Broughty Ferry (Dundee City)

Lat:56.464 Lon: -2.867

Broughty Ferry is a suburb of of Dundee, situated on the Firth of Tay. The most prominent landmark here is Broughty Castle. Built in the 1490s, the castle sits in a strategically important point on the north shore of the Tay. It has been the focus of much dispute, including occupation by the English from 1547 to 1550. From the late 17th Century, the castle was largely unused and fell into decay. It returned to its role as a coastal defence in 1855, when it was acquired by the War Office to protect the harbour from Russian attack. By 1861, fear of invasion by the French saw major repairs, verging on reconstruction.

The 18th Century mill near Broughty Castle was a five-sailed, circular tower, standing 30 feet tall and between 12 and 15 feet in diameter. It was demolished in the late 19th Century.

Broughty Ferry developed as a fishing and whaling settlement and served as an busy transport hub. The ferry service to Tayport was an important link between the towns and cities of the east coast before the construction of the Tay Rail Bridge.

The 19th Century saw rapid growth, partly due to the opening of the Dundee and Arbroath Railway in 1838. The short, regular train service between Dundee and "the Ferry" encouraged those who could afford it to escape the pollution of the industrial city. Many textile barons, grown rich on the Dundee jute industry, had villas erected in Broughty Ferry.

From the late 18th Century, Broughty Ferry had been known as a bathing resort. Improved transport brought visitors from as far as Glasgow and Edinburgh. The sea front continues to draw day-trippers.

Features of the area

• Mill
• Suburb
• Coast
• Fishing
• Harbour

Dundee City Group

Dundee City is one of Scotland’s 32 unitary council areas, covering the fourth-largest city in Scotland.

It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Tay and borders Angus and Perth and Kinross.

Elsewhere on the BBC

• BBC Tayside and Central

Elsewhere on the web

• RCAHMS: Broughty Castle
• Wikipedia entry on Broughty Castle
• Broughty Castle Museum
• Photopolis: Old Dundee in photographs