian knowledge and abilities. This second successful attempt comes after the first bridge lead to a disastrous accident in 1879 falling into the river, and for almost 150, its successor has been doing a remarkable job. Going around this mammoth bridge will just blow your mind and deconstruct all the thoughts you had about architecture. This is a gravity-defying monument worth going to see!

The Tay Rail Bridge

Address: Dundee, Wormit, UK

Website: The Tay Rail Bridge

7. Dundee Law

Another of Dundee’s distinctive landmarks is Law Hill, an extinct volcano (formed around 400 million years ago) right in the center of Dundee (or let’s say that Dundee has been constructed around the volcano…). From the city, you’ll enjoy climbing up to the hill’s summit, at around 175 meters (570 feet) above sea level, to discover the war memorial (both WWI and WWII), and to gaze at the surroundings thanks to the spectacular views from the peak’s top. This is a great place to go if you are looking for a leisurely walk and amazing panoramic views in a peaceful, clean, and well-preserved site.

Dundee Law Hill

Website: Dundee Law Hill Walk

Discover the stunning Dundee!

With these 7 attractions and things to do around the Scottish city of Dundee, you’ll discover a great and lively city that will entertain you and make you love Scotland even more.