Barracuda nightspot took clubbers 20,000 leagues under the sea

seating for 100 diners, gave the impression of sitting i n an underwater cavern.

The walls were undulating rock surfaces with tropical fish tanks spaced around them at intervals. Multicoloured lights played over the rocks, giving the effect of crystal clear water.

The Sand bar was stocked with a wide variety of exotic liqueurs and cocktails.

One of the bar’s specialities was an award-winning cocktail called a Folias, which means flowers in Spanish.

It was the creation of Senor Carmello Peonsosa, who used to work with Barracuda proprietor Murdoch Wallace when he ran a bar in the Canary Islands.

Ship’s railings lined the balcony overlooking the main dance floor below, while a gangway-style ramp led from the stairhead to another dance area called the Jungle Hut, built like a tree house and filled with exotic jungle plants and flowers.

As the venue rapidly gained popularity, it began hosting weddings and was voted into the top six nightclubs of Britain by a national fashion magazine.

BARRACUDA BEGINNINGS

The Barracuda building began life as a church but was converted into a dance hall in 1954 by James Murdoch Wallace, who gave his initials to its name – the JM Ballroom.

The JM became one of the city’s top dancing spots.

In 1974, Wallace’s son, Murdoch (also known as Murdo), took over to set up the Barracuda, giving up a bar he owned in Tenerife to focus entirely on his Dundee project.

It required a huge, £250,000 makeover to transform it from the JM to the Barracuda, and the result was an extremely eye-catching design, with both the interior and exterior sculpted to resemble an exotic cave.

“I intend to have a place that Dundee will be proud of,” Murdo told The People’s Journal on September 14 1974.

The Barracuda soon became the most well known and popular disco spot in Dundee.

One regular named Gordon said: “There were alcoves, recesses, cubbyholes and bay areas all over the place, plus stalactites everywhere.

“There was also an upstairs balcony area with a desert island shack.

“If you weren’t aware of this tropical theme, it had aquariums containing piranhas to remind you!”

The Barracuda featured four lounge bars and two restaurants as well as the dance floors, but was destroyed by a massive blaze in October 1994. Ballroom boss J Murdoch Wallace.