By area, Dundee is the 4th largest in Scotland and 51st largest in the entire United Kingdom by population. It is one of the 32 council that the government of Scotland uses for administration. Initially, Dundee was a trading post, but with rapid developments taking place during the Industrial Revolution, it became a centre of the jute industry worldwide. Dundee earned the sobriquet “the city of jute, jam and journalism" due to its industries of jam and journalism besides the jute industry.
Dundee has also earned itself another title "One City, Many Discoveries". This has been primarily because of the various scientific activities and because of the RRS Discovery (now standing at the Discovery Point). The RRS Discovery, a Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic exploration vessel, was built in Dundee. Besides, Dundee is also home to various other industries such as Biomedical and technological. United Kingdom’s digital-entertainment industry generates 10% of the revenue from Dundee alone.
The two universities, the Abertay University and the University of Dundee, are located in Dundee. The United Nations in 2014 recognised Dundee as the UK's first UNESCO City of Design. This again was due to its different contributions to fields such as entertainment and medical research.
Dundee has two football clubs also, Dundee United and Dundee F.C., who have their stadiums where they play their home games. All these stadiums are placed away from each other.
As the revenues from the traditional industry declined, the city planned to develop the tourism aspect of Dundee. The plan which would cost £1 billion was started as early as 2001 and will be completed within 30 years. Also being developed within Dundee are the Dundee Victoria & Albert Museum which are expected to be inaugurated by 2018. The cost of this museum is estimated at £80 million.
Landmarks
The city landscape is dominated by a large hill called The Law and a firth called the Firth of Tay. The Law was the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort, where the soldiers who had laid down their lives in World War I were commemorated. The waterfront, which has changed a lot due to natural forces acting upon it since the 19th century, is still home to several docks that were at one time used for importing and exporting jute and whale products. The HMS Unicorn and the North Carr Lightship are stationed at The Victoria while the RRS Discovery of Captain Scott is stationed at Craig Pier. The Craig Peer also is used by ferries to Fife.
The city is home to a 15th-century building, the St. Mary’s Tower, that is considered to be the oldest in the city. The Tower is a part of the City Churches that include St Clement's Church, Old St Paul's and St David's Church, and St Mary's Church. The other churches in the city that carry historical value are the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Andrew and the Gothic Revival Episcopal Cathedral of St Paul's.
Castles
Dundee is home to several castles most of which belong to the Early Modern Era.
- The Mains Castle, located in the Caird Park, had its earliest parts built in 1562 by David Graham.
- Another castle, the Dudhope Castle, which is considered to be the seat of the Scrymgeour family was built in late 16th century on the site of a keep.
- Claypotts Castle, a castle in West Ferry, was built in the latter half of the 16th century by John Strachan.
- The Broughtly Castle was built in 1495 and served military purposes until 1932. The castle served in the Anglo-Scottish Wars and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms as well. The castle stands alongside two different kinds of beaches – one of sand, the other of pebbles - on a shallow tip that projects into the Firth.
- The Powrie Castle has only the ruins left from its 16th-century structure. It stands to the north of Fintry.
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