Category: Dundee and Angus

Good day everyone,

Hope you are all having a great day so far. I decided to share the last part of our visit to Dundee with you today. I know 2 days in a row…. We drove around Dundee trying to check off the different places of interest on our list.

Dudhope Castle

Dudhope Castle is an extended late medieval tower house located on the southern face of Dundee Law in Dundee.
It was built in the late 13th century by the Scrymgeour family, with the original castle being a smaller tower house.
In 1792 the castle was rented in an attempt to use it as a woolen factory, although the plan never came to fruition. In 1795 the park and the grounds were leased to the Board of Ordnance. They used Dudhope as a barracks for 95 years, from 1796 to 1879. Additional buildings were constructed, including a hospital, officer’s quarters, stables, and guard-rooms. The castle itself was used to accommodate 400 soldiers. The Board of Ordnance finally abandoned it in 1881.

Steeple Church

The Tower is the oldest part of the structure, dating from the 15th century. Over centuries several church buildings have been erected and have fallen on the site. The present Steeple Church dates from 1789. The other parts of the building on the east side, the Mary Slessor Centre and Dundee Parish Church (St. Mary’s ), were built in 1840 after a fire.

Adam Duncan Statue

Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan (1 July 1731 – 4 August 1804) was a British admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This victory is considered one of the most significant actions in naval history.

Adam Duncan was born and schooled in Dundee. He joined the Royal Navy, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Captain Robert Haldane. He went on to serve under him on HMS Trial and HMS Shoreham. In 1755 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, then in 1759 to a commander.

In 1763 Duncan returned home on half-pay. Despite his repeated efforts to gain another naval command, he spent much of the next fifteen years on the family estate at Lundie or in Dundee. On 6 June 1777, he married Henrietta. His father-in-law pulled some strings and, in late 1778, he was given command of HMS Suffolk and then of HMS Monarch.

Duncan remained in command of the North Sea fleet until he retired in 1801. He died three years later at the age of 73 and was buried in Lundie.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It is the cathedral and administrative center of the Diocese of Brechin in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In 1847, Alexander Penrose Forbes was elected new Bishop of Brechin and chose to make Dundee his permanent residence.

The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid on 21 July 1853 and, it was completed in 1855. It was designed by George Gilbert Scott and is in the style of the Middle or Decorated period of Gothic architecture. There is a peal of 8 bells; the tenor bell weighs 23 cwt.

The total cost of the building exceeded £14,000, and ten years passed before the congregation could pay off all the debts incurred. The church was dedicated on All Saints Day, 1 November 1865. In 1905 St.Paul’s status was raised to cathedral.

Mains Castle

Mains Castle (also known as Claverhouse Castle or Fintry Castle) is a 16th-century castle in Dundee, Scotland. It consists of several buildings surrounding a courtyard, although several of the original western buildings no longer exist. The family lived in the northern and eastern buildings, with the servants occupying the southern quarters. The castle also has a large, six-floor, square tower house with dressed cornerstones, which is typical of 16th-century construction.

Claypotts Castle

Claypotts Castle is a late medieval castle in the suburban West Ferry area of Dundee, Scotland. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a 16th-century Z-plan tower house in Scotland. Now surrounded by modern housing, the castle is maintained as an Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland.

It was built by John Strachan around 1569–1588 according to dates inscribed on stones that make up parts of the castle, which make its construction longer than usual for such a small building. The Strachan family leased the land from the Tironensian Abbey of Lindores starting in the early 16th century.

The legend has it that the castle was once home to an industrious brownie who helped the servants with their work, but that he left in disgust because of a lazy kitchen maid.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~Saint Augustine