Dundee
The city of Dundee is situated on the banks of the Tay Estuary; it has been through much upheaval in the past having to totally rebuild and subsequently reinvent itself three times over in the last three and a half centuries and is now set for all of the opportunities that the twenty first century may bring. It is believed that during the time of the Roman occupation of Britain, that the Romans used Dundee as a supply base and port, so the area has a long tradition of being a settlement in one form or another.
Facing the Future
The last major reinvention of the city occurred in the 1960’s, and with the opening of the Tay Road Bridge which was a lifeline into the city, in 1966 the amount of people coming into the city grew. When the oldest British war ship still afloat HM Frigate Unicorn was opened to the public in 1968, even more visitors were drawn into the city and tourism within the city of Dundee began to grow and develop.
The industries of the past that supported the sometime haphazard growth of the city have long since gone, and in their place are gleaming office blocks and modern buildings that have brought the city right up to date. The city centre has two marvellous purpose built shopping centres linked by a walkway that attracts people into the city from the surrounding areas to enjoy some shopping and relaxing in all of the facilities on offer.
While much of the city is contemporary and new there are plenty of poignant reminders of the turbulent and often hard times the that city faced in the forms of museums and exhibitions across the city, which highlight the lives and struggles of the people that once made a very different city of Dundee their home.
Visitor Attractions
Today visitors to Dundee can see the RRS Discovery the remarkable vessel built in Dundee that took intrepid captain Scott on his incredible voyage to Antarctica. HMS Frigate is still drawing in the visitors too; launched back in 1824 she is the 6th oldest ship in the world.
The city has a marvellous science centre simple called Sensation which features a whole host of interactive exhibitions and displays that can get the whole family involved in learning about the many aspects of the scientific world. The Mills Observatory is the only full time operational observatory in the United Kingdom and offers incredible views of the moon and stars in the night’s sky.
The restaurants that you will find in the city are proud of the fresh local produce that they use in their kitchens to create some fabulous dishes, such as the fresh fish and seafood that is landed locally and the desserts crafted from the berries that grow locally. There are also plenty of entertainment venues in the city from cinemas and theatres to comedy clubs and music clubs, so you can be sure that there will be something to suit your tastes.
