About Dundee

Dundee (full name 'Dundee City') is Scotland's fourth-largest city. Positioned on a relatively small landspace on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, it is Scotland's most densely populated area after Glasgow, and is characterised by tall tenements. Being the country's only south-facing city, it is also Scotland's sunniest and warmest city.

Dundee has been continuously occupied since the Mesolithic, with barrows and a stone circle still visible from this period. Its natural harbour position on the Tay made Dundee an ideal site for a trading port, which developed through the weaving industry - initially from the wool trade, which was later replaced by linen and then jute industries - causing the city to expand rapidly during the Industrial Revolution. During this period Dundee also gained a reputation for its marmalade industry and journalism, earning its nickname the 'city of jam, jute and journalism'.

In the 19th century Dundee also developed a major maritime and shipbuilding industry. This included the construction of Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic exploration ship the RRS Discovery, which is now on display at Discovery Point in the city.

The estuary was also the location of the well-known 1879 Tay Bridge disaster, in which the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed in a storm under the weight of a train full of passengers.

Since the 1980s the city has attracted software developers, biomedical and technological industries, and now accounts for 10% of the UK's digital-entertainment industry. In recognition of its history of scientific activities and the RRS Discovery, Dundee is promoted as the 'City of Discovery'.

Dundee also has a strong literary and musical heritage, with several authors and musicians having been born, lived or studied in the city. Authors include A. L. Kennedy and John Burnside, while popular musicians and bands include Danny Wilson, The View and Snow Patrol. The city also hosts two professional football teams, Dundee and Dundee United, while two of Scotland's most prestigious golf courses, St Andrews and Carnoustie, are located nearby.