Introduction to Dundee

102km (63 miles) N of Edinburgh; 108km (67 miles) SW of Aberdeen; 36km (22 miles) NE of Perth; 134km (83 miles) NE of Glasgow

The old seaport of Dundee, on the north shore of the Firth of Tay, the fourth-largest city in Scotland, is now an industrial city. When steamers took over the whaling industry from sailing vessels, Dundee became the home port for ships from the 1860s until World War I. Long known for its jute and flax operations, Dundee is linked with the production of rich Dundee fruitcakes and Dundee marmalades and jams.

Spanning the Firth of Tay is the Tay Railway Bridge, opened in 1888. Constructed over the tidal estuary, the bridge is 3km (1 3/4 miles) long, one of the longest in Europe. There's also a road bridge 2km (1 1/4 miles) long, with four traffic lanes and a walkway in the center.

Dundee itself has only minor attractions, but it's a base for exploring Glamis Castle (one of the most famous in Scotland) and the little town of Kirriemuir, which Sir James M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, disguised in fiction as the Thrums. Dundee also makes a good base for those who want to play at one of Scotland's most famous golf courses, Carnoustie.