99 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN DUNDEE
Take it in…
Crowdsourced City Guide 2016: Recommended by the people who live here and love it.
01 McManus Art Gallery and Museum has a stunning The exterior and is the place to explore Dundee’s impressive 01 02 global impact. Dundee Contemporary Arts has everything under one roof - galleries, a two-screen cinema, 02 03 print studio, restaurant, bar and cafe. Verdant Works takes you back to Dundee’s jute textile past, with recently 03 04 refurbished cathedral-like High Mill. Hannah Maclure Centre is an exhibition and cinema space within Abertay University. University of Dundee hosts four galleries at 04 05 04 05 Exhibitions at DJCAD, a museum collection, and LifeSpace, a science art research gallery. Step onboard 05 06 RRS 06 Discovery to explore the famous polar expedition 06 07 Frigate Unicorn. 07 08 ship. Then visit nearby HM Dundee 07 08 Rep Theatre and Scottish Dance Theatre produce and 08 09 show world class performances. Gardyne Theatre and 09 10 Caird Hall both offer a range of music, theatre and 11 comedy. Visit Dundee Science Centre for hands-on learning. For visual art exhibitions often featuring local 11 12 artists, check out GENERATORprojects.
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Cafes
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For fashion
Parks
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63 Cartocon Store, 63 The 65 66 66 (for cuts too), Arkive, 68 69 and Carnaby’s.
64 64 65 Manifesto Hard Grind 67 Boutique, 67 68 Boutique M MC 83
Places to stroll and sights to see 69
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70 top of the Law, our extinct volcanic plug, is the best The for panoramic views over Dundee, Perthshire, Angus and Fife. ‘The Law offers a great walk and a beautiful overview of the city. From there you can map out places of interest and decide what areas you want to explore’. Head along 71 Riverside at sunset and admire the Tay Rail Bridge, visit 71 72 72 73 the Riverside Nature Park, head to Maggie’s Centre to admire world renowned architect, Frank Gehry’s impressive building, from the outside only. Cycle the Green Circular, 27 mile route around the city. Stroll along the waterfront, currently being transformed and watch it change 73 74 daily - also the site of the forthcoming V&A Dundee. 74 75 If you appreciate a good statue, check out Dundee’s 75 76 Penguins, whose outfits change regularly. Desperate Dan and Minnie the Minx stand at City Square whilst 77 Wullie sits on his bucket just up the road. Then visit Oor 78 Bash Street, another city-must for comic book fans. If 78 79 you’re a fan of the Lemmings, they look out to the Tay, 79 80 a stone’s throw from the former site of DMA Design, where the world famous game was created.
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81 Dundee has many great parks, including: Camperdown 81 82 Park and Wildlife Centre; Balgay with great views and 82 83 Mills Observatory; Dudhope with popular skatepark; 84 84 85 Baxter Park with a grand pavilion; Magdalen Green with bandstand is a great space on a sunny day; and 86 Botanic Gardens are too. 86 87 the Kinshaldy Beach at Tentsmuir is stunning and has to be one of the UK’s best, 87 88 Sidlaw Hills behind it’s on route to St Andrews. The Auchterhouse are brilliant for endless walking. Get a day pass on the Number 73 bus and spend your day visiting a 88 89 trio of great sandy beaches in Carnoustie, Monifieth and Broughty Ferry - have a pint in the Fisherman’s, an icecream Visocchi’s, go dolphin watching, explore the Barnhill Rock Gardens and Broughty Ferry Castle.
24 25 D’Arcy Thompson. 25 26 Italian Grill in Visit The The 27 28 City Square. The tiny Agacan for Turkish. Tahini 26 27 28 29 for Lebanese. Manchurian for Dim Sum. Tapas at 30 Y Sombra. 31 31 32 Meat Sol Kobee for teppanyaki. The 32 33 House for… meat! For fine dining, check out Castlehill, 34 34 35 The Tayberry and The Newport.
Bars
Bites, drinks and sounds 13 13 14 Parlour offer Folk Café and its sister cafe The 14 15 healthy and imaginative daytime bites. Flame Tree Cafe caters all dietary requirements. Watch the world
Live music 46
47 Clark’s on Lindsay Street for good live sessions 47 48 Reading throughout the week. Formerly a library, The Rooms is an underground club renowned for its ability to cross musical genres and keep things going late, 48 49 since 2002. BeatGenerator Live has gigs by new talent and touring bands. Then, if you’re peckish head 49 50 to Clark’s 24 Hour Bakery for a peh or a Helicopter.
Restaurants
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15 16 go by in Henry’s Coffee House at City Square. Stop 16 17 by The Auld Tram for takeaway drinks and sandwiches. 18 Pacamara has an intercontinental brunch menu. 19 Taypark House is set in stunning grounds, with 19 20 And Cake, 21 Palais, Gin Bar and garden. Tea The 22 22 23 Avery & Co, Jessie’s Kitchen in nearby Broughty 23 24 Ferry and Newport based KitshnBake all do good homemade food and cake, lots of cake.
35 36 36 37 Traditional pubs include Drouthy’s, George Orwell, 38 38 39 The Speedwell and The Phoenix. For something 39 40 Wine Press, a wine bar with wine vending different, The 41 on tap. The West House features a print press themed 41 42 interior. Jam Jar has a range of cocktails, including 42 43 Art Bar is a West End Dundee themed ones. The institution, across from the art school with live music and 43 44 laid back atmosphere. For beer, Duke’s Corner have a whole wall of crafts on tap. Visit Scottish craft brewer’s 44 45 Beer Kitchen and 45 46 Innis & Gunn’s The Brewdog.
Indie spots and shops Make sure you visit Downtown Dundee (around Exchange Street/Dock Street), Nethergate/Perth Road/Westport, Union Street and Broughty Ferry. 51 Groucho’s has rare 51 52 and Assai has new
and vintage finds of the vinyl variety 52 53 vinyl and kit. DCA Shop stocks contemporary design and craft from near and far. Visit 53 54 optical boutique, Spex Pistols for frames/lenses and 54 55 brilliant interior/banter. Lovely Things, for all your interior 55 56 design needs. Fluph for wool and yarn, workshops and 56 57 57 58 classes. Fraser’s Fruit and Veg and Clementines, both are local greengrocers stocking the best produce. 58 59 Cheesery. 59 60 Cheese galore at The HeartSpace 61 Wholefoods with organic produce. Visit Gallery 48 to enjoy and buy work by local artists, over some tapas and 61 62 Braithwaite’s, the best wine. Step back in time at JA place to buy quality ground coffee.
Behind the scenes 89
Here are a few of the organisations and festivals which keep the city creative all year round as the UK’s only 90 UNESCO City of Design. Creative workspaces include 91 91 92 92 Fleet Collective, Wasps Studios, Tin Roof, 94 94 95 District 10, Unit 5 at Vision includes Dundee 95 96 MakerSpace, V&A Dundee run events and activities in 96 97 the run up to the doors opening in 2018. University of 97 98 98 99 Dundee, Abertay University and Dundee & Angus College all have leading art/design courses and each have Degree Shows running in May.
Some of the many creative festivals to check out include: May - Dundee Design Festival, Degree Shows and Ignite Dundee; June - Dundee West Fest; Aug - Dare Protoplay; Sep - Flower and Food Festival; Oct - Dundee Literary Festival; Nov - NEoN Digital Arts Festival.
Creative Dundee connects and amplifies the city’s creativity, to enable creative talent to base, grow and sustain their practice in and around Dundee. Visit us online for news, events and access to lots of other resources. This is the second crowdsourced guide Creative Dundee has produced in collaboration with people who live here and love it, so huge thanks goes to everyone who took part. We hope you enjoy your time in Dundee and if you find this guide useful please do share your experiences: #dundeeguide www.creativedundee.com Facebook/creativedundee @Creative_Dundee This guide was produced by Creative Dundee with support from Ignite Dundee.
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