For the arts

Along with the V&A, there is much to keep art aficionados interested in Dundee. For starters, the city is home to the country's sole permanent performing ensemble, the Dundee Rep. They share a home with the Scottish Dance Theatre, and there is a full program of world-class performances all year. The DCA, Dundee Contemporary Arts, is almost next door. Visit the temporary exhibitions or catch a screening of an arthouse film. The McManus, a splendid sandstone Victorian Gothic structure dedicated to the region's riches, is every Dundonian's favorite arts center. Sweep up the spiral staircase to galleries containing everything from old Pictish stones to the Tay Whale skeleton.

Edzell Castle and Gardens are popular among garden enthusiasts because of the spectacular walled garden designed by Sir David Lindsay in 1604. The Pleasance is a formal garden filled with flower boxes and stone panels. Visit Barry Mill in Carnoustie for a taste of the simpler life in Angus. It's a rare, operating grain mill surrounded by picnic tables that was purchased by the National Trust in 1988.