Why Dundee has designs on success
THIS is a year of firsts in Dundee. Having built a reputation over the past two centuries as a hub for innovation, the city has just been officially recognised by the United Nations as a UNESCO City of Design – the first in the UK to be awarded the honour.
Dundee has certainly made its mark on the world over the years, with contributions to a diverse range of fields. These include medical research – the humble aspirin was developed in the city in 1876 – to computer games such as Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, popular comics and more.
Thanks to its UNESCO award, Dundee will now be in the company of major cities such as Berlin, Beijing, Buenos Aires and Montreal.
The Museum of Design Dundee is scheduled to be open by 2017 and will be the focal point of the city’s new waterfront. The first to be built in the UK outside London, it will be dedicated to Scotland’s outstanding design heritage.
If you can’t wait that long, The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum in Albert Square is hosting travelling Victoria & Albert Museum exhibitions until the new V&A site opens.
The McManus itself needs no excuse to visit. Housed within a splendid Gothic Revival-style building in the heart of the city, the museum has eight galleries crammed with exhibits relating to the history of Dundee as well as fine art and world cultures.
If you can’t make it to the McManus to see the travelling exhibitions, they might come to you. Design in Motion, a travelling gallery developed by the V&A Dundee, will visit 78 venues across Scotland’s cities and rural areas from next month until June, bringing artefacts and exhibits destined f or the new museum.
The women of Dundee deserve credit more than most for their contribution to the city’s heritage. The Women’s Trail celebrates them in style, with plaques honouring their work on or near places of interest connected with their lives.
You will l earn about women such as Margaret Fairlie, who pioneered the use of radium to treat cancer, and Janet Keiller, the 18th century creator of the first marmalade.
Dundee also has a proud history of manufacturing and was known as Juteopolis because of the city’s 100 jute mills. Once used to make ropes, sacks, aprons, carpets and many other household items we take for granted these days, the popularity of jute sadly declined. Visit t he awardwinning Scottish Jute Museum at the city’s Verdant Works and be transported back 100 years to the industry’s glory days.
The lovable rogues of some of the world’s most recognisable comic strips were born and raised in Dundee. Dennis the Menace (and Gnasher!), Desperate Dan, left, and the Bash Street Kids first came to life on the pages of DC Thomson comics. Head to City Square and the newly-renamed Bash Street – a lane off Dundee’s West Marketgait – to take a selfie with larger-thanlife characters from The Beano and The Dandy.
As well as design and innovation, Dundee has a tradition of discovery and exploration.
The RRS Discovery, the vessel that took Captain Scott on his first polar expedition to Antarctica, was designed and built in the city’s shipyards.
In another first for Dundee, the ship was the first built specifically for scientific research. You can tour the vessel, including all the quarters below deck, to find out more about Scott’s groundbreaking expedition, before lunching at Discovery Point.
High above the city on Balgay Hill, Mill’s Observatory remains the only one built in the UK with the sole aim of encouraging public interest in science. Admission to the observatory, which has planetarium shows, astronomical displays and more, letting you explore space at your leisure, is free of charge.
If you are keen on science, the Dundee Science Centre is a must. With interactive exhibitions, including special early years sensory learning, it is sure to be a hit with all the family. www.visitscotland.com/dundee