Dundee

The first 1,000 tickets for Dundee’s New Year city centre celebrations have been snapped up

“It’s Happening!” Dundee Hogmanay 2019 will see two days of music and family entertainment, with one of Britain’s best-loved bands Squeeze, Eddi Reader and Dundee’s very own Kyle Falconer, the Hogmanay headliner.

With any profits split between three Dundee charities, the celebrations will be kicked off by national treasures Squeeze, who have enjoyed a string of hits including Up The Junction, Tempted and Cool For Cats.

They will kickstart the party on the evening of Monday 30 December before a full, family-focused day of free entertainment and music on Hogmanay. 

The evening will kick off with rock pipe band Gleadhraich, followed by Sinderins, Eddi Reader and Kyle Falconer, who will bring in the bells with a piper.  Tay FM DJs will play for the last half hour bringing the event to a close at 12.45am.

Former ‘The View’ frontman Kyle Falconer said, “Having played at Hogmanay concerts in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, it was on my bucket list to bring in the bells in my home city.  As my biggest ever solo headline show, it’s fitting that it’s happening right here in Dundee and I’m really excited to be headlining.  There’s no doubt that a New Year city centre street party is long overdue in Dundee and it’s a privilege to be part of it.  Of course, like any Hogmanay, there will also be a few surprises on the night!”

Organised by Dundee-based GMC Ventures Ltd and Edinburgh promoter Michael Ward of EH6 Festival, the celebrations have received support through Scotland’s Winter Festivals.

It is hoped that the event will attract audiences from outwith Dundee, with return buses available to Perth, St Andrews, Kirkcaldy, Brechin, Forfar and Arbroath.

Jill Gibson from GMC Ventures said, “We are absolutely delighted to have reached the 1,000 ticket milestone.  With 12 weeks to go, we’re working hard to ensure that the people of Dundee and further afield finally get the New Year celebrations they deserve. We’re promising something for everyone, from free kids and teenager events during the day through to foot-stomping music taking us right up to the bells as we welcome 2020.”

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland added, “We are delighted to be supporting “It’s Happening!” Dundee Hogmanay 2019 through Scotland’s Winter Festivals programme. This celebration showcases Scotland as the perfect stage for events, shining a light on the city of Dundee through a vibrant programme of music and entertainment, where local people and visitors alike will have the opportunity to bring in the New Year together.”

Any profits from the event will be split between three charities – Dundee Women’s Aid, Art Angel and Wellbeing Works.

Tay FM and Tay 2 are proud to be Official Partners for “It’s Happening!” Dundee Hogmanay 2019.

Advance two day tickets are priced £70, with one night tickets costing £43.70.  A VIP upgrade is an additional £28, with exclusive access to The Italian Grill, buffet, private bar and Prosecco. 

Dundee has a wealth of vibrant and interesting historical landmarks and locations for history fans to visit, ranging from our massive involvement in the jute industry, shipbuilding industry, journalism and our history of pioneering and exploration.

Dundee is home to one of the world’s oldest surviving ships, the sixth oldest in fact, HMS Unicorn, which was a Royal Navy frigate built and launched in 1824. In 1873 she was moved to Dundee, remaining a training vessel for the navy and also serving as a command/ headquarters vessel for senior Royal Navy officers during both the first and second world wars.

Visitors can explore the 46 cannon gun deck, the crew’s sleeping quarters, the grand and plush officer’s mess at the stern of the ship as well as the gallery and gift shop on the vessel's upper decks.

Following the nautical theme, Dundee is also home to RRS Discovery, an Antarctic exploration vessel built and launched in the city in 1901. The Discovery is the last traditional wooden, three mast vessel to be constructed by the UK and following a successful expedition to the Antarctic, the Discovery was put into service as a merchant ship, before becoming the first Royal Research Ship put into service by the United Kingdom. Discovery is one of two surviving Antarctic exploration ships, the other being the Norwegian ship, “Fram”.

Upon boarding the ship, guests have the opportunity to see how Captain Scott and his crew lived, how they survived and what the hardships and the triumphs of their voyage were. There is a café and gift shop at Discovery Point, onshore, for visitors to enjoy.

For many years, Dundee was the world hub for jute, a cheap yet tough material ideal for packing produce, such as sugar, wool, coffee and other imported goods. This material had a worldwide reach, being necessary for trade, for the production of sandbags and other military requirements as well as protective coverings for lorries etc.

Verdant Works is a surviving jute mill which now serves as a museum. Visitors can explore what a mill was like in the late 19th and early 20th Century, and see the way in which almost half Dundee’s population lived and worked. Many of the workers were female, which was unusual for the time. The unemployed men who stayed at home gained the name “kettle bilers” (kettle boilers).

Broughty Castle and its grounds date back to the 15th Century, and was a fortified location during the War of the Rough Wooing, following the 1547 battle if Pinkie in which it saw military action. The castle has seen many battles and sieges and was rebuilt and used as a defensive positon as late as the 19th century.

Today, Broughty Castle museum houses displays on the life of Broughty Ferry and its citizens, the wildlife, nature and environment of Broughty Ferry and the surrounding area and the Orchar Gallery, which hosts a number of paintings and other art pieces. There is also a gift shop to browse and refreshments to enjoy.

Claypotts Castle was the fortified residence of the Strachan family, between the years of 1569 and 1588. The castle has been very well maintained, and is one of the few Scottish castles to be in no state of degradation at all. The castle grounds are free to explore all year round, however, access to the castle’s interior has to be pre-arranged.

For an overall view of Dundee’s history, The McManus is Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum, and is home to eight galleries, which hold a diverse selection of exhibits and artefacts, ranging from objects from the time of early man in the area, to objects from industries past and present.

The McManus offers visitors a comprehensive and fascinating journey through 400 million years of Dundee’s history, transforming from a tiny settlement to the heavily industrialised world capital of jute and now the trailblazing, innovative city it is today.

Like Dundee, its surrounding area is rich with history, both ancient and recent. The fascinating ruins of a fortified ditch and towers at Gask Ridge, Killiecrankie predates the iconic Hadrian and Antonine Walls which were constructed by the mighty Roman Empire.

Visitors to Montrose can visit the Air Station which is the first military air station to be established within the United Kingdom, being home to the Royal Flying Corps in 1913. The Air Station has an assortment of artefacts and photographs which help tell the story of the RCF and RAF and the servicemen and women who served at the station during both WW1 and WW2.

In Crail you can visit Scotland’s (not so) Secret Bunker, which was built during the crisis and paranoia of the Cold War to protect Scotland’s leaders and continue their governance in the event of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union, which provides a grim, yet intriguing insight into nuclear war, but also how close to home this threat was and how “imminent” it was perceived to be during the four-decade long conflict.

V&A Dundee welcomed over 830,000 visitors in its first year, 330,000 more than the pre-opening estimate of 500,000 visitors.

In the last 12 months the museum was visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for its official opening, made the front cover of TIME Magazine as one of the world’s Greatest Places of 2019, won numerous awards, hosted filming of BBC Antiques Roadshow and even featured in an IRN-BRU Snowman advert.

V&A Dundee’s opening last year marked over ten years of planning and preparation, including the design of Kengo Kuma’s remarkable new building, major conservation projects including Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room, and a wide range of new commissions and learning projects.

The museum is estimated to have an economic impact of £23 million across Scotland in its first year, supporting 604 full-time equivalent jobs. V&A Dundee’s creation also allows design exhibitions to be shown in Scotland on a scale never seen before, as its exhibition galleries are the nation’s largest.

Scotland’s first design museum sits at the centre of the Dundee waterfront, an ambitious 30-year, £1 billion regeneration project which began in 2001.

Key achievements in the first year include:

• 833,015 visitors during normal opening hours
• 33,839 people attending evening events, in addition to the day visitors
• 27,000 people taking part in events and previews to mark the museum’s opening, including the public 3D Festival
• Over 26,000 people taking part in learning events, talks and workshops
• Over 8,000 memberships sold, giving over 20,000 people free access to major exhibitions and other benefits
• Over 4,000 school pupils visiting the museum, supported by a free travel programme
• Contributed to a £16 million boost in the value of Dundee tourism in 2018, which at £187 million already exceeds the city’s target for 2020
• The first ever book published on the history of Scottish design
• Two major exhibitions, and four exhibitions in our Michelin Design Gallery showcasing new Scottish design creativity

Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “The last 12 months have been remarkable and I can hardly believe all that’s been achieved in that time. As well as welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors and putting on world-class exhibitions championing Scottish and international design, the museum has really become part of the city, and for that I’d like to thank everyone for their support.

“We’re very proud of the contribution we have already made to Dundee and Scotland, and the opportunities we are generating for our nation’s creative talent, such as our current exhibition of work by the brilliant young fashion designer Nicholas Daley. We look forward to welcoming many more visitors to our upcoming major exhibitions Hello, Robot and Mary Quant.”

Independent research commissioned by V&A Dundee estimated the museum’s economic impact in the first year would be £10.3 million in Dundee and £23 million across the whole of Scotland. This was expected to support 178 full-time equivalent jobs in Dundee and 604 across Scotland.

The research, conducted by Ekosgen and Reference Economics, was based on 500,000 visitors in the first year. Work is underway to calculate the actual economic impact, which is now expected to exceed the initial estimates.

Tim Allan, Chair of the Board of V&A Dundee, said: “V&A Dundee has already proven itself to be a major new international attraction, bringing tourists from around the world to Dundee to spend time and money, supporting local businesses. In turn, this is already encouraging new investment and job creation.

“The 30-year waterfront vision outlined in 2001 is clearly ahead of target and I look forward to seeing many more companies investing in Dundee in the next decade.”

Visitors to V&A Dundee are coming from all over the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and the United States.

The museum has welcomed 36% of its visitors from Dundee and Tayside, 41% from the rest of Scotland, 14% from the rest of the UK and 9% from the rest of the world, according to the most recent figures. For 41% of visitors V&A Dundee was the sole reason they were visiting the city.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “The opening of V&A Dundee on the city’s waterfront heralded an exciting new chapter for Dundee and the future of design and innovation across our nation. As Scotland’s first design museum, V&A Dundee celebrates this heritage and our achievements in innovation across the ages, promoting Scotland globally and attracting visitors and investment.

“I congratulate V&A Dundee on its incredible first year of success and I look forward to its future exhibitions and development.”

The research by Ekosgen and Reference Economics also found that the construction of V&A Dundee had an economic impact of £35.8 million in Dundee, generating total employment of 501 job years. Across Scotland those figures rise to an economic impact of £70.4 million and employment of 981 job years.

V&A Dundee has also this week published its Final Evaluation Report, a major 150-page document summarising the key achievements from the start of construction until six months after opening. This was produced as part of the funding agreement with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Dundee City Council leader Councillor John Alexander said: “V&A Dundee has helped to boost the international profile of our city, encouraging people to visit this amazing new museum and our other well-established attractions.

“The city’s partners have a long-term vision to create local jobs and opportunities through investment in top-class facilities like V&A Dundee and the latest economic impact figures show this is already paying off, with record-breaking tourism numbers recorded in 2018.

“I am delighted to help our design museum celebrate its first birthday as we look toward to what can be achieved in the years to come.”

Deirdre Robertson, Chief Executive of Dundee Heritage Trust, said: “We have seen significant increases in visitors to Discovery Point since the opening of V&A Dundee last year. Not only paying visitors to the museum, but footfall across our restaurant and gift shop has been considerably higher.

“The approximate increase in paid visits over the period of September 2018 to August 2019 is 44%, and we can only thank our new neighbour, V&A Dundee, for their part in establishing Dundee as a must-visit tourist destination.”

Later this year V&A Dundee will open Hello, Robot. Design Between Human and Machine on 2 November, a ground-breaking exhibition challenging our assumptions about robots and investigating how they are shaping the world we live in. The exhibition has never been shown in the UK before.

This will be followed by Mary Quant from 4 April 2020 and Night Fever: Designing Club Culturefrom 31 October 2020, another UK-first exhibition.

V&A Dundee has been named as one of Scotland’s premier visitor attractions for international travellers to visit this year.

American news magazine, TIME, one of the most respected and informative guides to the world’s events, and famous for its iconic front cover images, has revealed that V&A Dundee and The Macallan Distillery have been listed as two of ‘The World’s Greatest Places 2019’.

Dundee City Council leader Councillor John Alexander said: “This is another exciting accolade for V&A Dundee and yet more recognition that Dundee is a thriving and exciting city. We have built an international reputation as a creative centre with arts and culture as a driving force in our ongoing transformation.

“The opening of V&A Dundee was a pivotal moment in this journey. I am pleased to see that hundreds of thousands of people have visited so far, far exceeding expectations. I hope that TIME Magazine’s award will help attract even more visitors to our city.”

The two Scottish attractions are joined on the list of 100 global destinations by the University Arms Cambridge.  These are the only destinations in the UK to be featured on this year's list.

V&A Dundee, an international centre for design for Scotland, was opened in September 2018, and has already attracted more than 750,000 people. Around a quarter of these visitors were reported to have come from the rest of the UK or overseas.

The first ever design museum to be built in the UK outside London, it was designed by internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and stands at the centre of a £1 billion transformation of Dundee’s waterfront. V&A Dundee has been credited with driving visitor numbers and spend to the city according the figures released by Dundee City Council earlier this year.  Tourists contributed £187 million to the local economy in 2018, an increase of £16m on the previous 12 months, with the number of day visitors to Dundee increasing by 36 per cent to 560,000 in the same period.

In response to the inclusion of both attractions being included in ‘The World’s Greatest Places 2019, Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a fantastic achievement for both the V&A Dundee and The Macallan Distillery. Both attractions represent the very best of Scotland’s tourism experience.

“The city of Dundee has seen enormous benefit from the opening of the world class V&A museum. Since it opened, the museum has attracted more than half a million visitors from all over the UK and throughout the world, and has been part of the rejuvenation of the waterfront in Dundee."

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: “The Macallan Distillery and V&A Dundee’s inclusion in this prestigious list of the top 100 places to see in the world this year is testament to both attractions’ stature in the UK.  I don’t think anyone could go to either location and not stand back in awe at these amazing feats of architecture, bringing their surroundings to life, as well as be drawn in to the experiences they offer visitors.

“Both attractions have been ground-breaking for their respective city and region. They have forged reputations for innovation, creativity, learning, community engagement and unforgettable experiences, helping to elevate the unique characters of both Dundee and Moray Speyside, and of Scotland, and put them in the map as a must-see places to visit.

“We can’t be complacent however and it is important that we continue to encourage the tourism industry to provide world-class service, facilities, events and attractions to keep up with ever-changing consumer demands and ensure visitors continue to have memorable experiences across Scotland.”

For more information about V&A Dundee and more things to see and do in Dundee, please visit: https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/dundee/

Dundee’s economy received a record-breaking £187million tourism boost last year, new figures have revealed.

The value of the industry to the city during 2018 – the year that saw the opening of V&A Dundee – was up almost £16million on the previous 12 months.

Tourism bosses said the 8.7% increase means visitors are spending more than ever before in the city, and that the economic target set out in the Dundee Tourism Strategy for 2020 has already been exceeded.

The research also identified significant growth in number of overnight stays recorded and the total number of visitors to the City of Discovery.

The expenditure and activity of visitors to Dundee in 2018 supported a total of 3,033 Full-Time Equivalent jobs (FTEs), an increase of 8.6% on the previous year and 19.2% since 2010.

Councillor Lynne Short, convener of Dundee City Council's city development committee, said: "Targets are set to be met and broken and having done so two years ahead of time is a great achievement.

“It is a testament to the way that Dundee has been put firmly on the tourism map and I am convinced there is more to come.

"Unlike some other destinations we are a 365-days-a-year city. Our attractions and venues are open for business all year round, and there is always something for visitors to see and do."

The research, carried out for Dundee City Council by Global Tourism Solutions, showed total day visitor numbers increased 34%, from 412,520 in 2017 to 558,100 last year.

The figure for overnight visits was also up, from 467,900 to 491,900 – and is on track to hit the 2020 target in the Tourism Strategy.

Councillor Short continued: “This research is further evidence of the positive picture emerging around growing tourism for the benefit of the city.

“We’ve already seen V&A Dundee hit the 500,000 visitor mark six months early, and other major attractions such as Discovery Point record huge increases in people through the doors.

“The council and its partners are working hard to develop our marketing, tailor our offering and provide a fantastic experience to ensure that people keep coming back and new visitors choose Dundee for their next break.”

Kim Adamson, of Dundee Tourism Action Strategy Group, also welcomed the findings of the research. 

She continued: “It’s great to see that the 2020 targets set out in the Tourism Strategy are on track and even being exceeded.

“We are continuing to work hard to maximise the benefits to the city that tourism offers. Key priorities over the next couple of years include developing information for visitors and businesses and maintaining and continuing to build on the positive image and perception of the city.

“We’ll also be seeking to develop visitor packages and taking action to encourage people to stay in the city for longer.”

In recent months, Dundee has been named the must-visit Scottish destination by countless travel writers, publications and websites.

Accolades include being named among the coolest places in the world to visit this year by National Geographic Traveller UK, and featuring in Condé Nast Traveller UK’s 10 Best UK City Breaks for 2019.
 

The UK’s coolest little city will be fizzing with videogames talent, innovation and fun for the next four months as a Summer of Games rolls out across Dundee.

Following the launch of V&A Dundee’s latest exhibition, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt on April 20, the city is gearing up for a programme of public, academic and industry events - from immersive tech conferences and videogames design competitions, to a public celebration of graduate talent, a family friendly digital treasure trail and the return of the nationwide UK Games Fund Awards.

Partners from across the city and beyond including the UK Games Fund, Abertay University, Dundee City Council, Creative Dundee, Biome Collective, V&A Dundee, InGAME, UK Interactive Entertainment, 4J Studios and the University of Glasgow will be offering up a feast of activities to showcase the work and creativity of the games sector.

Kicking the summer off will be Abertay University’s Digital Graduate Show, expected to draw a crowd of thousands from May 10-14 as students from Europe’s top games university showcase their achievements.

The free public show will feature everything from videogames and virtual reality experiences, through to animation, 3D modelling, character and concept design, coding, augmented reality and illustration, and is a draw for everyone from developers and culture vultures to game players and families.

Also in May, academic researchers and games industry professionals from across Scotland will descend on the city for an event led by the University of Glasgow, exploring the future of mixed reality tech such as VR and AR and their implications for how we play.

Panel event im/material: Virtual Encounters With Material Worlds will feature a discussion between academics, game designers, and digital storytellers, exploring the opportunities for storytelling and gaming created by the blurring between virtual and physical worlds.

On May 18, focus will return to the magnificent V&A Dundee for Arcadia conference co-curated in partnership with the city’s Biome Collective. Featuring world-leading designers and radical thinkers, the event will cover the full spectrum of game-making and explore its cultural impact.

That evening, Edinburgh-based We Throw Switches will take over the museum for Press Play - a one-off evening showcase of playable international design running from 7pm to 10pm.

As if that wasn’t enough for the opening month, games fans can also attend Creative Dundee’s biggest ever Pecha Kucha Night event at the Caird Hall on May 28, where legendary games composer Ged Grimes - creator of soundtracks for the likes of Earthworm Jim 3D, Enter the Matrix, Shrek 3 and the critically-acclaimed The Bard’s Tale IV Barrows Deep - will be among the speakers.

Throughout the summer, two Dundee-based videogames talent development competitions, Tranzfuser and Dare Academy, will feed into the Summer of Games programme.

Both contests, run by the UK Games Fund and Abertay University respectively, see teams conceptualise, pitch and create games before panels of industry judges select winning titles.

The Summer of Games will continue into June and July with a series of other activities, including a digital treasure trail for families as part of Dundee City Council’s Dundee Summer Streets Festival, a UK Hub Crawl workshop for local games companies from UK Interactive Entertainment and an R&D showcase event from the city’s new Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise (InGAME) project – a collaboration between the universities of Abertay, Dundee and St Andrews.

On September 4, the UK Games Fund Awards will be held at V&A Dundee, forming part of the final week of the superb Videogames Design/Play/Disrupt exhibition. 

The event will once again celebrate the UK’s grass-roots indie games sector, with awards including those for Best Studio and Games Development Genius, alongside a range of other accolades recognising and rewarding the innovation and hard work of the country’s game developer talent.

Finally, rounding off the summer in style, V&A Dundee will collaborate with Abertay University on a unique Game Jam to mark the end of the exhibition.

Members of the public can watch games being created live, as computer artists work with programmers, designers and sound engineers in the museum’s open spaces from September 6-8.

Paul Durrant, Founder and Chief Executive of the UK Games Fund said: “The benefit of having Dundee as the base for our UK operations is that we are able to participate in fabulous opportunities like this. We'll be sharing the delights of Dundee with over 150 members of our community representing 70 different games studios who'll we'll bring to the city from all corners of the UK during the Summer of Games."

Professor Gregor White, Dean of Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics said: “Dundee is one of the UK’s most innovative and forward-thinking videogames clusters and it’s fantastic to see such a wealth of activity taking place across the city. I’m delighted our academics, graduates and students have been able to get involved in such a wide and varied programme of events, catering to everyone from children discovering games for the first time to developers pushing the cutting edge of the medium.”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, Ukie CEO said: “Games now contribute massively to culture, society and the economy and Dundee is very much at the forefront of the games sector in the UK. It’s therefore brilliant to have an event like Summer of Games, being hosted in Dundee, that celebrates and showcases so many of the different aspects of the games industry and we’re delighted to be supporting it by helping local games businesses and students to get investor ready at our Hub Crawl.”

Chris van der Kuyl, Chairman of Dundee-based 4J Studios said: “Dundee has been firmly on the world map as an international hub for the videogames industry for a long time now, but this feels like the year that reputation is being cemented in minds of the public at large. The breadth of activity across this Summer of Games once again drives home that this sector is not just about playing or making games as entertainment – it’s about using games to explore new ideas, finding creative solutions to complex problems and giving young creative talent the opportunity to succeed.”

Gillian Easson, Director of Creative Dundee said: “This year is a great opportunity to show just how important Dundee’s creative industries are to Scotland and there’s never been a better chance to shine a light on all the amazing projects we have going on in the city. There’s so much talent in the videogames cluster and it’s a real privilege to collaborate with people working in the sector across Dundee through projects like Pecha Kucha.”

Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee said: “Dundee has a rich history of digital creativity and the annual Abertay Digital Graduate Show is always a highlight in the city’s cultural calendar. This summer will be a particularly exciting time for game players and anyone with an interest in art, creativity and design, from the many different events and talks to our major new exhibition, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt.”

Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council said: “It is great to see Dundee celebrating its rich video gaming heritage in so many ways this summer. The city’s Summer Streets Festival has been bitten by the videogame bug, as this year it will feature a digital treasure hunt for families to enjoy. Dundee is the place to be for videogames this summer and there is really something for everyone.”

Director of InGAME, Sean Taylor said: “It is great to see so much activity around the videogames industry in Dundee in store this summer and we are very much looking forward to revealing some of the key projects that InGAME will be focussing on. This industry is vitally important to Scotland and we are committed to working with local companies as we seek to increase the scape and value of the Dundee cluster.”

Director of Biome Collective, Malath Abbas said: “It’s fantastic to see the scale of activity taking place across Dundee this summer and that illustrates just how far the city has come in terms of understanding the wide-ranging scope and purposes of the games sector. Diversity and experimentation are key to our sector and Arcadia will help celebrate this! We are delighted to be bringing Arcadia back this year and V&A Dundee is the perfect setting for the great line-up of speakers we have in store.”

Follow #SummerOfGames this summer.
 

City Breaks UK: The 10 Best for 2019 - #Dundee is on the list, as selected by Condé Nast Traveller UK

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/city-breaks-uk-2019

#DundeeIsNow #SunnyDundee #LoveDundee

#ScotlandIsNow  #VisitDundee

Scotland’s sunniest city has made it to the top spot beating nine other Scottish locations listed in the Sunday Times 2019 Best Place to Live Guide.

The judges in the annual Best Place to Live awards take into account much more than the mantra of location, location, location!

Appealing and affordable housing, access to good schools and low crime rates are taken into account when deciding on the winner of the Best Place to Live, as are attractive parks and green spaces, accessible cultural activities, good transport links and a strong sense of community spirit – all areas where Dundee scores high in official statistics.

The judges combine market research data with their own experience and insight to ensure the chosen locations truly are places where everyone can thrive.

Helen Davies, The Sunday Times Home editor said: Finding our very own best place to live now feels more important than ever, for our wellbeing and wealth, happiness and health. The Sunday Times has championed locations across the UK that we think are a great place to make a home.”

We say: There are many reasons Dundee’s been named Scotland’s Best Place to Live but for the most obvious, take a walk by the river. Only minutes from the city centre, seals, seabirds and dolphins can be seen from the banks of the River Tay – how many people can enjoy such a spectacular lunch break?

To access the full article about why Dundee has been named The Best Place to Live in Scotland published on 14 April 2019 go to thesundaytimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive #STbestplaces #DundeeIsNow

V&A Dundee has won the Wallpaper* Design Award 2019 for the Best New Public Building. 

The building, which is home to Scotland’s first and only design museum was designed by the award winning Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma. 

The inspiration for the design of the building came from the ragged cliffs of North Eastern Scotland, while also incorporating Dundee’s rich maritime history.  The shape of the building is said to resemble the prow of a ship, similar to the V&A’s neighbour RRS Discovery.

Wallpaper* stated: "The highly sculptural V&A Dundee is Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s first UK building – and Scotland’s first dedicated design museum.

"The ragged cliffs of north eastern Scotland inspired the composition’s distinct shape, clad in some 2,500 sheets of layered horizontal cast stone panelling.

"Yet the concrete structure appears light, bearing an abstracted resemblance to the prow of a moored ship. Kuma wanted this building to welcome visitors with a strong design gesture."

The construction of the building was ground-breaking, with no straight external walls and cladding made of pre-cast rough stone panels.

The Wallpaper* Magazine runs its design awards every year, with the winners being chosen by an elite panel of judges made up of acclaimed architects and designers from all over the world.

V&A Dundee director Philip Long said: “We're delighted to win this prestigious global award.

"Wallpaper is one of the world’s most highly respected design magazines and everyone at V&A Dundee is thrilled to have won, especially when we were shortlisted against such incredible international projects as the Apple Park Visitor Centre in California.

“V&A Dundee has already welcomed over 360,000 visitors, and we are all looking forward to an exciting year with exhibitions on videogames and the future of robots.”

Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: "This award from Wallpaper* is a tremendous accolade for V&A Dundee. It has put our city at the centre of international attention.

"I am delighted at this award as it recognises the quality of design and ambition at the heart of this building."

V&A Dundee is situated in the heart of Dundee’s regenerated Waterfront, within close proximity of the city centre.  The museum is also within easy walking distance of the Dundee’s train and bus stations.

For more information about V&A Dundee visit: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee