Will the new V&A convince you to visit Dundee?
Today, the much-anticipated V&A Dundee design museum opens. Here's what you can discover beyond its doors.
Go now
Forget jute, jam and journalism (or more accurately – marmalade, comics and money for new rope), Dundee has undergone a quiet renaissance, proving better at regeneration than Doctor Who. The reinvigorated city is the UK’s first Unesco City of Design thanks to computer games, medical research and the new V&A Dundee design museum, which opens today. And you can fly direct to Dundee airport from Stansted on Loganair (loganair.co.uk).
Stay here
The Malmaison Hotel (1) (telegraph.co.uk/tt-malmaison-dundee) offers slinky chic boutique (doubles from £166, including breakfast), while newcomer Hotel Indigo Dundee (2) (telegraph.co.uk/tt-indigo-dundee) brings hipster design to the city with a clever conversion of a jute mill (double rooms and breakfast from £54).
Walk here
Start at D C Thomson comics’ ‘Oor Wullie’ statue in Albert Square (3), taking in the gloriously Gothic McManus Gallery and Museum (4) before following Reform Street to the High Street for a photo op with Wullie’s pal Desperate Dan (5). Turn right down Nethergate past medieval St Mary’s steeple tower (6) (if it’s open, climb up for the best possible view of the city), then head down Union Street, aiming for the Tay and Discovery Quay.
See this
The spanking new architecturally striking ship-shaped addition to the waterfront, V&A Dundee (7). ‘Ocean Liners: Speed and Style’ is its first exhibition (vam.ac.uk/dundee).
Try this
Explore RRS Discovery (8) (rrsdiscovery.com), the ship that took Scott and Shackleton to Antarctica – a fascinating story of ingenuity and endurance of both men and ship (entry: £11.25). If life at sea doesn’t float your boat, head to the Verdant Works (9) (verdantworks.com) – a 19th-century textile mill, lovingly recreated (£11.25).
Shop here
Not your ordinary gallery shop, Dundee Contemporary Arts (10) (dca.org.uk) sells limited edition prints and classy contemporary crafts. From there continue west to Perth Road – home to jewellers, galleries, quirky shops (don’t miss Groucho’s for vintage vinyl), trendy cafés and popular bars.
Drink here
Go old-school Dundonian at the Phoenix Pub (11), loved by locals for 150 years. A pint of Deuchars IPA is a thrifty £3.48.
Eat here
Find modern Scottish cooking at the Castlehill Restaurant (12) on Exchange Street (castlehillrestaurant.co.uk). Expect to pay around £50, including wine.
Off the map
It’s a five-minute train ride (£2.50 return) to Broughty Ferry, a seaside town with a sandy beach, boutique shops and dolphins (if you’re lucky), plus Michelin-listed Tayberry Restaurant (tayberryrestaurant.co.uk), just a short stagger off the beach.
