Dundee Reviews

Living in Dundee

Dundee is Scotland’s fourth largest city and has the highest ratio of students to locals in Scotland. This is good news for you if you’re studying at the University of Dundee because it means that a large portion of life in the town is geared towards you!

Whoever designed the geography of Dundee must have been on the energy drinks at the time, because it seems to have every possible kind of landmark you could think of. A river? Why yes, the Tay is the longest river in Scotland. A beach? Absolutely! Broughty Ferry beach has won awards for it’s gold sandy beauty. A hill? Not just any hill, this one’s made out of the remains of an extinct prehistoric volcano! Show offs.

That volcanic hill is called The Law, and you can walk up to the top of it quite easily. It’s actually a really good way to start your time there, because The Law is right in the middle of Dundee and will give you a perfect view of most of the city, including the two massive bridges that cross the Tay - quite a feat of engineering once you see how wide it is. You can bond with your new housemates while simultaneously figuring out where everything is in the city. People will actually give you directions by compass-point here, because of how blindingly obvious these natural landmarks are, so it’s best to get acquainted with them sooner rather than later.

Dundee’s city centre is relatively small, but you’ll still find it has more than enough to meet the needs of any student. As well as the two big shopping centres and the usual high street shops, there’s two skateparks and an historic ‘tall ship’ moored down at the docks. This is the RRS Discovery, which was used by the extremely hardcore Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton to explore the Antarctic. If you thought your student digs got cold in the winter, you’ve got nothing on these guys.

Finally we should probably mention the Blackwell’s bookshop, because at some point you are going to have to sit indoors and study like the diligent student we know you are. This Blackwell’s contains the largest room in Europe that is devoted only to the written word. It’s called the Norrington Room and it’s 10,000sq ft filled purely with books, glorious books. We’re pretty sure that whatever your course, you’ve got a good chance of tracking down your study books in there!

It’s cold outside!  Where should I go to warm up?

• The 24 hour bakery: Meet your new best friend. This wonderful haven of crusty rolls is a lifeline for students with the post-clubbing munchies. You’ll find it on Anfield Street, north-west of the Student Union.
• Dundee Contemporary Arts: The DCA has a cinema showing current, classic, and independent films. There’s also a shop, galleries, food... Maybe take your sleeping bag and just camp out there.
• Find a club: Default student locations are Fat Sams (a range of music), Cubic (R’n’B, dance) and the Reading Rooms (Indie, D&B etc), but don’t be afraid to branch out once you’ve got your bearings.

The sun came out!  Where should I go before it disappears again?

• Explore: You’re in scenic Scotland! To the north of Dundee is the incredible Cairngorm National Park so the further that way you go, the more amazing the views are going to get and the more outdoor sports you’re going to find.
• The Beach: There’s that one we mentioned before, Broughton Ferry, or even go a bit further abroad to St Andrews. I know the prospect of a cold northern beach might fill you with dread, but it’s actually very lovely.
• Edinburgh: You can be in Scotland’s capital in just over an hour by train.

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