Dundee

Coordinates: 56°27′43″N 2°58′15″W / 56.462°N 2.9707°W / 56.462; -2.9707

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Dundee, Scotland

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This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 17 April 2024.

City (and council area) in Scotland

This article is about the city in Scotland. For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation).

City and council area in United Kingdom

Dundee Dùn Dè ( McManus Galleries
Lord Provost		Bill Campbell
• Leader of Dundee City Council	John Alexander[4]
• MSPs	2 Joe FitzPatrick (SNP) Shona Robison (SNP)
• MPs	2 Chris Law  (SNP)
Area UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode Areas	DD1-5
Area code	01382
ISO 3166-2	GB-DND
ONS Code	S12000042
OS Grid Reference	NO4030
NUTS 3	UKM21
Primary airport	Dundee Airport
Website	www.dundeecity.gov.uk

Dundee (

Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Dè or Dùn Dèagh, pronounced [t̪un ˈtʲeː]) is the fourth-largest city in Scotland

. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was 148,210, giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km² or 6,420/sq mi, the

council areas used for local government in Scotland. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Angus, the city developed into a burgh in the late 12th century and established itself as an important east coast trading port.^[13] Rapid expansion was brought on by the Industrial Revolution, particularly in the 19th century when Dundee was the centre of the global jute industry.^[14]

This, along with its other major industries, gave Dundee its epithet as the city of "jute, jam and journalism".

Today, Dundee is promoted as "One City, Many Discoveries" in honour of Dundee's history of scientific activities and of the RRS Discovery, Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic exploration vessel, which was built in Dundee and is now berthed at Discovery Point. Biomedical and technological industries have arrived since the 1980s, and the city now accounts for 10% of the United Kingdom's digital entertainment industry, including mobile app development and gaming. Dundee has two universities – the University of Dundee and Abertay University. In 2014, Dundee was recognised by the United Nations as the UK's first UNESCO City of Design for its diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics and video games.^[15][16][17]

With the decline of traditional industry, the city has adopted a plan to regenerate and reinvent itself as a cultural centre.

V&A to operate outside of London – is the main centre piece of the waterfront project.^[19][20]

A unique feature of Dundee is that its two professional football clubs, Dundee F.C. and Dundee United F.C., have stadiums all but adjacent to each other.^[21] In recent years, Dundee's international profile has risen. GQ magazine named Dundee the "Coolest Little City in Britain" in 2015 and The Wall Street Journal ranked Dundee at number 5 on its "Worldwide Hot Destinations" list for 2018.^[22]

History

Main article: History of Dundee

The name "Dundee" is made up of two parts: the common Celtic place-name element dun, meaning fort; and a second part that may derive from a Celtic element, cognate with the Gaelic dè, meaning 'fire'.^[23]

While earlier evidence for human occupation is abundant,

Royal Burgh on John's coronation as king in 1292.^[27] The town and its castle were occupied by English forces for several years during the First War of Independence and recaptured by Robert the Bruce in early 1312.^[28] The original Burghal charters were lost during the occupation and subsequently renewed by Bruce in 1327.^[29]

The burgh suffered considerably during the conflict known as the

Dundee Law in 1689.^[33] The town was held by the Jacobites in the 1715–16 rising, and on 6 January 1716 the Jacobite claimant to the throne, James VIII and III (the Old Pretender), made a public entry into the town. Many in Scotland, including many in Dundee, regarded him as the rightful king.^[34]

A notable resident of Dundee was Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown, Baron of Lundie (1 July 1731 to 4 August 1804). He was born in Dundee on 1 July 1731, the son of Alexander Duncan of Lundie, Provost of Dundee. Adam was educated in Dundee and later joined the Royal Navy on board the sloop Trial. He rose to be admiral and in October 1797 defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown (north of Haarlem). This was seen as one of the most significant actions in naval history.^[35]

The economy of medieval Dundee centred on the export of raw wool, with the production of finished textiles being a reaction to recession in the 15th century.^[36] Two government Acts in the mid 18th century had a profound effect on Dundee's industrial success: the textile industry was revolutionised by the introduction of large four-storey mills, stimulated in part by the 1742 Bounty Act which provided a government-funded subsidy on Osnaburg linen produced for export.^[37] Expansion of the whaling industry was triggered by the second Bounty Act, introduced in 1750 to increase Britain's maritime and naval skill base.^[38] Dundee, and Scotland more generally, saw rapid population increase at end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, with the city's population increasing from 12,400 in 1751 to 30,500 in 1821.^[39]

The phasing out of the linen export bounty between 1825 and 1832 stimulated demand for cheaper textiles, particularly for cheaper, tough fabrics.^[40] The discovery that the dry fibres of jute could be lubricated with whale oil (of which Dundee had a surfeit, following the opening of its gasworks) to allow it to be processed in mechanised mills resulted in the Dundee mills rapidly converting from linen to jute, which sold at a quarter of the price of flax.^[41] Interruption of Prussian flax imports during the Crimean War and of cotton during the American Civil War resulted in a period of inflated prosperity for Dundee and the jute industry dominated Dundee throughout the latter half of the 19th century.^[42] Unprecedented immigration, notably of Irish workers, led to accelerated urban expansion, and at the height of the industry's success, Dundee supported 62 jute mills, employing some 50,000 workers.^[43] Cox Brothers, who owned the massive Camperdown Works in Lochee, were one of the largest jute manufacturers in Europe and employed more than 5,000 workers.^[44]

The rise of the textile industries brought with it an expansion of supporting industries, notably of the whaling, maritime and shipbuilding industries,^[45] and extensive development of the waterfront area started in 1815 to cope with increased demand for port capacity.^[46] At its height, 200 ships per year were built there, including Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic research vessel, the RRS Discovery. This ship is now on display at Discovery Point in the city.^[47] A significant whaling industry was also based in Dundee, largely existing to supply the jute mills with whale oil. Whaling ceased in 1912 and shipbuilding ceased in 1981.^[48]

Tay Bridge

(from the south) the day after the disaster. The collapsed section can be seen near the northern end.

While the city's economy was dominated by the jute industry, it also became known for smaller industries. Most notable among these were James Keiller's and Sons, established in 1795, which pioneered commercial marmalade production,^[49] and the publishing firm DC Thomson, which was founded in the city in 1905. Dundee was said to be built on the 'three Js': Jute, Jam and Journalism.

The town was also the location of one of the worst rail disasters in British history, the

Tay Rail Bridge was opened in 1878. It collapsed some 18 months later during a storm, as a passenger train passed over it, resulting in the loss of 75 lives.^[50] The most destructive fire in the city's history

came in 1906, reportedly sending "rivers of burning whisky" through the street.

The jute industry fell into decline in the early 20th century, partly due to reduced demand for jute products and partly due to an inability to compete with the emerging industry in

NCR, and subsequent expansion into microelectronics.^[53]

A £1 billion master plan to regenerate Dundee Waterfront is expected to last for a 30-year period between 2001 and 2031.[54] The aims of the project are to reconnect the city centre to the waterfront; to improve facilities for walking, cyclists and buses; to replace the existing inner ring road with a pair of east/west tree-lined boulevards; and to provide a new civic square and a regenerated railway station and arrival space at the western edge. A new Victoria and Albert Museum opened on 15 September 2018.

Governance

Main article: Politics of Dundee

Dundee was granted

Latin: Dei Donum (Gift of God) and Prudentia et Candore (With Thought and Purity) although usually only the latter is used for civic purposes.^[55]

Prior to 1996, Dundee was governed by the City of Dundee District Council. This was formed in 1975, implementing boundaries imposed in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Under these boundaries, the Angus burgh and district of Monifieth, and the Perth electoral division of Longforgan (which included Invergowrie) were annexed to the county of the city of Dundee. In 1996, the Dundee City unitary authority was created following implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.^[56] This placed Monifieth and Invergowrie in the unitary authorities of Angus and Perth and Kinross, largely reinstating the pre-1975 county boundaries. Some controversy has ensued as a result of these boundary changes, with Dundee city councillors arguing for the return of Monifieth and Invergowrie.^[57]

On 18 September 2014, Dundee was one of four council areas to vote "Yes" in the

Scottish independence referendum, with 57.3% voting "Yes" on a 78.8% turnout. With the highest Yes vote for any local authority in Scotland, some in the Yes Scotland campaign nicknamed Dundee the 'Yes City', including former First Minister Alex Salmond.^[58][59]

Local government

Dundee is one of 32

Lord Provost, a position similar to that of mayor in other cities. The political head of the council is known as the Leader of the council or Leader of the Administration. The Leader chairs the Policy & Resources Committee. Dundee House, the new headquarters for the city council on North Lindsay Street, opened in August 2011.^[60] This has replaced Tayside House which was demolished in 2013 as part of the Dundee Waterfront improvements.^[60][61]

Elections to the council are normally on a four-year cycle. The most recent election took place on 5 May 2022. Since 2007, the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 has meant that there are eight multi-member wards which elect three or four councillors by single transferable vote, to produce a form of proportional representation.^[62] The 2012 elections gave the SNP overall control of the council with 16 seats. However, the 2017 contest saw the SNP lose their majority, although they remained the largest party with 14 councillors.^[63] Scotland's longest-serving councillor, Ian Borthwick, sits on the council.

Westminster and Holyrood

For elections to the

Joe Fitzpatrick (SNP) is the current MSP for the Dundee West constituency^[67] and Graeme Dey (SNP) is the current MSP for the Angus South constituency.^[68]

Dundee was also part of the pan-Scotland

Members of the European Parliament (MEP)s were elected using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.^[69] In the last European Election Scotland voted, it returned three SNP MEPs, one Liberal Democrat MEP, one Conservative and Unionist MEP and one Brexit Party MEP, to the European Parliament.^[69]

Winston Churchill served as one of two MPs for Dundee from 1908 to 1922

.

Geography

Dundee sits on the north bank of the

Sidlaw Hills, the most prominent hill being Craigowl Hill (455 m).^[71]

The western and eastern boundaries of the city are marked by two

burns that are tributaries of the River Tay. On the westernmost boundary of the city, the Lochee burn meets the Fowlis burn, forming the Invergowrie burn, which meets the Tay at Invergowrie basin.^[71] The Dighty Water enters Dundee from the village of Strathmartine and marks the boundaries of a number of northern districts of the city, joining the Tay between Barnhill and Monifieth.^[71] The Scouring burn in the west end of the city and Dens Burn in the east, both of which played important roles in the industrial development of the city, have now been culverted

over.

Geology

The city lies within the Sidlaw-Ochil

Craigie and Broughty Ferry, the bedrock geology is of extrusive rocks, including mafic lava and tuff.^[73]

The land surrounding Dundee, particularly that in the lower lying areas to the west and east of the city, bears high quality soil that is particularly suitable for arable farming. It is predominantly of a

gleying, the lower parts being formed from raised beach sands and gravels derived from Old Red Sandstone and lavas.^[74]

Location

Urban environment

Very little of pre-

War of the Rough Wooing being almost total, with only scattered, roofless shells remaining.^[75] The area occupied by the medieval burgh of Dundee extends between East Port and West Port, which formerly held the gates to the walled city. The shoreline has been altered considerably since the early 19th century through development of the harbour area and land reclamation.^[76] Several areas on the periphery of the burgh saw industrial development with the building of textile mills from the end of the 18th century. Their placement was dictated by the need for a water supply for the modern steam powered machinery, and areas around the Lochee Burn (Lochee), Scouring Burn (Blackness) and Dens Burn (Dens Road area) saw particular concentrations of mills.^[77] The post war period saw expansion of industry to estates along the Kingsway.^[78]

Working-class housing spread rapidly and without control throughout the Victorian era, particularly in the Hawkhill, Blackness Road, Dens Road and Hilltown areas.

Craigiebank and the beginnings of an improved transport infrastructure by planning the Kingsway bypass.^[81]

Modernisation of the city centre continued in the post-war period. The medieval Overgate was demolished in the early 1960s to make way for a shopping centre, followed by construction of the inner ring road and the Wellgate Shopping Centre.[82] The Tay Road Bridge, completed in 1966, had as its northern landfall the docklands of central Dundee, and the new associated road system resulted in the city centre being cut off from the river.^[83] An acute shortage of housing in the late 1940s was addressed by a series of large housing estates built in the northern environs, including the Fintry, Craigie, Charleston and Douglas areas in the 1950s and early 1960s.^[84] These were followed by increasingly cost-effective and sometimes poorly planned housing throughout the 1960s.^[85] Much of this, in particular the high-rise blocks of flats at Lochee, Kirkton, Trottick, Whitfield, Ardler and Menzieshill, and the prefabricated Skarne housing blocks at Whitfield, has been demolished since the 1990s or is scheduled for future demolition.^[86]

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Areas of Dundee and nearby settlements

Climate

The climate, like the rest of lowland Scotland, is Oceanic (Köppen-Geiger classification Cfb).^[87] Mean temperature and rainfall are typical for the east coast of Scotland, and with the city's sheltered estuarine position, mean daily maxima are slightly higher than coastal areas to the North, particularly in spring and summer.^[88] The summers are still chilly when compared with similar latitudes in continental Europe, something compensated for by the mild winters, similar to the rest of the British Isles. The nearest official Met Office weather station is Mylnefield, Invergowrie which is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the City Centre.

A record high of 29.3 °C (84.7 °F) was recorded in July 2013.^{[citation needed]} The warmest month was July 2006,^[89] with an average temperature of 17.4 °C (63.3 °F) (average high 22.5 °C (72.5 °F), average low 12.3 °C (54.1 °F)). In an 'average' year the warmest day should reach^[90] 25.2 °C (77.4 °F), and in total just 1.86 days^[91] should equal or exceed a temperature of 25.0 °C (77.0 °F) per year, illustrating the rarity of such warmth.

On average, 4.73 days should record a minimum temperature at or below -5 °C and there are 53.26 days of air frost on average. From 1991 to 2020, Mylnefield averaged 0.9 ice days, 50 days with precipitation of more than 5mm and 19.56 days with more than 10mm. The weather station is in plant hardiness zone 10a.^[91]

Demography

Dundee's recorded population reached a peak of 182,204 at the 1971 census. According to the 2011 census, the City of Dundee had a population of 147,268.^[95] A more recent population estimate of the City of Dundee has been recorded at 149,680 in 2020.^[98] The demographic make-up of the population is much in line with the rest of Scotland. The age group from 30 to 44 forms the largest portion of the population (20%).^[96] The median age of males and females living in Dundee was 37 and 40 years, respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland.^[96]

The place of birth of the town's residents was 94.16% United Kingdom (including 87.85% from Scotland), 0.42% Ireland, 1.33% from other European Union (EU) countries, and 3.09% from elsewhere in the world. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 35.92% in full-time employment, 10.42% in part-time employment, 4.25% self-employed, 5.18% unemployed, 7.82% students with jobs, 4.73% students without jobs, 15.15% retired, 4.54% looking after home or family, 7.92% permanently sick or disabled, and 4.00% economically inactive for other reasons. Compared with the average demography of Scotland, Dundee has both low proportions of people born outside the United Kingdom and for people over 75 years old.

Natives of Dundee are called Dundonians and are often recognisable by their distinctive dialect of

In 1911 40% of the city were employed in the jute industry. By 1951 this had dropped to 20%, and now is effectively zero.[108]

The period following World War II was notable for the transformation of the city's economy. While jute still employed one-fifth of the working population, new industries were attracted and encouraged.

Dundee is a regional employment and education centre, with around 325,000 people within 30 minutes' drive of the city centre and 860,000 people within one hour.

Several government agencies and public sector organisations are based in Dundee, such as the Care Inspectorate (Scotland), the Scottish Social Services Council and Social Security Scotland.

Other employers include limited and private companies such as

Dundee is also a key retail destination for North East Scotland and has been ranked fourth in Retail Rankings in Scotland.

The city and its landscape are dominated by

The oldest building in the city is St Mary's Tower, which dates from the late 15th century.[122] This forms part of the City Churches, which consist of St Clement's Church, dating to 1787–8 and built by Samuel Bell, Old St Paul's and St David's Church, built in 1841–42 by William Burn, and St Mary's Church, rebuilt in 1843–44, also by Burn, following a fire.^[123] Other significant churches in the city include the Gothic Revival St Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, built by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1853 on the former site of Dundee Castle in the High Street,^[124] and the Catholic St. Andrew's Cathedral, built in 1835 by George Mathewson in Nethergate.^[125]

As a result of the destruction suffered during the

Several castles can be found in Dundee, mostly from the Early Modern Era. The earliest parts of Mains Castle in Caird Park were built by David Graham in 1562 on the site of a hunting lodge of 1460.^[129] Dudhope Castle, originally the seat of the Scrymgeour family, dates to the late 16th century and was built on the site of a keep of 1460.^[130] Claypotts Castle, a striking Z plan castle in West Ferry, was built by John Strachan and dates from 1569 to 1588.^[131] In 1495 Broughty Castle was built and remained in use as a major defensive structure until 1932, playing a role in the Anglo-Scottish Wars and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The castle stands on a shallow tip projecting into the Firth, alongside two beaches, one of sand, the other of pebbles. The ruins of Powrie Castle, north of Fintry, date from the 16th-century castle north.^{[clarification needed][132]}

North of the City Churches, at the end of Reform Street, lies the High School of Dundee, built in 1829–34 by George Angus in a Greek Revival style.^[133] Another school building of note is Morgan Academy on Forfar Road, built in 1863, designed by John Dick Peddie in a Dutch Gothic style.^[134]

Dundee's industrial history as a centre for textile production is apparent throughout the city. Numerous former jute mills remain standing and while some lay derelict, many have been converted for other uses. Of particular note are the Tay Works, built by the Gilroy Brothers c. 1850–1865,^[135] Camperdown Works in Lochee, which built and owned by Cox Brothers, one of Europe's largest jute manufacturing companies, and begun in 1849,^[136][137] and Upper Dens Mill and Lower Dens Works, built by the Baxter Brothers in the mid-19th century.^[138]

A more recent landmark is the 140-foot (43 m) Tower Building of the University of Dundee built between 1959 and 1961. At the time of its construction only the Old Steeple was taller in the city. The Tower was built to replace the original college buildings which stood on the site.^[139][140] The building houses the university's main administration and includes galleries and the university's Archive, Records Management and Museum Services.^[141]

Many 1960s landmark multi-storey housing buildings were demolished in the late 2000s. The former Tayside House block, nicknamed 'Faulty Towers' by many local people, was demolished in 2013 as part of the waterfront redevelopment program.^[142] According to the architectural historian Charles McKean and his co-authors of Lost Dundee, the best views in the city were from Tayside House, because these were the only views from which the building itself could not be seen.^[143]

Transport

Road

Dundee is served by the A90 road, which connects the city to the M90 and Perth in the west with Forfar and Aberdeen in the north. The part of the road that is in the city is a dual carriageway and forms the city's main bypass on its north side, known as the Kingsway. East of the A90's Forfar Road junction, the Kingsway East continues as the A972 and meets the A92 at the Scott Fyffe roundabout. Travelling east, the A92 connects the city to Arbroath and Montrose and to the south with Fife, via the Tay Road Bridge.

The A930 links the city with coastal settlements to the east, including Monifieth and Carnoustie. Progressing westward from where the A92 meets the Tay Road Bridge at the Riverside Roundabout, the A85 follows the southern boundary of the city along Riverside Drive and towards the A90 at the Swallow Roundabout. The A85 multiplexes with the A90 and diverges again at Perth.

Also meeting the A92 and A85 at the Riverside Roundabout is the

Buses

Dundee has an extensive network of bus routes. The

There are also many inter-city bus services offered by Megabus, Citylink and National Express.

Rail

Passenger services at Dundee are provided by ScotRail, CrossCountry, Caledonian Sleeper and London North Eastern Railway. There are other nearby stations at Invergowrie, Balmossie and Monifieth.

No freight trains have served the city since the Freightliner terminal in Dundee was closed in the 1980s.

Airport

Dundee Airport offers commercial flights to Heathrow Airport, Belfast City, Kirkwall Airport, and Sumburgh (Shetland) by Loganair. The airport is capable of serving small aircraft and is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the city centre, adjacent to the River Tay.

The nearest major international airport is Edinburgh Airport, 59.2 miles (95.3 km) to the south.

Seaport

The cargo port of Dundee is one of the largest economic generators in the city and is operated by

Education

Colleges and universities

Dundee is home to two universities and a student population of approximately 20,000.^[145][146]

The

Schools in Dundee have a pupil enrolment of over 20,300. There are 37 primary state schools and 8 secondary state schools in the city. There are 11 primary and 2 secondary Roman Catholic denominational schools which, as in the rest of Scotland, are open to children of all denominations.^[155] The remainder are non-denominational.^[156] There is also one specialist school that caters for pupils with learning difficulties aged between five and 18 from Dundee and the surrounding area.^[157]

Dundee has one independent school, the

The

In the Middle Ages Dundee was also the site of houses of the Dominicans (Blackfriars), and Franciscans (Greyfriars), and had a number of hospitals and chapels. These establishments were sacked during the Scottish Reformation, in the mid-16th century, and were reduced to burial grounds, now Barrack Street (also referred to as the Dek-tarn street) and The Howff burial ground, respectively.^[166]

Dundee made a bid to be named the 2017 UK City of Culture, and on 19 June 2013 was named as one of the four short-listed cities alongside Hull, Leicester and Swansea Bay.^[188] Ultimately, Dundee's bid was unsuccessful, with Hull winning the contest.^[189] Dundee came in fifth place in a newspaper survey regarding numbers of cultural venues in the United Kingdom, ahead of other Scottish cities.^[190][191]

In August 2021, Dundee made a joint bid with Perth and Kinross, Angus and Fife for the UK City of Culture again in 2025 under the title of 'Tay Cities'.^[192]

Dundee also went to bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2023 but due to the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union in June 2016, Dundee's bid, along with those of other British cities submitting bids, was discontinued by the European Commission.^[193][194]

Museums and galleries

The city's main museum and art gallery,

Dundee Contemporary Arts (abbreviated DCA) opened in 1999 is an international art centre in the Nethergate close to Dundee Rep, which houses two contemporary art galleries, a two-screen arthouse cinema, a print studio, a visual research centre and a café bar.^[196]

Britain's only full-time public observatory, Mills Observatory at the summit of the city's Balgay Hill, was given to the city by linen manufacturer and keen amateur scientist John Mills in 1935.^[197]

The city's archival records are mostly kept by two archives: Dundee City Archives, operated by Dundee City Council and the University of Dundee's Archive Services. Dundee City Archives holds the official records of the city and of the former

Dundee's poetic heritage is represented by the 2013 poetry anthology Whaleback City edited by W. N. Herbert and Andy Jackson (Dundee University Press) containing poems by McGonagall, Don Paterson, Douglas Dunn, John Burnside and many others. City of Recovery Press was founded in Dundee, and has become a controversial figure in documenting the darker side of the city.[208]

Cinema

The Dundee Mountain Film Festival (DMFF), held in the last weekend of November, presents the best presenters and films of the year in mountaineering, mountain culture and adventure sport, along with an art and trade exhibition.^[209] DMFF is also one of the members of International Alliance for Mountain Film (IAMF)^[210] among other important international mountain film festivals.

Dundee Contemporary Arts hosts an annual horror film festival called Dundead, which started in 2011.^[211] It also hosts the Discovery Film Festival, an international film festival targeted for young audiences.^[212]

The city also has two Multiplex cinemas, Odeon and Cineworld.

Theatre, drama, dance

Dundee is home to a full-time

The Whitehall Theatre opened in 1969.[214]

The Little Theatre at the foot of the Hilltown is home to and maintained by Dundee Dramatic Society.^[215]

Music

Dundee's principal concert

Dundee has hosted the National Mod a number of times – 1902, 1913, 1937, 1959 and 1974.^[217]

Dundee also hosted BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend back in 2006 and was due to host for a second time in 2020 but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dundee hosted the event again on 26th-28 May 2023 at Camperdown Park in the north-west of the city.^[218]

Popular music groups such as the 1970s

Dundee is home to DC Thomson & Son Ltd, established in 1905, which produces over 200 million magazines, newspapers and comics every year; these include

Dundee has two professional

Dundee Stars, the main ice hockey team, play at the Dundee Ice Arena. The team joined the Elite League in the 2010/2011 season.^[229] They are one of three professional ice hockey teams in Scotland, and play against teams from England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the Elite League. In the 2013/2014 season, Dundee Stars won the Gardiner Conference trophy, their only one to date. The majority of the players are from Canada and the United States. Marc LeFebvre is the current head coach and general manager of the Dundee Stars.^{[citation needed]}

There are also two amateur ice hockey teams, Dundee Tigers and Dundee Comets, who both play in the Scottish National League.^[230]

Rugby

The city is also home to six

Liz McColgan and Eilish McColgan both hail from Dundee and have been members of the Dundee Hawkhill Harriers athletics club.

Other sports

Local sports clubs include Dundee Handball Club, Grove Menzieshill Hockey Club; Dundee Wanderers Hockey Club, Dundee Volleyball Club,^[235] Dundee Northern Lights Floorball Club, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Dundee City Aquatics, Dundee Hurricanes, Dundee Roller Derby and Dundee & Angus Radio Controlled Car Klub (DARCCK).

The Olympia Leisure Centre, opened in 2013, has a swimming pool.

There is a velodrome, Caird Park Velodrome.

Public services

Dundee and the surrounding area is supplied with water by

Waste management is handled by

Recycling centres and points are at a number of locations in Dundee.[240] Items accepted include steel and aluminium cans, cardboard, paper, electrical equipment, engine oil, fridges and freezers, garden waste, gas bottles, glass, liquid food and drinks cartons, plastic bottles, plastic carrier bags, rubble, scrap metal, shoes and handbags, spectacles, textiles, tin foil, wood and yellow pages. Recent figures taken in 2008, suggest the city council has a recycling rate of 36.1%.^[241]

Law enforcement is provided by Police Scotland. The headquarters of the Dundee Branch of Police Scotland is situated in West Bell Street.^[242] There are also four police stations which serve the city: Maryfield, Lochee, Downfield and Longhaugh.^[242]

Healthcare is supplied in the area by NHS Tayside. Ninewells Hospital, is the only hospital with an accident and emergency department in the area. Dundee is also served by the East Central Region of the Scottish Ambulance Service which covers the city, Tayside and Kingdom of Fife.^[243] There is one ambulance station for the city; on West School Road.^[244]

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service operate three fire stations, covering the city and surrounding villages. The main station is at Blackness Road and there is a control room at Macalpine Road fire station.

Sister cities

Chronologically:

• Orléans, France (1946)^[245]
• Zadar, Croatia (1959)^[246]
• Alexandria, United States (1962)^[247]
• Würzburg, Germany (1962)^[246]
• Nablus, Palestine (1980)^[246]
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2004)^[248]
• West Dundee, United States (2013)^[249]

Freedom of the City

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City of Dundee.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2021)

Individuals

• Sir John Leng: 1902.
• Whitelaw Reid: 1906.
• H. H. Asquith: October 1912.
• Emma Grace Marryat: 1918.
• Thomas Johnston: 1947.
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: 1954.
• Maurice McManus: 1981.
• Nelson Mandela: 9 October 1993.^[250]
• Ramsay MacDonald
• Stanley Baldwin
• Rev. William Macmillan
• James McLean

Military units

• The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment): 1954.^[251]

See also

• Brittle Bone Society, a UK charity established in 1968 in Dundee
• Dundee Museum of Transport
• History of Dundee#Notable Dundonians and people associated with Dundee
• Alexander C. Lamb and references to the Lamb Collection, which is held in the City Museum and the Local History Centre of Dundee Central Library

Notes

References