- This is a Paid Partnership with Mega Bus -
Living between Aberdeen and Dundee means I have the best of both worlds – two different Scottish cities to explore whenever I fancy. There are places in Dundee I’ve been visiting my whole life like the ‘Dundee Contemporary Arts’ or the ‘Dundee Rep’ and now, excitingly, the V&A has opened giving more options to explore.
Dundee ‘The City of Discovery’ has had alot of investment in recent years and when you start counting the cultural things you can do in the city it seems endless.
If you’re a little further away from Dundee why not hop on a Mega Bus and have a day out in the city on a budget. They’ve challenged me to create a city guide for under £60 and I had so much fun putting it together.
It seems like everyone and their aunt was talking about the V&A when it opened last year but if you haven’t visited the city before then I’d recommend the short walk from the bus station to the waterfront. You can explore the Scottish galleries, the special exhibitions and grab something to eat at the 'Tatha Bar and Kitchen'.
I wrote about all my thoughts on my first visit - check the post out here. Best of all the Scottish galleries are free to visit with lots of activities happening in the other areas, the exhibitions cost £6-12 per person but they’ve been beautifully put together so far so I would recommend spending the extra money.
A little tip would be to stash your bags/jackets in the lockers on the ground floor - it's only £1 and mean you can fully enjoy your visit.
If you are looking for something a little different to your bog standard high street shops then I’d recommend visiting the Perth road. Indigo House is a favourite of mine and has beautiful gifts and homewear.
It's been a while since I've been for a proper explore in the area but I've found this leaflet that gives you more information about what's available.
If you are completely new to Dundee then I’d recommend visiting 'The McManus' – not only is it in a beautiful building but it goes into the 400 year history of the City of Dundee known for their important roles in Jute, Jam and Journalism.
This is another free attraction to visit so really you’ve got nothing to lose but maybe chuck a few pounds in their donation box on the way out.
The 'DCA' opened when I was five (twenty years ago!?) and as my parents are Architects I’m sure we visited very close to opening. Inside they have a beautifully curated shop with products from local designers, galleries with every changing exhibitions, two small cinemas and a restaurant that is my go to place to eat in Dundee.
I’ve been to the 'Jute Café Bar' countless times and never had a bad meal – the atmosphere is lovely and the menu varied (and at a really good price point). I can imagine it’s a really good place for a drink in the evening if your that way inclined.
If you’ve been to the DCA for dinner than my next stop would be the 'Dundee Rep' to see a play – again this is somewhere I’ve been to see loads of shows over my life. The Christmas shows (not pantos) are always a highlight but they do lots of different things from musicals to Shakespeare and modern dance.
It’s worth checking out their website to see if there is anything on when you visit. The nostalgia when I visit always makes me happy!
Mozza is a new find of ours in Dundee and while it is a small chain it’s also a Scottish company worth supporting because their pizzas are amazing. So amazing in fact that I was back on my own a couple of weeks after our first visit because I could not stop thinking about their Neapolitan pizzas.
It’s a really wallet friendly place to eat with all the pizzas costing under £10 and the menu isn’t huge with lots of extras you don’t really need.
I've pined the places I'd recommend in the map above in yellow, the blue markers are some additional places I'd recommend checking out too. Check out a few other posts I've written about Dundee:
Food and Flower Festival
Mega bus have just launched 6 new coaches from Aberdeen to London with features like wireless charging, tables, new design and 24 reservable seats. The coaches stop at Dundee, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham along the way so are perfect for your next city break.
