1. The Dome in Discovery Point was never accessible before its restoration

Winning Scottish design awards and Civic Trust commendations, the Discovery Dome is the latest addition to Discovery Point; but it has not always been accessible. When Discovery Point was built in the early 1990s, the upper cupola remained an empty space. In 2022, that all changed. Now, visitors can gaze at Luke Jerram’s ‘Gaia’ whilst travelling back in time to 1901 Dundee through a 360 audio-visual show, before enjoying breathtaking panoramic views over the city and waterfront. 

2. There’s a reason why Verdant Works Museum is green

Verdant Works Museum has long held an association with the colour green; even when it comes to its name. The jute mill was aptly named after the abundance of greenery and nature that surrounded it at the time of its build in the early 1830s. The colour green features on the front gates of Verdant Works Museum as well as in its branding. It also drives us to be as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible, with green ways of thinking!  

3. RRS Discovery has links to outer Space

Did you know that the RRS Discovery has some very interesting links with the Space Shuttle of the same name? Our Discovery was one of four ships that the space shuttle was named for.

The 1901 RRS Discovery also went on to play a role in the Space Shuttle Discovery’s first mission, STS-41-D in 1984. A replica plate from the RRS Discovery was sent aboard the International Space Station, whilst the crew of STS-133 – the final Space Shuttle Discovery mission – visited Discovery Point in Dundee in 2011 after their trip to the International Space Station.  

4. Dundee Heritage Trust has cared for Verdant Works since 1991

Dundee Heritage Trust purchased Verdant Works in 1991. At that time, the former jute mill was in a derelict state, in need of repair. The work on its restoration was completed in 1996, in a project that lasted five years. The Trust continue to restore the beautiful 1830s mill building, with the major restoration of the High Mill and Glazed Alley completed in 2015, and ongoing projects to preserve the heritage of Dundee’s industrial past. Find out more about how we continue to care for Verdant Works and its features at our YouTube channel! 

5. RRS Discovery‘s masts were removed for her journey to Craig Harbour

When the RRS Discovery returned to Dundee in September 1986, she was moored at Victoria Dock alongside the HMS Unicorn, where she would stay for six years before moving to Craig Harbour in 1992. Due to the height of the Tay Road Bridge, the masts of the ship had to be removed, in order for the Discovery to make her final journey. What are your memories of RRS Discovery‘s return to Dundee?

6. Jute production ceased at Verdant Works in 1889

The foundations for David Lindsay’s mill at Verdant Works were laid in the 1830s, with rapid expansion of the site. Following its boom in the 1860s, jute production at Verdant Works ended abruptly back in 1889. During this time, the mill was struck off the wider register of jute mills in Dundee. It would later be sold to Alexander Thomson & Sons which kept production going in a new form at the site. Now, Verdant Works is home to an award-winning museum, cafe, gift shop, and numerous events and festivals. Visitors step back in time through Verdant Works Museum’s corridors, filled with echoes of the past and the city’s millworkers and the rumble of mill machinery.

7. RRS Discovery conducted some of the World’s first climate research

The RRS Discovery is not only a pioneer in shipbuilding, but also in the field of climate science. The crew onboard the ship undertook the world’s first climate change research in the Antarctic back in 1901, producing critical benchmark data and technological innovations which are still used to this very day; including Sir Alister Hardy’s Continuous Plankton Recorder. A modern version of this very device is still used aboard research ships around the world. Find out more about this in our video with our friends at the National Oceanography Centre!

8. Verdant Works didn’t always produce jute

After production of jute stopped at Verdant Works in the late 19th century, the site was instead used to recycle the fabric – an occupation that would last into the 20th century. The curing of rabbit skins and disposal of scrap metal also occurred at Verdant Works, before it was purchased by Dundee Heritage Trust in the 1990s; a century after its spinning frames stopped for the final time.