From hidden memorials to old railway stations hidden in plain sight, Dundee is a city that is full of unique things that are strange and unusual. So here are eight of them that you might not know about!
The old Lochee railway station is still here!
The Lochee railway station has been closed but the building that housed the station is still here to this very day. You can find the old railway station on Old Muirton Road and is now the location of the Park Bar. It is visible from Lochee High Street.
The Royal Arch's placement is still visible
One of the coolest features of the new waterfront development was the placement of the Royal Arch being retained as part of the construction of Slessor Gardens. You can walk where the Royal Arch once stood and see the markings of its foundations on East Dock Street.
The Dundee Law was an air-raid shelter
During the Second World War, the Law Tunnel was used as an air-raid shelter. The location and natural elevation made it a suitable site for protection during bombing raids.
The Wee Pink Nethergate House was originally a photography studio
If you've walked past Wee Mexico on the Nethergate, you might know that it was the former headquarters for DMA Design who created the Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto series. Originally however, it was a photography studio which was built in 1893.
There were plans to have an underwater tunnel in the Tay
Yes! It was back in 1955 when these plans were discussed. Before the construction of the Tay Road Bridge, several options to have a second crossing were discussed, one of these options included an underwater tunnel which would have run from Dundee, all the way to Newport. However, it was scrapped due to the logistical challenges at the time.
Frankenstein's Steps led up to Mary Shelley's Dundee cottage
Located on South Baffin Street is a large staircase. These steps once led up to a cottage that was owned by the famous Baxter family. Mary Shelley lived here for two years before going on to write Frankenstein. Shelley cited her time in Dundee as a place. The steps are still there, and there is even a plaque that commemorates the cottage's existence.
There is a hidden memorial to the last witch that was burned in Dundee
If you're walking down the Murraygate, you might pass a certain memorial which appears to be hidden from public view. If you walk down the Peter Street alleyway, you will come across two murals in a shape of a cone, one has flames, and the other has water. This mural remembers Grissel Jaffray, the last witch to be killed in Dundee, back in 1669.
There is still an "auld tram" on the High Street
Trams were a popular mode of transport for Dundonians in the 19th and 20th centuries, up until their discontinuation in 1956. But there is still one of the original horse-drawn trams in the middle of the Murraygate, but you might miss it. It's now "The Auld Tram", a street food stall that serves a delicious range of food and drink. It is also actually situated on tram tracks that were retained after the trams were decommissioned.
