Dundee is world famous for being the home of jute, jam and journalism, the birthplace of Oor Wullie and The Broons.
But did you know there’s also a tale about whisky flowing through the city after a fire broke out?
Now a fascinating new book sheds light on a few things like that which you probably didn’t know about our city on the banks of the Silvery Tay.
Written by Dr Norman Watson, “Dundee, a comprehensive guide for locals and visitors” delves into many interesting facts about Dundee.
Dr Watson, who worked with DC Thomson, said his book is a celebration of “this amazing city”.
He added: “It explores and explains the streets, buildings, trades, customs, traditions and people that have contributed to the city’s progress from the earliest settlement to the present day.”
The book explores Dundee’s cultural and industrial development, uncovering 1,000 years of history and telling a few less well known stories at the same time.
For example, at one time in the 19th Century Dundee was home to a higher population of working women than anywhere else in the UK.
It’s also the only city where you will find five castles, an Antarctic research ship and award-winning modern art and theatre venues side-by-side.
The book describes the early days of Dundee’s High Street.
Seven of the city’s principal streets lead off from the High Street, which can be traced back to the 1100s.
Today it houses many shops and businesses, including the city’s busiest shopping centre, the Overgate, despite being only 400m long “from tip to toe.”
Also in the town centre used to stand Dundee’s now demolished Town House, which saw its fair share of historical events.
It was there in 1788 that Dundee’s first recorded bank raid took place. The Dundee Banking Company was entered from the floor above and £4,223 was stolen.
Two men were executed in Edinburgh for the theft but it is believed the real culprit escaped after an inside job.
The Town House has the honour of being one of the three bronze replicas representing the best of bygone Dundee on plinths fronting the Overgate Centre.
Another old building in Dundee has an interesting twist to its history that linked it to a staple Scottish meal of the time.
The Glasite Hall was the meeting place of the Glasite religious sect.
However, it became known as the Kail Kirk when worshippers were offered bowls of cabbage soup.
The Mills Observatory on Balgay Hill is one of Dundee’s best known and iconic buildings.
It was a gift to the city by the jute manufacturer John Mills and was Britain’s first purpose-built public observatory when it opened in 1935.
What’s maybe less well known is that the dome is made of papier mache and is thought to be one of only three of its type in the world.
There’s one story in the book that could reduce many a Scotsman to tears.
In 1906 the worst fire in Dundee for 250 years resulted in rivers of whisky flowing through city streets.
The fire in Watson’s Bond caused damage equivalent to £35 million today, as two million gallons of whisky went down the drain.
It was enough, it was claimed, to provide every man in Scotland with six bottles each.
