Dundee

Dundee Dùn Dè (Scottish Gaelic)
Cityand council area
Dundee City
Skyline of Dundee from Fife V&A Dundee RRS Discovery Tay Bridge McManus Galleries
Coat of arms Flag of the Dundee City Council [1] [2]
Etymology:Scottish Gaelic–Dùn Dè(Tay Fort)[3]
Nickname: " The City of Discovery"
Dundee Dundee localitywithin the Dundee City council area
Dundee Location in Scotland Show map of Scotland Dundee Dundee (Europe) Show map of Europe
Coordinates:56°27′38″N2°58′12″W / 56.46056°N 2.97000°W /56.46056; -2.97000
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Council Area	Dundee City
Lieutenancy Area	Dundee
Founded	c.11th century AD
Burgh charter	1191; 833 years ago(1191)
City status	26 January 1889; 135 years ago(1889-01-26)
Government
• Body	Dundee City Council
•Lord Provost	Bill Campbell
• Leader of Dundee City Council	Mark Flynn
•MSPs	2 Joe FitzPatrick(SNP) Shona Robison(SNP)
•MPs	2 Stephen Gethins(SNP) Chris Law(SNP)
Area [4]
•Locality	18.0 sq mi (46.5 km2)
• Urban ( Settlement) [5]	19.4 sq mi (50.2 km2)
•Council area[6]	20 sq mi (60 km2)
Elevation [7]	59 ft (18 m)
Population (2022) [6](2022) [8]
•Locality	148,210
• Rank	4th, Scotland
• Density	8,300/sq mi (3,200/km2)
•Urban ( Settlement)	158,820
• Urban density	8,200/sq mi (3,200/km2)
•Metro (2020) [9]	264,890
• Council area	148,350
• Council area density	6,430/sq mi (2,481/km2)
• Language(s)	English Scots
Demonym	Dundonian
Time zone	UTC±0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1(BST)
Postcode district	DD1-5
Area code	01382
ISO 3166-2	GB-DND
ONS Code	S12000042
OS Grid Reference	NO4030
NUTS3	UKM21
Primary airport	Dundee Airport
Website	www.dundeecity.gov.uk

Dundee(/dʌnˈdiː/^ⓘ;Scots:Dundee;Scottish Gaelic:Dùn DèorDùn Dèagh,pronounced[t̪unˈtʲeː]) is thefourth-largestcity inScotland. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was 148,210, giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km²(6,420/mi²), thesecond-highestin Scotland. It lies within the easterncentral Lowlandson the north bank of theFirth of Tay, which feeds into theNorth Sea. Under the name ofDundee City,^[10]it forms one of the 32council areasused forlocal government in Scotland. Within the boundaries of thehistoric countyofAngus, the city developed into aburghin the late 12th century and established itself as an important east coast trading port.^[11]Rapid expansion was brought on by theIndustrial Revolution, particularly in the 19th century when Dundee was the centre of the globaljuteindustry.^[12]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 theRRSDiscovery,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'sdigital entertainmentindustry, including mobile app development and gaming. Dundee has two universities – theUniversity of DundeeandAbertay University. In 2014, Dundee was recognised by the United Nations as the UK's firstUNESCOCity of Design for its diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics and video games.^[13][14][15]

With the decline of traditional industry, the city has adopted a plan to regenerate and reinvent itself as a cultural centre.^[16]In pursuit of this, a £1 billion master plan to regenerate and to reconnect the Waterfront to the city centre started in 2001 and is expected to be completed within a 30-year period. TheV&A Dundee– the first branch of theV&Ato operate outside of London – is the main centrepiece of the waterfront project.^[17][18]

A unique feature of Dundee is that its two professionalfootballclubs,Dundee F.C.andDundee United F.C., have stadiums all but adjacent to each other.^[19]In recent years, Dundee's international profile has risen.GQmagazine named Dundee the "Coolest Little City in Britain" in 2015 andThe Wall Street Journalranked Dundee at number 5 on its "Worldwide Hot Destinations" list for 2018.^[20]

The name "Dundee" is made up of two parts: the commonCelticplace-name elementdun, meaning fort; and a second part that may derive from a Celtic element, cognate with the Gaelicdè, meaning 'fire'.^[21]

While earlier evidence for human occupation is abundant,^[22]Dundee's success and growth as a seaport town arguably came as a result ofWilliam the Lion's charter, granting Dundee to his younger brother,David(laterEarl of Huntingdon) in the late 12th century.^[23]The situation of the town and its promotion by Earl David as a trading centre led to a period of prosperity and growth.^[24]The earldom was passed down to David's descendants, amongst whom wasJohn Balliol. The town became aRoyal Burghon John's coronation as king in 1292.^[25]The town and its castle were occupied by English forces for several years during theFirst War of Independenceand recaptured byRobert the Brucein early 1312.^[26]The original burghal charters were lost during the occupation and subsequently renewed by Bruce in 1327.^[27]

The burgh suffered considerably during the conflict known as theRough Wooingof 1543 to 1550, and was occupied by the English forces ofAndrew Dudleyfrom 1547. In 1548, unable to defend the town against an advancing Scottish force, Dudley ordered that the town be burnt to the ground.^[28]In 1645, during theWars of the Three Kingdoms, Dundee was again besieged, this time by the RoyalistMarquess of Montrose.^[29]The town was finally destroyed by Parliamentarian forces led byGeorge Monckin 1651.^[30]The town played a pivotal role in the establishment of theJacobitecause whenJohn Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundeeraised theStuartstandard on theDundee Lawin 1689.^[31]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.^[32]

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.^[33]

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.^[34]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 onOsnaburglinen produced for export.^[35]Expansion of thewhalingindustry was triggered by the second Bounty Act, introduced in 1750 to increase Britain's maritime and naval skill base.^[36]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.^[37]

The phasing out of the linen export bounty between 1825 and 1832 stimulated demand for cheaper textiles, particularly for cheaper, tough fabrics.^[38]The discovery that the dry fibres ofjutecould be lubricated withwhale 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.^[39]Interruption ofPrussianflax imports during theCrimean Warand of cotton during theAmerican Civil Warresulted in a period of inflated prosperity for Dundee and the jute industry dominated Dundee throughout the latter half of the 19th century.^[40]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.^[41]Cox Brothers, who owned the massiveCamperdown WorksinLochee, were one of the largest jute manufacturers in Europe and employed more than 5,000 workers.^[42]

The rise of the textile industries brought with it an expansion of supporting industries, notably of the whaling, maritime and shipbuilding industries,^[43]and extensive development of the waterfront area started in 1815 to cope with increased demand for port capacity.^[44]At its height, 200 ships per year were built there, includingRobert Falcon Scott's Antarctic research vessel, theRRSDiscovery. This ship is now on display at Discovery Point in the city.^[45]A significant whaling industry was also based in Dundee, largely existing to supply the jute mills withwhale oil. Whaling ceased in 1912 and shipbuilding ceased in 1981.^[46]

While the city's economy was dominated by the jute industry, it also became known for smaller industries. Most notable among these wereJames Keiller's and Sons, established in 1795, which pioneered commercialmarmaladeproduction,^[47]and the publishing firmDC Thomson, which was founded in the city in 1905. Dundee was said to be built on the 'three Js': Jute, Jam and Journalism.

Dundee was the first city in Scotland to gain officialcity status, afterQueen Victoriasigned a patent announcing the transition of Dundee from a royal burgh into a city. Dundee would officially gain city status on 26 January 1889. The patent still exists and is kept in storage in the city archives.^[48]

The town was also the location of one of the worst rail disasters in British history, theTay Bridge disaster. The firstTay Rail Bridgewas 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.^[49]Themost destructive fire in the city's historycame 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 inCalcutta.^[50]This gave rise to unemployment levels far in excess of the national average, peaking in the inter-war period,^[51]but major recovery was seen in the post-war period, thanks to the arrival first of American light engineering companies likeTimexandNCR, and subsequent expansion into microelectronics.^[52]

A £1 billion master plan to regenerate Dundee Waterfront is expected to last for a 30-year period between 2001 and 2031.^[53]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 newVictoria and Albert Museumopened on 15 September 2018. A newEden Projectattraction is also set to open in Dundee by the 2030s.^[54][55][56]

Dundee City is one of 32council areas of Scotland, administered byDundee City Council.^[57]The council meets atDundee City Chambersin City Square and has its mains offices atDundee Houseon North Lindsay Street. The civic head and chair of the council is theLord Provost.

The council area is also divided into eighteencommunity council areas, three of which (Broughty Ferry,City Centre and Harbour, andWest End) had community councils operating as at August 2024.^[58]

Dundee appears to have been made aburghsometime between 1181 and 1195.^[59]It was then raised toroyal burghstatus on the coronation ofJohn Balliolas King of Scotland in 1292.^[25]The city has two mottos:Latin:Dei Donum('Gift of God') andPrudentia et Candore('With Thought and Purity') although usually only the latter is used for civic purposes.^[60]

Dundee was declared a city in 1889, being the first Scottish place to have the title of city explicitly conferred on it rather than assuming it by customary usage.^[59]In 1894, Dundee was made acounty of itself, removing it fromAngus.^[61]The city's boundaries were enlarged on numerous occasions, notably in 1913 when it absorbed the neighbouring burgh ofBroughty Ferry.^[62][63][64]

From 1975 to 1996, Dundee was governed by the City of Dundee District Council, one of three district-level authorities within theTaysideregion. The district was created under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973and covered a larger area than the pre-1975 city, taking in the burgh ofMonifiethand most of thelandward districtof Monifieth (covering a number of villages north of Dundee) from Angus, and the parish ofLongforgan(which includedInvergowrie) fromPerthshire.^[65]In 1996, the Dundee City council area was created under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.^[57]Monifieth and the villages north of Dundee itself were transferred back to Angus, and the Longforgan area (including Invergowrie) was transferred toPerth and Kinross, largely reinstating the pre-1975 boundaries. Some controversy has ensued as a result of these boundary changes, with Dundee city councillors arguing for the return of Monifieth and Invergowrie.^[66]

For elections to theHouse of CommonsatWestminster, the city area and portions of theAnguscouncil area are divided into twoconstituencies.^[67]The constituencies ofArbroath and Broughty FerryandDundee Westare represented byStephen Gethins(Scottish National Party)^[68]andChris Law(Scottish National Party), respectively, both of whom were elected and re-elected respectively at the2024 general election. For elections to theScottish ParliamentatHolyrood, the city area is divided across three constituencies. TheDundee City East constituencyand theDundee City West constituencyare entirely within the city area. TheAngus South (Holyrood) constituencyincludes north-eastern and north-western portions of the city area.^[67]All three constituencies are within theNorth East Scotland electoral region:Shona Robison(SNP) is theMember of the Scottish Parliament(MSP) for the Dundee East constituency;^[69]Joe Fitzpatrick(SNP) is the current MSP for the Dundee West constituency^[70]andGraeme Dey(SNP) is the current MSP for the Angus South constituency.^[71]

Winston Churchill served as one of two MPsfor Dundee from1908to1922.

On 18 September 2014, Dundee was one of four council areas to vote "Yes" in theScottish 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 theYes Scotlandcampaign nicknamed Dundee the "Yes City", including former First MinisterAlex Salmond.^[72][73]

Dundee sits on the north bank of theFirth of Tayon the eastern,North SeaCoast of Scotland. The city lies 36.1 miles (58 km)NNEofEdinburgh^[74]and 360.6 miles (580 km)NNWof London.^[74]The built-up area occupies a roughly rectangular shape 8.3 miles (13 km) long by 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, aligned in an east to west direction and occupies an area of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi).^[75][76]The town is bisected by a line of hills stretching from Balgay Hill (elevation of 143 m) in the west end of the city, through theDundee Law(174 m) which occupies the centre of the built up area, to Gallow Hill (83 m), betweenBaxter Parkand the Eastern Cemetery. North of this ridge lies a valley through which cuts the Dighty Waterburn, the elevation falling to around 45 m. North of the Dighty valley lie theSidlaw Hills, the most prominent hill beingCraigowl Hill(455 m).^[75]

The western and eastern boundaries of the city are marked by twoburnsthat are tributaries of theRiver Tay. On the westernmost boundary of the city, the Lochee burn meets the Fowlis burn, forming theInvergowrieburn, which meets the Tay at Invergowrie basin.^[75]The Dighty Water enters Dundee from the village ofStrathmartineand marks the boundaries of a number of northern districts of the city, joining the Tay betweenBarnhillandMonifieth.^[75]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 beenculvertedover.

The city lies within the Sidlaw-Ochilanticline, and the predominant bedrock type isOld Red Sandstoneof the Arbuthnott-Garvock group.^[77]Differential weatheringof a series ofigneous intrusionshas yielded a number of prominent hills in the landscape, most notably theDundee Law(a lateSilurian/earlyDevonianMaficrock intrusion) and Balgay hill (aFelsicrock intrusion of similar age).^[77]In the east of the city, inCraigieandBroughty Ferry, the bedrock geology is ofextrusive rocks, including maficlavaandtuff.^[77]

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 abrown forest soiltype with somegleying, the lower parts being formed from raised beach sands and gravels derived from Old Red Sandstone and lavas.^[78]

Very little of pre-ReformationDundee remains, the destruction suffered in theWar of the Rough Wooingbeing almost total, with only scattered, roofless shells remaining.^[79]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.^[80]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.^[81]The post war period saw expansion of industry to estates along the Kingsway.^[82]

Working-class housing spread rapidly and without control throughout the Victorian era, particularly in the Hawkhill, Blackness Road, Dens Road and Hilltown areas.^[83]Despite the comparative wealth of Victorian Dundee as a whole, living standards for the working classes were very poor. A general lack of town planning coupled with the influx of labour during the expansion of the jute industry resulted in insanitary, squalid and cramped housing for much of the population.^[84]While gradual improvements andslum clearancebegan in the late 19th century, the building of the groundbreakingLogiehousing estate marked the beginning of Dundee's expansion through the building of planned housing estates, under the vision of city architectJames Thomson, whose legacy also includes the housing estate ofCraigiebankand the beginnings of an improved transport infrastructure by planning the Kingsway bypass.^[85]

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.^[86]TheTay 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.^[87]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.^[88]These were followed by increasingly cost-effective and sometimes poorly planned housing throughout the 1960s.^[89]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.^[90]

Areas of Dundee:

The climate, like the rest of lowland Scotland, isOceanic(Köppen-Geigerclassification Cfb).^[91]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.^[92]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 officialMet Officeweather station is Mylnefield,Invergowriewhich 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,^[93]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^[94]25.2 °C (77.4 °F), and in total just 1.86 days^[95]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.^[95]

City of Dundee compared according to the2011 UK census ^{[99] [100] [101]}

	City of Dundee	Scotland	United Kingdom
Total population	147,268	5,295,403	63,182,000
Foreign born	9%	7%	12.7%
Over 75 years old	8.3%	7.7%	7.9%
Unemployed	5.7%	4.8%	7.4%

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.^[99]A more recent population estimate of the City of Dundee has been recorded at 149,680 in 2020.^[102]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%).^[100]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.^[100]

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 otherEuropean 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 ofScotsas well as theiraccent, which most noticeably substitutes themonophthong/ɛ/ (pronounced "eh") in place of thediphthong/aj/ (pronounced "ai").^[103]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.^[37]Of particular significance was an influx of Irish workers in the early to mid-19th century, attracted by the prospect of employment in the textiles industries. In 1851, 18.9% of people living in Dundee were of Irish birth.^[104]

The city has also attracted immigrants from Italy, fleeing poverty and famine, in the 19th century Jews, fleeing from the Russia controlled portions of partitioned Poland and from German occupation in the 20th. Today, Dundee has a sizeableethnic minoritypopulation, and has around 4,000 Asian residents which is the fourth-largest Asian community in Scotland. The city also has 1.0% of residents from a Black/African/Caribbean background.^[105]

Dundee has a higher proportion of university students – one in seven of the population – than any other town in Europe, exceptHeidelberg.^[106]The 14.2% come from all around the world to attend the local universities and colleges. Dundee is a major attraction for Northern Irish students who make up 5% of the total student population. The city's universities are believed to hold the highest percentage of Northern Irish students outside of Northern Ireland and have a big impact on the local economy and culture. However, this has declined in recent years due to the increase of tuition fees for students elsewhere in the UK. Dundee also has a lot of students from abroad, mostly from the Republic of Ireland and otherEU countriesbut with an increasing number from countries from the Far East andNigeria.^[7]

Ethnic Group	1981 estimations[107]		1991[108][109]		2001[110]		2011[110][111]		2022[112]
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
White: Total	172,162	98.6%	162,630	98%	140,330	96.31%	138,460	94%	133,621	89.9%
White:Scottish	–	–	–	–	128,507	88.22%	123,827	84.08%	114,803	77.21%
White:Other British	–	–	–	–	7,822	5.36%	7,783	5.28%	9,119	6.13%
White:Irish	–	–	1,167	0.7%	1,470	1%	1,369	0.93%	1,342	0.90%
White:Gypsy/Traveller[note 1]	–	–	–	–	–	–	98	–	87	–
White:Polish[note 1]	–	–	–	–	–	–	1,990	1.35%	3,153	2.12%
White:Other	–	–	–	–	2,531	1.73%	3,393	2.30%	5,117	3.44%
Asian,Asian ScottishorAsian British: Total	–	–	2,573	1.55%	4,094	2.81%	5,838	3.96%	8,806	5.92%
Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Indian	–	–	628	0.37%	1,023	0.70%	1,417	0.96%	2,068	1.39%
Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Pakistani	–	–	1,157	0.69%	1,723	1.18%	2,047	1.39%	3,395	2.28%
Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Bangladeshi	–	–	119	–	233	0.16%	310	0.21%	696	0.47%
Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Chinese	–	–	398	0.24%	699	0.48%	1,274	0.87%	1,342	0.90%
Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Asian Other	–	–	271	0.16%	416	0.29%	790	0.54%	1,309	0.88%
Black,Black ScottishorBlack British[note 2]	–	–	254	0.15%	35	–	–	–	–	–
African: Total	–	–	–	–	288	0.19%	1,170	0.79%	2,090	1.41%
African:African,African ScottishorAfrican British	–	–	–	–	288	0.19%	1,163	0.79%	108	–
African:Other African	–	–	–	–	–	–	7	–	1,982	1.33%
CaribbeanorBlack: Total	–	–	-	-	60	-	269	0.18%	187	0.13%
Caribbean	–	–	–	–	60	–	167	0.11%	62	–
Black	–	–	–	–	–	–	66	–	18	–
Caribbean or Black:Other	–	–	–	–	–	–	36	–	110	–
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: Total	–	–	–	–	395	0.27%	685	0.46%	1,970	1.32%
Other: Total	–	–	416	0.25%	461	0.31%	846	0.57%	2,023	1.36%
Other:Arab[note 1]	–	–	–	–	–	–	693	0.47%	1,244	0.84%
Other: Any other ethnic group			416	0.25%	461	0.31%	153	0.1%	779	0.52%
Non-White: Total	2,475	1.4%	3,243	2%	5,333	3.6%	8,808	6%	15,076	10.1%
Total:	174,637	100%	165,873	100%	145,663	100%	147,268	100%	148,697	100%

The proportion of people residing in Dundee born outside the UK was 12.9% in 2022, compared with 9.0% in 2011 and 4.9% in 2001. Below are the fifteen largest overseas-born groups in Dundee according to the 2022 census, alongside the two previous censuses.^[113]

Country of birth	2022	2011	2001
Poland	2,616	1,807	127
India	1,449	986	599
Pakistan	1,364	862	701
Nigeria	1,186	601	66
Germany	775	899	696
United States	602	314	209
China	553	730	298
Ireland	529	572	625
Italy	474	199	197
Romania	435	95	11
Bangladesh	434	201	125
Spain	362	166	114
Latvia	355	211	0
Hong Kong	309	246	201
Malaysia	299	291	155
Overall – all overseas-born	19,194	13,253	7,198

In 1911 40% of the city's population was employed in the jute industry. By 1951 this had dropped to 20%, and now is effectively zero.^[114]

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.NCR Corporationselected Dundee as the base of operations for the UK in late 1945,^[115]primarily because of the lack of damage the city had sustained in the war, good transport links and high productivity from long hours of sunshine. Production started in the year before the official opening of the plant on 11 June 1947. A fortnight after the tenth anniversary of the plant the 250,000th cash register was produced.

By the 1960s, NCR had become the principal employer of the city producingcash registers, and laterATMs, at several of its Dundee plants. The firm developed magnetic-strip readers for cash registers and produced early computers.^[116]Astral, a Dundee-based firm that manufactured and soldrefrigeratorsandspin dryerswas merged intoMorphy Richardsand rapidly expanded to employ over 1,000 people. The development in Dundee of aMichelintyre-production facility helped to absorb the unemployment caused by the decline of the jute industry, particularly with the abolition of the jute control by theBoard of Tradeon 30 April 1969.^[117]

Employment in Dundee changed dramatically during the 1980s with the loss of nearly 10,000 manufacturing jobs due to closure of the shipyards, cessation of carpet manufacturing and the disappearance of the jute trade. To combat growing unemployment and declining economic conditions, Dundee was declared anEnterprise Zonein January 1984. In 1983, the firstZX Spectrumhome computerswere produced in Dundee byTimex. In the same year the company broke production records, despite asit-inby workers protesting against job cuts and plans to demolish one of the factory buildings to make way for a supermarket. Timex closed its Dundee plant in 1993 following an acrimonious six-monthindustrial dispute.^[118]The Michelin Tyre factory closed in June 2020, with the loss of 850 jobs.^[119]

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.^[120]Many people fromNorth East Fife, Angus andPerth and Kinrosscommute to the city.^[121]As of 2015, there were 395 employers who employed 250 or more staff; over a five-year period (2011–2015) the number of registered enterprises in Dundee increased by 20.9% from 2,655 to 3,210.^[121]The largest employers in the city areNHS Tayside, Dundee City Council,University of Dundee, Tayside Contracts,Tesco,D. C. Thomson & CoandBT.^[121]

Several government agencies and public sector organisations are based in Dundee, such as theCare Inspectorate (Scotland), theScottish Social Services CouncilandSocial Security Scotland.

Other employers include limited and private companies such asNCR,Michelin,Alliance Trust,Aviva,Royal Bank of Scotland,Asda,Stagecoach Strathtay,Tokheim,Scottish Citylink,Rochen Limited, C J Lang & Son (SPAR Scotland), Joinery and Timber Creations,Xplore Dundee, andW. L. Gore and Associates. Between 2009 and 2014 the hardest-hit sectors, in terms of jobs, were Information and Communication, Construction and Manufacturing which each lost around 500 full-time jobs. By contrast, the Professional, Scientific and Technical sector saw an upsurge in jobs in addition to the Business Administration and Support Service sector which increased by approximately 1,000 full-time and 300 part-time jobs in the same six-year period.^[121]Gross median weekly earnings of full-time employees in Dundee in 2015 was £523.50; men received £563.40 and women £451.80.^[121]Gross weekly pay for all employees in Dundee has increased from £325.00 in 2000 to £380.00 in 2015.^[121]

Thebiomedicalandbiotechnologysectors, including start-up biomedical companies arising from university research, employ just under 1,000 people directly and nearly 2,000 indirectly. Information technology andvideo game developmenthave been important industries in the city for more than 20 years.^[122]Rockstar North, developer ofLemmingsand theGrand Theft Autoseries was founded in Dundee as DMA Design byDavid Jones; an undergraduate of theAbertay University.^[123]Rockstar Games returned to Dundee in 2020 when they acquired Ruffian Games to formRockstar Dundee. Other game development studios in Dundee includeDenki,Dynamo Games,4J Studiosand Outplay Entertainment, among others.

Dundee is also a key retail destination for North East Scotland and has been ranked fourth in Retail Rankings in Scotland.^[124]The city centre offers a wide variety of retailers, department stores and independent/specialist stores. The Murraygate and High Street forms the main pedestrian area and is home to a number of main anchors such asMarks and Spencer,Accessorise.^[124]The main pedestrian area also connects the two large shopping centres; the 420,000-square-foot (39,000-square-metre) Overgate Centre which is anchored byPrimark,H&M,Next, Argos, andThe Perfume Shopand the 310,000-square-foot (29,000-square-metre) Wellgate Centre byHome Bargains,T. J. Hughes, B&M, Superdrug, Iceland, Holland & Barrett, Poundland, Savers, The Works, Hydro Electric,^[124]Other retail areas in the city include Gallagher Retail Park, Kingsway East Retail Park and Kingsway West Retail Park.^[124]The new Myrekirk Retail Park opened in 2022.^[125]

The city and its landscape are dominated byThe Lawand theFirth of Tay. The Law, a large hill to the north of theCity Centrewas the site of anIron AgeHill Fort, upon which the Law War Memorial, designed by Thomas Braddock, was erected in 1921 to commemorate the fallen ofWorld War I.^[126]The waterfront, much altered byreclamationin the 19th century, retains several of the docks that once were the hub of the jute and whaling industries, including the Camperdown and Victoria Docks.^[127]The Victoria Dock is the home of the frigateHMSUnicornand theNorth Carr Lightship, whileCaptain Scott'sRRSDiscoveryoccupies Craig Pier, from where the ferries toFifeonce sailed.

The oldest building in the city is St Mary's Tower, which dates from the late 15th century.^[128]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 byWilliam Burn, and St Mary's Church, rebuilt in 1843–44, also by Burn, following a fire.^[129]Other significant churches in the city include the Gothic RevivalSt Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, built bySir George Gilbert Scottin 1853 on the former site of Dundee Castle in the High Street,^[130]and the CatholicSt. Andrew's Cathedral, built in 1835 by George Mathewson in Nethergate.^[131]

As a result of the destruction suffered during theRough Wooing, little of the mediaeval city (aside from St Mary's Tower) remains and the earliest surviving domestic structures date from theEarly Modern Era. A notable example is the Wishart Arch (or East Port) in Cowgate. It is the last surviving portion of the city walls. Dating from prior to 1548, it owes its continued existence to its association with the ProtestantmartyrGeorge Wishart, who is said to have preached to plague victims from the East Port in 1544.^[132]Another is the building complex on the High Street known asGardyne's Land, parts of which date from around 1560.^[133]The Howffburial ground in the northern part of the City Centre also dates from this time; it was given to the city by Mary Queen of Scots in 1564, having previously served as the grounds of aFranciscanabbey.^[134]

Several castles can be found in Dundee, mostly from the Early Modern Era. The earliest parts ofMains Castlein Caird Park were built by David Graham in 1562 on the site of a hunting lodge of 1460.^[135]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.^[136]Claypotts Castle, a striking Z plan castle in West Ferry, was built by John Strachan and dates from 1569 to 1588.^[137]In 1495Broughty Castlewas built and remained in use as a major defensive structure until 1932, playing a role in theAnglo-Scottish Warsand theWars 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 ofPowrie Castle, north of Fintry, date from the 16th-century castle north.^{[clarification needed][138]}

North of the City Churches, at the end of Reform Street, lies theHigh School of Dundee, built in 1829–34 by George Angus in a Greek Revival style.^[139]Another school building of note isMorgan Academyon Forfar Road, built in 1863, designed byJohn Dick Peddiein a Dutch Gothic style.^[140]

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 Brothersc. 1850–1865,^[141]Camperdown Worksin Lochee, which built and owned by Cox Brothers, one of Europe's largest jute manufacturing companies, and begun in 1849,^[142][143]and Upper Dens Mill and Lower Dens Works, built by the Baxter Brothers in the mid-19th century.^[144]

A more recent landmark is the 140-foot (43 m) Tower Building of theUniversity of Dundeebuilt 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.^[145][146]The building houses the university's main administration and includes galleries and the university's Archive, Records Management and Museum Services.^[147]

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.^[148]According to the architectural historianCharles McKeanand 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.^[149]

Dundee is served by theA90 road, which connects the city to theM90andPerthin the west withForfarandAberdeenin the north. The part of the road that is in the city is adual carriagewayand 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 theA972and meets theA92at the Scott Fyffe roundabout. Travelling east, the A92 connects the city toArbroathandMontroseand to the south withFife, via theTay Road Bridge.

TheA930links the city with coastal settlements to the east, includingMonifiethandCarnoustie. Progressing westward from where the A92 meets the Tay Road Bridge at the Riverside Roundabout, theA85follows 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 theA991Inner Ring Road, which surrounds the perimeter of the city centre, returning to the A92 on the east side of the Tay Road Bridge. TheA923Dundee toDunkeldroad meets the A991 at the Dudhope Roundabout, and theA929links the A991 to the A90 via Forfar Road.

Dundee has an extensive network of bus routes. TheSeagate bus stationis the city's main terminus for journeys out of town.Xplore Dundeeoperates most of the intra-city services, with other more rural services operated byStagecoach Strathtayand Moffat & Williamson.^[150]The city's two railway stations are the mainDundee station, near the waterfront, which has now finished re-construction as part of the waterfront re-development programme and the much smallerBroughty Ferry stationat the eastern end of the city.

There are also many inter-city bus services offered byMegabus,CitylinkandNational Express.

Passenger services at Dundee are provided byScotRail,CrossCountry,Caledonian SleeperandLondon North Eastern Railway. There are other nearby stations atInvergowrie,BalmossieandMonifieth.

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

Dundee Airportoffers commercial flights toHeathrow Airport,Kirkwall Airport, andSumburgh (Shetland)byLoganair. 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 isEdinburgh Airport, 59.2 miles (95.3 km) to the south.

The cargo port of Dundee is one of the largest economic generators in the city and is operated byForth Ports. Seafarers arriving at the port are offered welfare and pastoral assistance by seafarers charityApostleship of the Sea. The seaport in recent years has saw a significant increase in cruises arriving at port. In 2023,Ambassador Cruise Linemade Dundee a port call following the launch of their second shipAmbition.^[151]Cruises from Dundee depart toNorway,Denmark, France, Spain, Sweden,Belgiumandthe Netherlands.^[152]

Dundee is home to two universities and a student population of approximately 20,000.^[153][154]

TheUniversity of Dundeebecame an independent entity in 1967, after 70 years of being incorporated into theUniversity of St Andrews. It was founded in 1881 byMary Ann Baxterand her distant cousin John Boyd Baxter as University College, Dundee, and teaching began in 1883. It fully merged with the University of St Andrews in 1897 and was reorganised as Queen's College, Dundee in 1954.^[155][156]Significant research inbiomedicalfields is carried out in theSchool of Life Sciences.^[157]The university is also home toDundee Law School,^[158]situated in the Scrymgeour Building on the main campus and theSchool of Medicine, based at the city'sNinewells Hospital.^[159]The university also incorporates theDuncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Designand the teacher training college.

Abertay Universitywas founded as Dundee Institute of Technology in 1888. Previously, the buildings formed Bell Street Technical College, a further education college. It was granted university status in 1994 under theFurther and Higher Education Act, 1992. The university is noted for its computing and creative technology courses, particularly in the fields ofcomputer gamestechnology andcyber-security.^[160][161]Notable alumni includeDavid Jones, founder of DMA Design (now known asRockstar North), SirBrian Souter, founder ofStagecoach, and LordIain McNicol, formerGeneral Secretary of the Labour Party.

Dundee Collegeis the city's umbrellafurther educationcollege, which was established in 1985 as an institution of higher education and vocational training. As of 2013, it merged withAngus CollegeinArbroath, to becomeDundee and Angus College(D&A college).

The Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education was established in Dundee in Blackness Road in 2002. It is a research-led institution of higher education which are currently offering programmes accredited bySQAin the study ofIslamandMuslims, Arabic language and Islamic Economics and Finance. It is an independent institution. It is named after its patron,Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.^[162]

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.^[163]The remainder are non-denominational.^[164]There is also one specialist school that caters for pupils with learning difficulties aged between five and 18 from Dundee and the surrounding area.^[165]

Dundee has one independent school, theHigh School of Dundee, which was founded in the 13th century by theAbbotandmonksofLindores Abbey.^[166]The current building was designed by George Angus in a Greek Revival style and built in 1832–34.^[167]Notable students in the early modern period includedThomas Thomson,Hector Boece,^[168]and the brothersJames, John and Robert Wedderburnwho were the authors ofThe Gude and Godlie Ballatis, used early in theScottish Reformationas a vehicle to spread Protestant theology.^[169]According toBlind Harry's largely apocryphal workThe Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace,William Wallacewas also educated in Dundee.

TheChurch of ScotlandPresbyteryof Dundee is responsible for overseeing the worship of 37 congregations in and around the Dundee area, although changing population patterns have led to some of the churches becoming linked charges.^[170]Due to their city centre location, the City Churches,Dundee Parish Church (St Mary's)and theSteeple Church, are the most prominentChurch of Scotlandbuildings in Dundee. They are on the site of the medieval parish kirk ofSt Mary, of which only the 15th-century west tower survives. The attached church was once the largest parish church in medieval Scotland.^[171]

Dundee was unusual among Scottish medieval burghs in having two parish kirks; the second, dedicated toSt Clement, has disappeared, but its site was approximately that of the present City Square.^[172]Other presbyterian groups include the Free Church which meet at St. Peters (the historic church ofRobert Murray M'Cheyne).^[173]

In theMiddle AgesDundee was also the site of houses of theDominicans(Blackfriars), andFranciscans(Greyfriars), and had a number of hospitals and chapels. These establishments were sacked during theScottish Reformation, in the mid-16th century, and were reduced to burial grounds, now Barrack Street (also referred to as the Dek-tarn street) andThe Howffburial ground, respectively.^[174]

St. Paul's Cathedralis the seat of theScottish EpiscopalDiocese of Brechin. It is charged with overseeing the worship of 9 congregations in the city, as well as a further 17 in Angus, the Carse of Gowrie and parts of Aberdeenshire. Since 2018 the diocese has been led byBishop Andrew Swift.^[175]St. Andrew's Cathedralis the seat of theRoman CatholicDiocese of Dunkeld, led by BishopStephen Robson. The diocese is responsible for overseeing 15 congregations in Dundee and 37 in the surrounding area, includingSt Mary, Our Lady of Victories Churchin the city.^[176]

There areMethodist,^[177]Baptist,^[178]Congregationalist,^[179]Pentecostal^[180]andSalvation Army^[181]churches in the city, and non-mainstream Christian groups are also well represented, including theUnitarians,^[182]theSociety of Friends,^[183]theJehovah's Witnesses,^[184]Seventh-day Adventists,Christadelphians,^[185]andThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[186]

Muslimsare served by theDundee Central Mosque, built in 2000 to replace their former premises on the Hilltown.^[188]There are three other mosques in the city including Jamia Masjid Tajdare Madina on Victoria Road, Jame Masjid Bilal on Dura Street and Al Maktoum Mosque on Wilkie's Lane. Alongside these there is an Islamic Society on theUniversity of Dundeecampus.^[189]

TheSikhcommunity is served by the Guru NanakGurdwaraon Victoria Road, which serves its community in Dundee.^[190]

A recorded Jewish community has existed in the city since the early 19th century.^[191]There is a smallOrthodoxsynagogueat Dudhope Park^[192]which was built in the 1960s,^[193]with the Hebrew Burial Grounds located three miles (4.8 km) to the east.^[194]Dundee Buddhist Group is aBuddhistTemple based in Reform Street.^[195]There is also aHindumandirin Taylor's Lane, situated in theWest Endof the city.^[196]

Dundee made a bid to be named the 2017UK City of Culture, and on 19 June 2013 was named as one of the four short-listed cities alongsideHull,LeicesterandSwansea Bay.^[197]Ultimately, Dundee's bid was unsuccessful, with Hull winning the contest.^[198]Dundee came in fifth place in a newspaper survey regarding numbers of cultural venues in the United Kingdom, ahead of other Scottish cities.^[199][200]

In August 2021, Dundee made a joint bid withPerth and Kinross,AngusandFifefor the UK City of Culture again in 2025 under the title of 'Tay Cities'.^[201]

Dundee also went to bid to become theEuropean Capital of Culturein 2023 but due tothe United Kingdom voting to leave the European Unionin June 2016, Dundee's bid, along with those of other British cities submitting bids, was discontinued by theEuropean Commission.^[202][203]

The city's main museum and art gallery,McManus Galleries, is in Albert Square.^[204]The exhibits include work byJames McIntosh Patrick,Alberto MorroccoandDavid McClureamongst the collection of fine and decorative art, items from Dundee's history and natural history artefacts.

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.^[205]

Britain's only full-time publicobservatory,Mills Observatoryat the summit of the city'sBalgayHill, was given to the city by linen manufacturer and keen amateur scientist John Mills in 1935.^[206]

Dundee Science Centrein the Greenmarket is a science centre based on the five senses with a series of interactive shows and exhibits.^[207]Verdant Worksis a museum dedicated to the once dominant jute industry in Dundee and is based in a former jute mill.^[208]

TheUniversity of Dundeealso runs several public museums and galleries, including the D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum and the Tayside Medical History Museum. The university, throughDuncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Designalso offers the Cooper Gallery for contemporary art, and its archives including: the abcD (artists' books collection Dundee); the REWIND Archive (video art collection); and theRichard DemarcoDigital Archive.

TheV&A DundeeMuseum of Design opened in September 2018 and is built south of Craig Harbour onto theRiver Tayin a building designed byKengo Kuma. It was officially opened by theEarl and Countess of Strathearnin 2019.^[209]It is the centrepiece of the city's waterfront redevelopment. The new museum may bring another 500,000 extra visitors to the city and create up to 900 jobs.^[210]

The city's archival records are mostly kept by two archives: Dundee City Archives, operated byDundee City Counciland theUniversity of Dundee's Archive Services. Dundee City Archives holds the official records of the city and of the formerTayside Regional Council.^[211]The archive also holds the records of various people, groups and organisations connected to the city. The university's Archive Services hold a wide range of material relating to the university and its predecessor institutions and to individuals associated with the university, such asD'Arcy Wentworth Thompson. Archive Services also holds the archives of several individuals, businesses and organisations based in Dundee and the surrounding area.^[212]The records held include a substantial number of business archives relating to the jute and linen industry in Dundee; records of other businesses including the archives of theAlliance Trustand the department store G. L. Wilson; the records of the Brechin Diocese of theScottish Episcopal Church; and theNHS TaysideArchive.^[213][214]The same archive also holds theMichael Petocollection which includes thousands of thephotojournalist's photographs, negatives, slides, publications and papers.^[215]

Dundee has a strong literary heritage, with several authors having been born, lived or studied in the city. These includeA. L. Kennedy,Rosamunde Pilcher,Kate Atkinson,Thomas Dick,Mary Shelley, Mick McCluskey,John BurnsideandNeil Forsyth. TheDundee International Book Prizeis a biennial competition open to new authors, offering a prize of £10,000 and publication by Polygon Books. Past winners have included: Andrew Murray Scott, Claire-Marie Watson and Malcolm Archibald.William McGonagall, regularly cited as the "world's worst poet",^[216]worked and wrote in the city, often giving performances of his work in pubs and bars. Many of his poems are about the city and events therein, such as his workThe Tay Bridge Disaster.

Dundee's poetic heritage is represented by the 2013 poetry anthologyWhaleback Cityedited 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.^[217]

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.^[218]DMFF is also one of the members of International Alliance for Mountain Film (IAMF)^[219]among other important internationalmountain filmfestivals.

Dundee Contemporary Artshosts an annual horror film festival calledDundead, which started in 2011.^[220]It also hosts the Discovery Film Festival, an international film festival targeted for young audiences.^[221]

The city also has twoMultiplexcinemas,OdeonandCineworld.

Dundee is home to a full-timerepertoryensemble, which originated in 1939. One of its alumni, Hollywood actorBrian Cox, is a native of the city.^[222]TheDundee Repertory Theatre, built in 1982, is also the base for theScottish Dance Theatrecompany.

The Whitehall Theatre opened in 1969.^[223]

The Little Theatre at the foot of the Hilltown is home to and maintained by Dundee Dramatic Society.^[224]

Dundee's principal concertauditorium, theCaird Hall(named after its benefactor, the jute baronJames Key Caird) in the City Square regularly hosts theRoyal Scottish National Orchestra.^[225]Various smaller venues host local and international musicians during Dundee's annualJazz, Guitar andBluesFestivals.

Dundee has hosted theNational Moda number of times – 1902, 1913, 1937, 1959 and 1974.^[226]

Dundee also hostedBBC Radio 1's Big Weekendback in 2006 and was due to host for a second time in 2020 but it was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Dundee hosted the event again on 26th-28 May 2023 at Camperdown Park in the north-west of the city.^[227]

Popular music groups such as the 1970ssoul-funkoutfitAverage White Band, theAssociates, the bandSpare Snare,Danny Wilson,the Hazey Janes, and theIndie rockbandsthe Viewandthe Laware from Dundee. Musician, songwriter and performerMichael Marrawas born and raised in Dundee.Ricky RossofDeacon Blueand singer-songwriterKT Tunstallare former pupils of theHigh School of Dundee, although Tunstall is not a native of the city.^[228]The Northern Irish indie rock bandSnow Patrolwas formed by students at theUniversity of Dundee.^[229]Brian Molko, lead singer ofPlacebo, grew up in the city^[230]as didIan Cussick, singer ofLake. At the end of June, Dundee hosts an annualbluesfestival known as theDundee Blues Bonanza.^[231]

Dundee is home to DC Thomson & Son Ltd, established in 1905, which produces over 200 million magazines, newspapers and comics every year; these includeThe Beano,The DandyandThe Press and Journal.^[124]

Dundee is home to one of elevenBBC Scotlandbroadcasting centres, located within the Nethergate Centre.^[232]STV North's Tayside news and advertising operations are based in the Seabraes area of the city, from where anSTV News Taysideopt-out bulletin is broadcast, (though not on Digital Satellite), within the nightly regional news programme,STV News at Six. The city also had a community internet TV station called The Dundee Channel which was launched on 1 September 2009.

Dundee formerly had three local radio stations that were based in the city. Radio Tay was launched on 17 October 1980.^[233]The station split frequencies in January 1995, launchingTay FMfor a younger audience and Tay AM playing classic hits (now calledGreatest Hits Radio Tayside & Fife). Neither Tay FM or Greatest Hits Radio are based within the city of Dundee, with their only locally-targeted show (Tay FM breakfast) being broadcast from a Bauer studio in Edinburgh. In 1999, Discovery 102 was launched, later to be renamedWave 102following a claim byThe Discovery Channelthat the station could mistakenly be linked to its brand. The station was further rebranded to Wave FM and Pure Radio. The 102FM frequency now carries a relay of Aberdeen based radio stationOriginal 106 (Scotland)which features news and commercials exclusively for Tayside.

Dundee has two professionalfootballclubs:Dundee, founded in 1893, andDundee United, founded in 1909 as Dundee Hibernian. Dundee FC and Dundee United currently play in theScottish Premiership. Their groundsthe ScotFoam StadiumandTannadice Parkare just 100 metres apart, closer together than any other football stadiums in the UK. TheDundee derbyis one of the most highly anticipated fixtures in Scottish football.

Dundee is one of four British cities to have produced twoEuropean Cupsemi-finalists. Dundee lost toA.C. Milanin1963^[234]and Dundee United lost toA.S. Romain1984.^[235]Dundee also reached the semi-finals of the forerunner to the UEFA Cup in1968and Dundee United were runners-up in the UEFA Cup in1987.^[236]There are also seven junior football teams in the area:Dundee North End,East Craigie,Lochee Harp,Lochee United,Dundee Violet,Broughty AthleticandDownfield.^[237]

Dundee Stars, the mainice hockeyteam, play at theDundee Ice Arena. The team joined theElite Leaguein the 2010/2011 season.^[238]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 TigersandDundee Comets, who both play in theScottish National League.^[239]

The city is also home to sixrugby unionteams.Dundee High School Former Pupilsplay inScottish National League Division One,^[240]the second tier of Scottish club rugby. The remainder of the teams compete in theCaledonia Regional League–Harris Academy FPplay in Caledonia Division One,^[241]Morgan Academy FPandPanmurein Caledonia Division Two Midlands,^[242]Dundee University Medics and Stobswell in Caledonia Division Three Midlands.^[243]

Liz McColganandEilish McColganboth hail from Dundee and have been members of the Dundee Hawkhill Harriers athletics club.

Local sports clubs includeDundee Handball Club, Grove Menzieshill Hockey Club; Dundee Wanderers Hockey Club, Dundee Volleyball Club,^[244]Dundee Northern LightsFloorballClub, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Dundee City Aquatics,Dundee Hurricanes,Dundee Roller Derbyand Dundee & Angus Radio Controlled Car Klub (DARCCK).

TheOlympia Leisure Centre, opened in 2013, has a swimming pool.

There is a velodrome,Caird Park Velodrome.

Dundee and the surrounding area is supplied with water byScottish Water. Dundee, along with parts of Perthshire and Angus is supplied from Lintrathen andBackwaterreservoirs inGlen Isla.^[245]Electricity distribution is byScottish Hydro Electricplc, part of theScottish and Southern Energygroup.

Waste management is handled byDundee City Council. There is a kerbside recycling scheme that currently only serves 15,500 households in Dundee. Cans, glass and plastic bottles are collected on a weekly basis.^[246]Compostablematerial and non-recyclable material are collected on alternate weeks.^[247]Paper is collected for recycling on a four-weekly basis.^[248]

Recycling centres and points are at a number of locations in Dundee.^[249]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%.^[250]

Law enforcement is provided by Police Scotland. The headquarters of the Dundee Branch of Police Scotland is situated in West Bell Street.^[251]There are also four police stations which serve the city: Maryfield, Lochee, Downfield and Longhaugh.^[251]

Healthcareis supplied in the area byNHS 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 theScottish Ambulance Servicewhich covers the city, Tayside and Kingdom of Fife.^[252]There is one ambulance station for the city; on West School Road.^[253]

TheScottish Fire and Rescue Serviceoperate 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.

Chronologically:

• Orléans, France (1946)^[254]
• Zadar, Croatia (1959)^[255]
• Alexandria, United States (1962)^[256]
• Würzburg, Germany (1962)^[255]
• Nablus, Palestine (1980)^[255]
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2004)^[257]
• West Dundee, United States (2013)^[258]

The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Cityof Dundee.

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

• 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.^[259]
• Ramsay MacDonald
• Stanley Baldwin
• Rev. William Macmillan
• James McLean

• TheBlack Watch (Royal Highland Regiment): 1954.^[260]

• 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. Lamband references to the Lamb Collection, which is held in the City Museum and the Local History Centre of Dundee Central Library

• Ordnance Survey, Great Britain (2007), "Dundee and Montrose, Forfar and Arbroath",Ordnance SurveyLandranger Map(B2 ed.),ISBN978-0-319-22980-4
• "Sheet 5, Eastern Scotland",Soil Survey of Scotland, Aberdeen: Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, 1982
• Bartholomew, John G. (1912),"Plan of Dundee",Bartholomew Survey Atlas of Scotland, Edinburgh: The Edinburgh Geographical Institute, retrieved21 April2011
• Edward, Charles (1846),Plan of the town of Dundee, with the improvements now in progress, Edinburgh: W. & A.K. Johnston, retrieved21 April2011
• Pont, Thomas (1583–1596),Lower Angus and Perthshire east of the Tay., nls.uk, archived fromthe originalon 13 January 2011, retrieved22 April2011
• Wood, John (1821),Plan of the Town of Dundee from actual survey, Edinburgh: Ballantyne, retrieved21 April2011

• Dundeetravel guide from Wikivoyage
• DundeeatCurlie
• Dundee City Council
• National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE(selection of archive films about Dundee)