Why Are We Sleeping on Dundee?

Just a short bus ride over the Tay, and most of us write it off before we’ve been. We’re the ones missing out.

View over Dundee and the Tay Bridge

Photo Credits: @sam_and_her_cam

Ask almost any St Andrews student about Dundee and you’ll hear a joke before you hear an opinion. For many of us, especially international students, the city’s reputation reaches us long before we ever visit. I think that reputation is lazy, and it's costing us. As one local puts it:

“Dundee either grabs you by the heart or leaves you wondering what the magic is. I am lucky, my heart is caught and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.”

Cheap drinks…and way more

Over the past four years of living in St Andrews, I have grown to love Dundee through the various activities, days and nights out I have enjoyed there with friends. Wetherspoons was, and has been, alive and well in Dundee long before our own branch. You can find all sorts of pubs and clubs around the city centre if that is what you are looking for.

Aside from reasonable drink prices and memorable nights out, I have also come to love Dundee because of the plethora of activities and experiences available. Although we will not claim to be the first St Andrews students to ‘discover’ the rock-climbing gym, we love a day dedicated to rock climbing followed by Taco Tuesday (with discounted margaritas) at Mas.

Nomad Yoga Studio

Photo Credits: Nomad Yoga

In my search for the perfect yoga spot abroad, I found Nomad in Dundee, and it has become a home, first as a student and now as a teacher (full disclosure). The studio’s community is diverse, made up of locals, Dundee University students, and other internationals, all of whom have been nothing short of friendly and authentic. Providing much more affordable prices and a beautifully curated space, Nomad, along with other fitness studios in Dundee (the brand-new Studio 22), have so much to offer, yet surprisingly few of us use them. 

A city that wins awards…

In 2014, Dundee became the UK’s first UNESCO City of Design, and it is still the only UK city to hold the title. Its council has an A rating for environmental leadership from CDP, and the city continues to set examples for the future of urban sustainability and electric vehicles, both nationally and internationally. In particular, the Dundee V&A has received widespread recognition and awards since it first opened its doors in 2018.

V&A Dundee

Photo Credits: Victoria & Albert Museum

My ideal day starts at the V&A Museum, and you can enter for free. I browse the curated shop or take a slow walk through whatever exhibition is on. If you stroll further into town, you will find cafes perfect for study breaks. I recently tried Halo Westport and had the most delicious vanilla latte yet. Other spots include Höfn Coffee and Mana. Most of us cannot find a seat in our own university libraries, but Dundee has fantastic study spots without 9:00 am queues or £5 coffee minimums. On a sunny September day, the city’s green spaces are well-kept, rarely crowded, and feature an amazing view out over the Tay. The city's impressive landscapes should be no surprise to students who have attended events regularly held in Dundee, such as Szentek’s annual Moving Castle event held at Mains Castle.

Moving Castle 2024

Photo Credits: Walsh Gobleck

…and a city with real problems

None of this means pretending that Dundee is perfect. Scottish Government figures place its crime rates among the highest in Scotland, and the Sunday Post recently called it the most dangerous area in Scotland for women. Its drug-death rate is a crisis rooted in decades of deindustrialization and disinvestment. As one resident put it on Quora: “There is still a good deal of deprivation in Dundee. The hangover from a failed industrial past is still felt.”

My own experience doesn’t cancel out these statistics. In all my visits, however, I have never once been confronted. In comparison with the excessive catcalling I’ve experienced in other ‘safe’ cities, I have always been unbothered in Dundee. The figures and assumptions don’t specifically describe the experiences of visitors on day trips, and residents online make a similar point to my experience: if you aren’t looking for trouble, it generally won’t find you.

So why do we sleep on it?

Because the opinions in the St Andrews bubble spread quickly. We often take our view of Dundee from older students who formed theirs the same way, and few of us bother testing it for ourselves. Consequently, we respect neither the city’s achievements nor its social struggles and historical timeline. We overlook the damage disinvestment has done, and we miss out on the art, culture, and academic life that still thrive there despite this.

Dundee does not need St Andrews students' approval or understanding by any means. But if you have gone years at uni without crossing the Tay, you are greatly missing out. I urge you to consider hopping on the 99 bus the next time you need a break from St Andrews.