Best Daytrips Around Dundee

If you just moved to the city, you might be excited to see what’s here to see. While there is a lot to explore in Dundee, sometimes it feels great to get outside of the city limits. Here are five of my favorite places easily in reach for a day trip: 

1) Arbroath

It has a great variety: The town has impressive historical sites, a nice harbour, and a beautiful coastline. As it is accessible by a train, bus, and with a bit of effort, by a bike too, it is on the top of my list.

Arbroath Abbey
Cliffs just northwest of the town

2) St Andrews

Like Arbroath, there are ruins of an abbey. And while the coastline might not be as scenic, it is topped with a castle.

The easiest way to get here is by bus; however, if you go by bike, you can go through Tentsmuir forest, a well-worthy detour. After you stroll through the town’s centre, I suggest following Kinness Burn, a stream surrounded by many pretty parks.

3) Sidlaw Hills

In just about an hour on a bike, you can reach the ABC of Sidlaws: Auchterhouse, Balkello, and Craigowl. The first two are my favorite, Auchterhouse Hill offers fantastic views on the Highlands and Dundee, and Balkello has a few fine MTB trails, if you are into that kind of stuff.

If you feel adventurous, I recommend extending the trip to another hill further west, Kinpurney, which has an attractive tower:

4) Balmerino

A small village in Fife, reachable by a pleasant walk from Wormit, where you can get by bus. Alternatively, it is also possible to cycle there.

Besides the pleasant riverside setting, the village has ruins of yet another abbey and a ~450-year old Spanish chestnut.

5) East Neuk

A portion of the Fife peninsula known for its colorful fishing villages:

Crail

Besides the villages, the seaside has pristine beaches and cool rock formations:

It is the furthest location from the list, so it’s a bit worse with accessibility. But you can get there in roughly an hour by bus, or sooner if you go by car.

There are many places around Dundee worth a visit, but these are my top five. I hope you find it inspiring!

And if you want to venture further, you might also like my tips about traveling to the Highlands:

Ultimate Highlands Introduction

Thanks for reading.