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Close-up of a textured bronze sculpture overlooking a calm waterfront and modern buildings.

Dundee history walk uncovers whales, ghost ships and Howff secrets

A 90-minute Guided Tour in Dundee will take walkers from the Tay Whale sculpture beside the V&A into some of the city’s stranger local history, with stories of submarines, medieval closes, battles, polar bears, comic characters, naval heroes and the Green Man of the ancient Dundee Howff Cemetery.

The event, Whales, Monkeys, Dragons, Bears, Warrior Dogs, Ghost Ships and Green Men, is listed for Sunday 12 July 2026 at 12:00. The meeting point is the Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A on Dundee Waterfront. Tickets are listed at £12, or £10 concessions, and the tour is aimed at the general public, especially readers who like local history delivered on foot rather than behind glass.

Information for the event has been published by Leisure and Culture Dundee, with the walk run through Dundee Waterfront Walks.

The meeting point is part of the story

The tour begins at one of Dundee Waterfront’s most recognisable public artworks: the Tay Whale sculpture beside the V&A. From there, the route uses the city centre and waterfront as a map of old stories, odd details and local memory.

The source description says walkers will learn the “weird story” of the Tay Whale and hear what it calls some of the worst poetry in the world at the same time. That sets the tone for a walk built around Dundee’s more curious layers rather than a straight chronological history lesson.

The listing says the walk lasts around 90 minutes. It is led by Alastair, described as a friendly local guide who has volunteered onboard RRS Discovery for many years. The event note also says he will encourage visitors to see RRS Discovery in their own time.

What the walk covers around Dundee

The event’s full title is deliberately packed: whales, monkeys, dragons, bears, warrior dogs, ghost ships and Green Men all point to stops or stories folded into the route.

According to the published listing, the walk includes places where submarines once bobbed at anchor, a lost medieval Close and stories connected with local battles. It also brings in polar bears, comic characters and naval heroes, before asking where underground rivers still run beneath the city.

One of the named highlights is the Green Man of the ancient Dundee Howff Cemetery. The Howff is one of the city’s most historically distinctive burial grounds, and the tour places it within a wider trail of waterfront, medieval and maritime stories.

For visitors, the practical appeal is that the event does not require prior knowledge of Dundee history. The listing frames it as a guided walk with a local storyteller, suitable for people who want to connect familiar streets and landmarks with the city’s less obvious past.

Date, price and booking details

Detail Information
Event Whales, Monkeys, Dragons, Bears, Warrior Dogs, Ghost Ships and Green Men
Type Guided Tour
Date Sunday 12 July 2026
Time 12:00
Duration Around 90 minutes
Meeting point Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A, Dundee Waterfront
Price £12 / £10 concessions
Organiser Leisure and Culture Dundee / Dundee Waterfront Walks

The source listing also shows further dates for the same walk: 5 July at 12:00, 15 August at 12:00 and 5 September at 12:00. Readers should check directly with Dundee Waterfront Walks before travelling, as the event information is published as a dated local listing.

How to arrange a place

Booking and enquiries are directed to dundeewaterfrontwalks@gmail.com or dundeewaterfrontwalks.scot. No additional accessibility, food stall or public transport information is included in the supplied listing.

The meeting point given for attendees is specific: Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A. The venue details are otherwise listed as venues varying inside Dundee, so the sculpture is the practical point to use when planning where to arrive.

Source: Dundee City Events

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Aisha McLeod

Aisha McLeod

Author

Aisha McLeod is a Dundee-based local news editor covering public events, community programmes and civic updates for demoduck.co.uk. She focuses on checking dates, venues and official notices against primary sources, while explaining how decisions affect residents, businesses and neighbourhood groups. Her reporting prioritises practical information, transparent sourcing and accessible coverage of city life

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