Dundee’s biggestHistoric park · Grade
Camperdown Park
Park or garden
160 ha (395 acres)20.5 km of path
4 h 35 minto walk all 20.5 km of path
224 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: M J Richardson · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Dundee · parks, paths & countryside
Dundee is on the coast, on the Fife Coastal Path
The sea makes up 23% of the area within 5 km. 417 km of footpaths run through the city and the kilometre around it, 4.6 for every square kilometre. Parks and playing fields in Dundee add up to 2.8 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical town in England and Wales has 2.1. Dundee has no Outdoors Grade: Scottish towns aren’t graded on the outdoors yet.
Green space
2.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical town in England and Wales 2.1
Near a park
87%
of residents within 400 m
Typical town in England and Wales 83%
Footpaths
417 km
4.6 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical town in England and Wales 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
0%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: River Tay (Dunkeld) National Scenic Area
The sea
23%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors city is Dundee?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast23% of the area within 5 km is sea; 17 beaches mapped.On a long-distance trailThe Fife Coastal Path passes through.Historic parks3 historic gardens and designed landscapes and gardens, including Balgay Park.
Dundee’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Fife Coastal Path.
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Dundee’s locality.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Scottish Government, NatureScot
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Dundee
The biggest is Camperdown Park, 160 ha (395 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
All 30 named parks by size: 392 ha (970 acres) and 56 km of path
Parks & gardens 340 haPlaying fields 52 ha
The two biggest, Camperdown Park and South Road Park, are 47% of the named green space and carry 23 km of path between them.
South Road Park
Park or garden
24 ha (59 acres)2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
33 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.5 mi westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Finlathen Park
Park or garden
24 ha (58 acres)2.0 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
33 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
0.9 mi north-eastfrom the centre
Finlathen Aqueduct Grade II*
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Clatto Country Park
Park or garden · 10 m outside town
19 ha (48 acres)2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
27 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.8 mi north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Dawson Park
Park or garden
19 ha (46 acres)2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
26 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.3 mi eastfrom the centre
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade
Balgay Park
Park or garden
13 ha (33 acres)4.4 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.4 km of path
19 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
1.8 mi south-westfrom the centre
2 hills and peaks Balgay Park, Footbridge Between Balgay Hill and the Western Necropolis Grade II* Balgay Park, Mills Observatory Grade II*North RoadPlanet TrailBarons' Drive+1 path
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Historic park · Grade
Baxter Park
Park or garden
15 ha (37 acres)3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
21 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Dundee
Baxter Park Pavilion, Steps, Boundary Walls and Gatepiers Grade I +1 listed
Directionsto the nearest entrance
University of Dundee Botanic Gardens
Park or garden
8.8 ha (22 acres)1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
12 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
2.4 mi south-westfrom the centre
Viewpoint Riverside Drive, Vernonholme House, Garage, Lodge and Gatepiers Grade II* 484 Perth Road, Taypark with Boundary Walls Grade II*
Directionsto the nearest entrance
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Camperdown ParkPark or garden · 160 ha · 20.5 km of path
DirectionsSouth Road ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsFinlathen ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 2.0 km of path
DirectionsClatto Country ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 2.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDawson ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsBalgay ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 4.4 km of path
DirectionsBaxter ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsUniversity of Dundee Botanic GardensPark or garden · 8.8 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsDudhope ParkPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 7.8 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsArboretum WoodlandPark or garden · 5.9 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsLochee ParkPlaying field · 10 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsMagdalen GreenPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsStobsmuir ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsMill of Mains ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 1.0 km of path
DirectionsFairmuir Park Recreation GroundPlaying field · 7.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsDrumgeith ParkPlaying field · 9.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsFintry ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsDownfield ParkPlaying field · 8.4 ha
DirectionsOrchar ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsLocal Nature ReservePark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsReres ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsRiverside ParkPlaying field · 6.5 ha
DirectionsDalnacraig Playing FieldsPlaying field · 4.0 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsClaypotts ParkPlaying field · 5.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMyrekirk ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsInvergowrie Memorial ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSlessor GardensPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBarnhill Rock GardenPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsWest Magdalen GreenPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsClose to home
9 in 10 Dundee residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (NRS Census 2022 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (87%)Further (13%)
Dundee87%
Dundee City towns87%
Towns in England and Wales83%
About 19,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 143 playgrounds are mapped in and around the city, about one for every 1,031 residents.
National Parks & National Scenic Areas
The River Tay (Dunkeld) National Scenic Area is 18 mi away
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the locality; circle size shows each one’s area. National Scenic Areas are Scotland’s finest landscapes, chosen by NatureScot.
National ParkNational Scenic AreaThe 5 km the grade counts
National Scenic Area
River Tay (Dunkeld)
18 mi west57 km²since 1980
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Dundee is on the Fife Coastal Path
417 km of footpaths, tracks and core paths are mapped in Dundee and the kilometre around it, 4.6 km for every square kilometre (the typical town in England and Wales has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the city.
NationalLocal
Fife Coastal Path5.2 km
Columba Way on North FCP5.2 km
Blairfield Road3.6 km
Drovers' Road3.4 km
The Railway Path1.1 km
The Fife Coastal Path, a national route, passes Dundee.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Scotland has no rights-of-way register: everyone has a right of responsible access to most land, so tracks and councils’ core paths count. Paths are only as complete as the map in each area.
History along the way
3 historic parks, and what stands in them
Historic Environment Scotland’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, and the listed buildings and scheduled monuments that stand inside Dundee’s named parks.
Registered park · Grade
Baxter Park
15 ha. A historic garden or designed landscape (Grade ). 2 listed structures and monuments stand inside it or at its edge, including Baxter Park Pavilion, Steps, Boundary Walls and Gatepiers (Grade I).
IBaxter Park Pavilion, Steps, Boundary Walls and GatepiersIIBaxter Park, North Lodge Pitkerro Road
Registered · Grade Balgay Park23 haInside: Balgay Park, Footbridge Between Balgay Hill and the Western Necropolis and 1 more
Registered · Grade Camperdown House6.4 ha
Listed buildings insideMagdalen GreenMagdalen Yard Road, Magdalen Green Bandstand, Magdalen Yard Road, Magdalen Green, K6 Telephone Kiosk and 105 Magdalen Yard Road, And 1A Osbourne Place, Osbourne Villa and Raewood Villa with Boundary Walls and 3 more
Listed buildings insideUniversity of Dundee Botanic GardensRiverside Drive, Vernonholme House, Garage, Lodge and Gatepiers and 484 Perth Road, Taypark with Boundary Walls
Listed buildings insideReres ParkBroughty Ferry, 101 Monifieth Road, Reres Hill Park Lodge and Broughty Ferry, Monifieth Road, Jubilee Arch and Fountain, Including Gatepiers at Left and Right.
A listed building or monument counts when it sits inside the park’s OS Open Greenspace outline (to about 15 m), so a few at the boundary are included. Historic Environment Scotland designations.
When to get out
The best walking months in Dundee: June, July and September
The city’s 1991–2020 averages (Met Office HadUK-Grid) and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15 °C or more and little rain for the town.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.5 | 9.4 | 11.6 | 14.1 | 16.4 | 17.7 | 17.1 | 15.1 | 12.6 | 10.2 | 8.0 | 6.9 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 71 | 57 | 52 | 48 | 54 | 65 | 73 | 76 | 56 | 89 | 73 | 65 |
April is the driest month (48 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7 hours of daylight in December, and 89 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Dundee →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Dundee
23% of the area within 5 km of Dundee is sea. 17 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 5 with a name.
Grassy BeachIn town
DirectionsWoodhaven Beach1.6 mi from town
DirectionsGreen Scalp1.6 mi from town
DirectionsWormit Bay2.0 mi from town
DirectionsBarry Sands2.9 mi from town
DirectionsThe Fife Coastal Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by SEPA; check it before swimming.
Things to do
13 viewpoints and 143 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the city in OpenStreetMap. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 8
Balgay Hill146 m (479 ft) · in town
DirectionsDundee Law174 m (571 ft) · in town
DirectionsGoat Hillin town
DirectionsReres Hill44 m (144 ft) · in town
DirectionsRoman Hill0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPowrie Hill150 m (492 ft) · 0.5 mi from town
DirectionsGallow Hill110 m (361 ft) · 0.8 mi from town
DirectionsLaws Hill1.2 mi from town
DirectionsNature reserves 6
Broughty Ferry Local Nature Reserve2.8 ha · in town
DirectionsGrazing Fields6.2 ha · in town
DirectionsTrottick Mill Ponds Local Nature Reserve3.2 ha · in town
DirectionsKingoodie Quarry5.0 ha · 0.6 mi from town
DirectionsInner Tay Estuary Local Nature Reserve1,274 ha · 0.9 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 7
Plus 7 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 143
Auchinblae Playparkin town
DirectionsBalance In The Dipin town
DirectionsCleppy Road Parkin town
DirectionsFun Parxin town
DirectionsBlue Seaway1.0 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 138 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dunholm Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
Newport-on-Tay and WormitTayportMonifiethCarnoustieCuparSt AndrewsDundee
ABCDOutdoors Grade
| Town | Outdoors | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Near a park | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundee | – | 2.8 | 87% | 0% |
| Newport-on-Tay and Wormit 2.9 mi | – | 1.1 | 35% | 0% |
| Tayport 3.7 mi | – | 5.3 | 100% | 0% |
| Monifieth 5.3 mi | – | 1.5 | 66% | 0% |
| Carnoustie 9.5 mi | – | 1.8 | 97% | 0% |
| Cupar 11.1 mi | – | 2.7 | 93% | 0% |
| St Andrews 11.4 mi | – | 3.0 | 94% | 0% |
None of the neighbours has a protected landscape within 5 km either.
Questions about the outdoors in Dundee
What is the biggest park in Dundee?
Camperdown Park, 160 ha (395 acres), with 20.5 km of path. South Road Park (24 ha) is second. 30 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the city or within 400 m of it.
Is Dundee near a National Park?
The nearest protected landscape is the River Tay (Dunkeld) National Scenic Area, 18 mi west of the city’s edge. It covers 57 km² and was designated in 1980.
What are the best walks near Dundee?
5 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the city, including the Fife Coastal Path, Columba Way on North FCP and Blairfield Road. Camperdown Park alone has 20.5 km of path.
How many people in Dundee live near a park?
87% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (NRS Census 2022 output areas against OS Open Greenspace). The typical town in England and Wales is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Dundee?
June, July and September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Which parks in Dundee are historic?
Balgay Park (Grade ), Baxter Park (Grade ) and Camperdown House (Grade ) are on Historic Environment Scotland’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes.
How is the Outdoors Grade worked out?
From five measures, each placed among UK towns of 1,000 or more: public green space per resident, the share living near a park, National Park or National Scenic Area within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Dundee’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Dundee’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: Ordnance Survey OS Open Greenspace (parks and gardens, playing fields, play spaces, and their access points). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- National Parks and National Scenic Areas: Scottish Government and NatureScot boundaries (Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, Cairngorms; the 40 National Scenic Areas), clipped to land, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, tracks, core paths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik’s Scotland extract, October 2026.
- Historic gardens, listed buildings and monuments: Historic Environment Scotland designations, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Rain and temperature: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the town; daylight calculated from its latitude.
- The sea: ONS Countries (December 2024) boundaries clipped to mean high water. Residents near a park: NRS Scotland’s Census 2022 output areas.
- Grade: Scottish towns have no Outdoors Grade yet.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.