Dundee

South of Aberdeen, overlooking the Firth of Tay, Dundee is famous for jute, jam, cake and comic strips. The city made its fortune weaving jute from India, marmalade was invented here in 1797, Dundee cake was a personal favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and The Beano was first published by local firm DC Thompson in 1938. However, the city had a tough time of it after World War II, when the textile industry went into rapid decline. Since then, Dundee has followed a familiar Scottish trajectory - the city was filled with concrete architecture in the 1960s and '70s before receiving a welcome face lift thanks to a series of renewal projects ...

South of Aberdeen, overlooking the Firth of Tay, Dundee is famous for jute, jam, cake and comic strips. The city made its fortune weaving jute from India, marmalade was invented here in 1797, Dundee cake was a personal favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and The Beano was first published by local firm DC Thompson in 1938. However, the city had a tough time of it after World War II, when the textile industry went into rapid decline. Since then, Dundee has followed a familiar Scottish trajectory - the city was filled with concrete architecture in the 1960s and '70s before receiving a welcome face lift thanks to a series of renewal projects funded by the National Lottery. Today, Dundee is revitalized, with some impressive maritime attractions, a famous road bridge, two thriving universities and a vibrant cultural scene, centered on the Dundee Contemporary Arts center. If you tire of the urban sprawl, it’s a short hop to the Victorian seaside resort of Broughty Ferry, and not much farther to the Cairngorms.

About the Expert

Joe Bindloss has written more than 30 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Time Out and other publishers, with a focus on Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and island nations.