{"id":2234,"date":"2026-01-21T13:01:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/?p=2234"},"modified":"2026-01-21T13:43:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:43:27","slug":"dundee-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/dundee-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Dundee Day: Celebrate the City You Study In"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re studying at the University of Dundee, chances are the city has already become part of your everyday life \u2014 from walks along the Tay to late library sessions and coffee stops on Perth Road. Dundee Day<\/strong>, celebrated every year on 26 January<\/strong>, is the perfect moment to pause and appreciate the place you now call home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Looking
Looking at Dundee in the evening from Fife<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why 26 January matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On 26 January 1889<\/strong>, Dundee made history when Queen Victoria<\/strong> officially granted it city status \u2014 making Dundee the first city in Scotland<\/strong>. Even today, Dundee remains the only Scottish city with a precise date marking when it became a city. More than 130 years on, that\u2019s still worth celebrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A city shaped by ideas, industry and innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dundee\u2019s story is one of reinvention, creativity and ambition \u2014 themes that probably feel very familiar to students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Juteopolis (1860s\u20131870s)<\/strong>
    At its peak, Dundee dominated the global jute industry, employing around 50,000 people across more than 60 mills<\/strong>. The industry shaped the city\u2019s economy, architecture and social history \u2014 something you can still explore today at Verdant Works.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Built for exploration (1901)<\/strong>
    The RRS Discovery<\/strong>, built right here in Dundee, launched in 1901 and carried Captain Scott and his team to Antarctica. Today, it sits proudly at Discovery Point, a reminder of Dundee\u2019s role in global scientific exploration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A city of computing and games<\/strong>
    In the 1980s, Dundee played a key role in home computing, manufacturing the Sinclair ZX Spectrum<\/strong>. In 1994, the city cemented its reputation by launching the world\u2019s first degree in computer games technology<\/strong> \u2014 helping Dundee become a global hub for games design, including the birthplace of Grand Theft Auto<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Design at its heart<\/strong>
    Dundee was the UK\u2019s first UNESCO City of Design<\/strong>, and the V&A Dundee \u2014 Scotland\u2019s only dedicated design museum \u2014 reflects the city\u2019s creative confidence and international outlook.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Dundonians who changed the world<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Dundee Day is also about the people who shaped the city and beyond:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • James Chalmers<\/strong> \u2013 inventor of the adhesive postage stamp<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • William Playfair<\/strong> \u2013 pioneer of the line graph, bar chart and pie chart<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Williamina Fleming<\/strong> \u2013 astronomer who discovered white dwarf stars and the Horsehead Nebula, and transformed how stars were catalogued<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Generations of scientists, medics, designers and game developers educated right here in Dundee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      How students can celebrate Dundee Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      You don\u2019t need bagpipes and a kilt (though you won\u2019t be stopped).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Take a walk along the waterfront<\/strong> and enjoy one of the city\u2019s best views<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Visit a museum or gallery<\/strong> \u2014 many are free and perfect for a study break<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Learn a bit of local history<\/strong> (your library is a great place to start \ud83d\udc40)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Try a classic Dundee \u201cpeh<\/strong>\u201d (pie) from a local bakery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Combine Dundee Day with Burns Night<\/strong>, which falls the day before<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        A city still looking forward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Dundee has been named a City of the Future<\/strong>, recognised for innovation in life sciences, digital technology and creative industries. For students, that means studying in a city that continues to evolve \u2014 just like you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        So whether you\u2019re here for a few years or planning to stay longer, Dundee Day is a celebration of the place supporting your studies, friendships and ambitions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Happy Dundee Day \ud83d\udc99
        And if you\u2019re studying in the library today \u2014 you\u2019re already right in the heart of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"Two
        Two students overlooking Dundee from The Law<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        If you\u2019re studying at the University of Dundee, chances are the city has already become part of your everyday life \u2014 from walks along the Tay to late library sessions and coffee stops on Perth Road. Dundee Day, celebrated every year on 26 January, is the perfect moment to pause and appreciate the place you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":841,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,25,26,28,30],"tags":[63,47],"class_list":["post-2234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-dundee","category-facilities","category-museums","category-studying","tag-dundee","tag-student-life"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/841"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2234"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2237,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions\/2237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}