DHET works in partnership with a range of organisations to stimulate the understanding of Dundee’s historic built environment and beyond. The Trust’s supports the promotion of Historic Dundee as an attractive place for people to live, work, visit and invest in.
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Dundee Conservation Lectures
The Trust co-organises the annual series of Dundee Conservation Lectures with the University of Dundee and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland – Tayside and East Fife Group. This series of lectures covers a range of conservation issues, offering an opportunity to learn more about and debate, philosophical, practical, legislative and technical matters. The lectures are held in the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill at the University of Dundee DD1 4EN.
Lectures from the past 20 years can be found at: Dundee Conservation Lecture series programmes
Programme currently on hold due to the pandemic.
Dundee Heritage Walks
DHET contributes to a series of heritage walking guides in partnership with the Rotary Club of Dundee and supported by Dundee City Council’s Environment Department. Additional sponsorship has been provided by local partner organisations. The walks offer a range of self-guided tours by foot around historic Dundee giving participants an opportunity to discover Dundee’s past and experience its rich and diverse heritage.
The City Centre walk can also be undertaken using audio guidance via the Geotourist App which is available to download free at the App Store and Google Play.
Printed leaflets are available to pick up from DHET’s office and from local visitor information points.
The series is ongoing, with updates and additional walks planned. The walks to date include:
- City Centre
- West End
- City Braes
- Maritime
- Broughty Ferry
Links to local & external organisations & events
The Seven City Heritage Trusts
There is a City Heritage Trust in each of Scotland’s seven cities. They are all independent charitable bodies responsible to a board of trustees and they operate slightly differently and on different scales.
Dundee Historic Environment Trust
Dundee Civic Trust
The Dundee Civic Trust is a local amenity society whose membership is open to individuals who support its aims. The charity aims to preserve and promote the natural, historic, artistic, cultural and social amenities and features of the City of Dundee and its neighbourhood in order to interest, educated and inspire civic pride in the local community. It ‘encourages the maintenance of high standards of architecture and town planning […] in order to ensure the protection or improvement of the local environment’. It publishes an annual journal, City Scene, and provides members with a near bi-monthly on-line bulletin, Newsflash.
The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS)
The AHSS is a Scottish charity with over 1000 members dedicated to the conservation, study and appreciation of Scotland’s historic buildings. It has regional groups organising local activities and carrying out casework through local volunteer run cases panels who review and comment on local planning and listed building consent applications. Dundee city falls under the Tayside and East Fife regional group, and there is a regional cases panel that reviews planning matters in the group area. The AHSS also publishes a twice-yearly magazine and arranges lecture programmes and study tours.
Abertay Historical Society
Abertay Historical Society promotes interest in the history of Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perthshire. The Society organises regular talks for its members, usually in Dundee, and publishes a long-established series of invaluable books on local history and related matters.
Dundee Heritage Trust
Founded in 1985, Dundee Heritage Trust is a charity dedicated to the guardianship, preservation and portrayal of Dundee’s heritage in ways that educate, inspire and enlighten current and future generations. It operates five star visitor attractions at Discovery Point and Verdant Works and is responsible for the conservation of RRS Discovery.
HMS Unicorn
HMS Unicorn is a former Royal Navy warship and is nearly 200 years old. It is preserved as a museum and visitor attraction in Victoria Docks on South Victoria Dock road. It is owned, maintained and managed by the charity Unicorn Preservation Society. It also normally runs a series of events throughout the year.
Events: HMS Unicorn events
Dundee City Archives
Dundee City Archives holds the records of Dundee City Council and its predecessors.
The Friends of Dundee City Archives was established in 1989 to support the work of the archivists in Dundee. The group raises public awareness of the work of the Archivist’s office and in normal years arranges activities including a series of lunchtime talks. The group also publishes useful works relating to the history of Dundee.
Their ‘house history’ page provides a detailed guide explaining how the different types of record held within the Archives can assist the public research the history of their own homes.
Dundee Institute of Architects
Dundee Institute of Architects is the local regional professional organisation for architects who are members of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) or the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The DIA provides local member events and local design awards. It also arranges the Dundee Doors Open Days event.
Dundee Leisure & Culture
Local History has a collection of over 20,000 items relating to the City of Dundee. It is located in the Central Library in The Wellgate Shopping Centre, in the centre of Dundee.
V & A Dundee
Scotland’s Design Museum opened to the public in September 2018. It houses the Scottish Design Galleries exploring Scotland’s design landscape, historically and today.
The Museum runs a regular events programme:
Doors Open Days
Doors Open Days is an annual event, first arranged in Glasgow and Ayr in 1990, and in other areas, including Dundee, from 1991. This continues today. DHET is one of several organisations to have arranged the Dundee event. DOD involves opening buildings or parts of buildings that are of interest but which are not normally publically accessible, free of charge. Different areas open up during each weekend of September.
The Dundee organiser is currently Dundee Institute of Architects.
SPAB Scotland
Members of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings living and working in Scotland have their own semi-autonomous group and get all of the benefits of SPAB membership, plus a dedicated series of events, technical and recreational.
Contact the Scotland Officer for further details.
Scottish Lime Centre Trust
The SLCT is a ‘not for profit’ organisation which promotes the appropriate repair of Scotland’s traditional and historic buildings for the benefit of the public; provides advice, training and practical experience in the use of lime for the repair and conservation of buildings; and promotes and furthers the preservation and development of Scottish building traditional, crafts and skills.
SLCT is based in Charlestown in Fife and is an essential source of technical information and training for traditional building conservation, repair and construction projects.
Scottish Civic Trust
The Scottish Civic Trust has been campaigning for the protection and improvement of Scotland’s built environment and supporting local amenity societies since 1967. Based in Glasgow, the SCT is the catelyst for a number of initiatives, including the conservation of the Edinburgh New Town, the revitalisation of New Lanark, and for bringing the annual Doors Open Days event to the UK.
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Do you know if you are eligible for a grant?
Supported by
Images on this site were produced by both DHET and Alan Richardson Photography
Limited Company Registered in Scotland No. 268877
Scottish Charity No. SC 036165
Supported by
Images on this site were produced by both DHET and Alan Richardson
Limited Company Registered in Scotland No. 268877
Scottish Charity No. SC 036165