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About The City |
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Dundee, Tayside & Scotland
Dundee is one of the four major cities of
Scotland. It was first granted city status 800 years ago. Dundee
and its people have a long history of invention and innovation
including:
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the first telephone service in the world outside London;
the first street lights were developed in Dundee;
the postage stamp;
the submarine telephone cable; and,
the hole-in-the-wall cash dispenser.
The Tayside Region takes its name from the River Tay which flows
for nearly a hundred miles from the Highlands to the North Sea.
It passes through magnificent scenery ranging from mountains and
lochs in the west, to miles of coastline in the east with rich
agricultural land inbetween.
City of Discovery
Dundee is known as 'The City of Discovery' taking that name
from Scott of the Antartic's ship "Discovery" which was built in
Dundee and returned here a few years ago. It is now the
centrepiece of a multimedia heritage centre (Discovery Quay) on
the city's waterfront. Industrial museums, some with working
machinery, recall Dundee's past as a centre for whaling (with
its associated shipbuilding) and jute manufacture.
Though small enough not to be overwhelming or impersonal the
city (population 150,000) is large enough to support a wide
variety of cultural and leisure pursuits, in which the
University plays an active part, for example the Dundee
Contemporary Arts Centre (DCA) and the Rep Theatre. The main
campus enjoys an unrivalled location within the city's new
'cultural quarter', home to cafes, galleries, pubs, and gift
shops.
Dundee's unique location at the mouth of the Tay estuary with a
hinterland of rich agricultural land with magnificent "Highland"
scenery has a great deal to do with the quality of life to be
found here.
See live views of Dundee City Square, using the Dundee City
WebCam (provided by Dundee City Council).
Leisure
Notable tourist attractions include Blair Castle (home of the
Duke of Atholl), Pitlochry (with its Festival Theatre in the
summer months), Glamis Castle (ancestral home of the Queen
Mother), Scone Palace (with impressive state rooms and
historically the site of the coronation of the Kings of
Scotland), Perth (an elegant town with shops to match).
Dundee is well endowed with parks, leisure facilities and other
recreational facilities. There are opportunities to do anything
associated with mountains and water such as hill-walking,
sailing, water-skiing, angling (the salmon and trout of the Dee,
Tay, Don and Spey are world-renowned), canoeing, white water
rafting, pony-trekking, off-road driving, rock-climbing, snow
and ice climbing, and skiing. There are many other sporting
activities including cycling (there is a cycle route through the
environs of the city), gliding, parachuting, falconry, tennis
and golf (the area has championship courses, including the
British Open Course at Carnoustie).
Dundee also has a strong alternative sports scene - the city has
several skateboard parks, including the renowned The Factory,
and roller blading and bmxing are popular pursuits. Further
information is available about University sports facilities and
University Clubs & Societies.
For eating out there are lots of restaurants, pubs, clubs, and
cafes within walking distance of the main campus (see the Social
Guide for a taster).
Countryside
This part of Scotland is also notable for its coastal scenery.
The suburb of Broughty Ferry is Dundee's seaside resort and has
a wide range of restaurants, pubs and speciality shops. Further
up the coast are Carnoustie (venue of the 1999 Open Golf
Championship) and Arbroath famous for its smoked haddock - "smokies"
- and for signing of Scotland's Declaration of Independence in
its abbey in 1320. Beyond Arbroath the coast becomes more rugged
and provides shelter for extensive birdlife which can be
observed from a nature trail along the cliffs. Other bird
sanctuaries within easy reach are Montrose Basin, Forfar Loch
and Loch of the Lowes (near Dunkeld).
Dundee offers unrivalled opportunities for outdoor pursuits on
land and water, and some of these are listed above. The
University has its own water sports centre on the Tay estuary
where dinghy sailing is especially popular. The local rivers
provide opportunities for canoeing and rafting and the lochs and
country parks are ideal for windsurfing. Dundee's location
offers a choice of easily accessible ski resorts (Glenshee or
Cairngorm) and mountains beckon in all seasons.
Related Information
Travel Information & Maps includes details of how to reach
us, and there is also a brief guide to the city of Dundee.
Dundee and Area on the links library provides access to external
web sites, including those for places of historic interest, a
historic guide to Perthshire, Golf Scotland, and guides to
places to eat and stay.
The Sports page provides more information about sports at the
University and in Dundee, clubs and societies at the University
and sports facilities.
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