IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
High Street, DUNDEE, DD1 1SA

Gardyne’s Land is a complex of five historic buildings in the High Street of Dundee. At the heart of the site is a tower house, the only surviving example of a 16th century Merchant’s House in the city. The property has been restored and is now a backpackers’ hostel. The top floor of the 1640 tenement building has evidence of use by former inhabitants including W Fergus, Watchmaker, and McLeod, Bagpipe Maker.

Statue of the iconic character from the Dandy comic, striding along the High Street. The Dandy publishers DC Thomson and co are based in Dundee.

Clock in Dundee High St

Sculpture in Dundee

The Tenement dates from 1790, and is a prominent traditional ashlar masonry construction, with a former billiard hall from 1820 to the rear. During its life, the building has been residential properties (as the name The Tenement suggests), as well as housing Drapers & Tailors, Chemists, Hatters and the kitchens and staff restaurant of the Keiller jam & marmalade factory. It was also the HQ of the Dundee Western Club from 1883 until 2000. The MacLeod Building as seen today is the best remaining construction dating from the Middle Ages in the town. It was built in 2 phases, in about 1630 and 1680, and occupies much of a burgage plot known as Gardyne’s Land, which in turn is the only relatively complete surviving example of a collection of merchants’ and nobles’ houses from the time that Dundee was Scotland’s second city. The name MacLeod comes from a bagpipe maker, who lived and worked in an extension to the attic rooms until 1961. Another of the attic rooms was occupied by a W Fergus, watchmaker and Olympic gymnast (not, by any means, a common pairing of occupations) Behind the main MacLeod Building lies the four-storey Gardyne Building, which dates from 1560 or thereabouts. This fronts onto the rather narrow Gray’s Close, and is not visible from the pedestrianised street outside. Its name comes from its ownership by one John Gardyne, a sea merchant and mariner in the early 16th century, who died in 1581, whereupon ownership passed to his son, George. The property has links to the former Keiller jam and marmalade making business (of Dundee Marmalade fame) who occupied part of the Tenement Building from the 1930s, running a restaurant on the first floor. The whole site underwent significant restoration and preservation works from 2000 to 2007 with the assistance of the Tayside Building Preservation Trust http://www.tbpt.org/index.htm and is now operated as a backpackers’ hostel. Bedrooms, dormitories, common rooms and kitchens occupy much of the upper floors of The Tenement and MacLeod buildings; the Billiard Hall has been converted into the hostel’s bar and pool room; the MacLeod building also houses the hostel reception area.

This recently restored 16th-century merchant's house is a rare survival from Dundee's pre-industrial past. It is believed to be the city's oldest existing domestic dwelling.

A 1930s clock bearing a model of William Adam's Old Townhouse which stood in the High Street. It was begun in 1732 and completed two years later. 'The Pillars', as it became known on account of its frontage, was the traditional spot where Dundonians gathered for hogmanay celebrations over the next two centuries. It was demolished in 1932 as part of the City Square development. The clock serves as a permanent reminder of this municipal folly.

Category A. Listing reference LB25239. 1560. Rare early domestic survival at heart of Dundee; High Street façade altered (concealing original timber front) and wallhead heightened early 18th century, few subsequent alterations; 2004-07 restoration by Tayside Buildings Preservation Trust, with Simpson and Brown project architect and Brown Construction principal contractor. 4-storey and double attic, 6-bay merchant's house, with modern ground floor shopfronts, centre shaped gable with wallhead stack and 1932 commemorative clock with model of old town house moved from adjacent building 2006, off-centre pend leading to Gardyne's Land at rear with bowed stair turret corbelled out over ground floor, 2nd floor corbel course and some jettied bays at 2nd and 3rd floors. Limewashed harl. Relieving arches, stepped hoodmould. Chamfered and roll-moulded arrises.

Desperate Dan walks his reluctant dog (whose name, I'm reliably informed, is Dawg) along the High Street past the junction with Reform Street.