Dundee has scooped another prestigious award by being named Scotland’s Best Place to Live 2019.
The poll, which will be published in this week’s Sunday Times, puts Dundee ahead of Leith and Stockbridge in Edinburgh, Port Appin in Argyll, Mull and the trendy Finnieston area of Glasgow.
Each location was ranked on factors including culture, property prices, community, employment and schools as well as on the personal opinions of the judging panel.
The award is the latest in a line of accolades of the city which has been identified as one of the world’s must-see destinations by publications as diverse as the Lonely Planet, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
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The judges said Dundee had undergone a “dramatic transformation into a vibrant, creative city, bursting with arts and culture, crowned with arrival of the V&A museum last September, which has reconnected the city with its waterfront.”
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Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: “This accolade recognises the quality of the city and its facilities.
“Local people are familiar with the city’s benefits, with 99% of those who responded to the council’s citizen survey saying they felt their neighbourhood was a good place to live.
“We have built an international reputation as a creative centre with arts and culture as a driving force in our ongoing transformation. The opening of V&A Dundee was a pivotal moment in this journey.”
Mr Alexander, who is also spokesman for the One City, Many Discoveries campaign working to promote Dundee, added: “The council and its partners are well aware that the city and its people face a number of challenges, but this latest accolade shows how much the perception of Dundee is changing.”
Bill Bowman, Scottish Conservative MSP for the north-east region, said: “Dundonians and residents of Tayside will be delighted to see their city recognised as the number one place to live in Scotland.
“There is no question that the opening of the V&A has put Dundee firmly on the cultural map of the UK. But there is far more to this city.”
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Chris Law, SNP MP for Dundee West, added: “I am sure that this news only confirms what many Dundonians have known for a long time, and that is Dundee is definitely the best place to live in Scotland.
“As someone who moved to the city as a teenager in the mid-1980s, I have seen first-hand Dundee grow and develop into the leading city it is now.”
Jane Ferguson, director of audiences and media at V&A Dundee, said: “Dundee has always had a lot to offer, and it’s great to see it now being recognised as an exciting, vibrant city and a wonderful place to live.
“The ambitious redevelopment Dundee is undergoing has helped the city reconnect with its historic waterfront and I’m delighted that V&A Dundee is part of that transformation.”
Stewart Hosie, MP for Dundee East, said: “Dundee has been Scotland’s best kept secret for years but I am glad that the city is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. Dundee is a city on the rise in no small part thanks to the V&A and the £1bn waterfront regeneration that our ambitious council is spearheading.”
Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, said: “This is fantastic news and adds another feather to the city’s cap.”
