A 90-minute guided walking tour in Dundee is offering a compact route through some of the city’s stranger local history, from the Tay Whale and medieval closes to ghost ships, battles and the Green Man of the ancient Howff Cemetery.
The tour, Whales, Monkeys, Dragons, Bears, Warrior Dogs, Ghost Ships and Green Men, is scheduled for Sunday, 12 July 2026 at 12:00. The meeting point is the Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A on Dundee Waterfront. Tickets are listed at £12, or £10 concessions, and the event is aimed at the general public.
The listing was published by Leisure and Culture Dundee, with the walk run through Dundee Waterfront Walks.
The essentials for planning
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Whales, Monkeys, Dragons, Bears, Warrior Dogs, Ghost Ships and Green Men |
| Type | Guided Tour |
| Date and time | Sunday, 12 July 2026, 12:00 |
| Duration | Around 90 minutes |
| Meeting point | Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A, Dundee Waterfront |
| Price | £12 / £10 concessions |
| Booking and contact | [email protected] or dundeewaterfrontwalks.scot |
A Dundee route built around odd stories
The walk begins with one of the city’s most recognisable waterfront markers: the Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A. From there, the tour moves into a set of stories that link Dundee’s maritime, military and urban past with some of its more unusual characters and landmarks.
According to the event listing, visitors will hear the “weird story” of the Tay Whale and some of what is described as “the worst poetry in the world”. The route also takes in places connected with submarines once lying at anchor, a lost medieval close, local battles, polar bears, comic characters and naval heroes.
The title is deliberately crowded: whales, monkeys, dragons, bears, warrior dogs, ghost ships and Green Men all point to separate pieces of the walk’s storytelling. For residents who know the waterfront mainly as a modern cultural area, the tour offers a different way to read the streets around it.
Medieval closes, underground rivers and the Howff
One of the listed stops is a lost medieval Close, placing part of the walk within the older layers of Dundee’s street pattern. The event also promises stories about underground rivers still running beneath the city, a detail likely to appeal to anyone interested in what sits below the familiar route between the waterfront and the historic centre.
The tour also connects with the ancient Dundee Howff Cemetery, where participants will hear about the Green Man. The Howff is one of the city’s best-known historic burial grounds, and the listing presents it as part of a wider 90-minute story rather than a standalone cemetery visit.
The guide, Alastair, is described as a long-time volunteer onboard RRS Discovery. The listing says he will encourage people to visit the ship in their own time, adding another waterfront link to a walk that begins beside V&A and the Tay Whale sculpture.
Who the walk is likely to suit
This is a guided tour for people who want a local-history walk with a lively subject mix rather than a formal lecture. The source describes the guide as friendly and local, with the walk covering Dundee history through stories, landmarks and unusual details.
It may suit visitors looking for a short orientation to Dundee Waterfront, residents who want to revisit familiar streets with more context, or anyone interested in the city’s maritime past, old closes, cemetery history and local legends.
The published details do not list accessibility arrangements, food stalls or specific transport advice. The practical location note provided is the meeting point: the Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A.
Dates and contact details
The event listing includes multiple dates for the same guided tour series, including 5 July at 12:00, 12 July at 12:00, 15 August at 12:00 and 5 September at 12:00. This preview focuses on the 12 July 2026 listing.
For booking or further details, the source directs readers to contact [email protected] or visit dundeewaterfrontwalks.scot. The listed price is £12, or £10 concessions.
Source: Dundee City Events
Source check Source trail
This preview is based on the Dundee City Events listing and keeps to the published time, meeting point, price and contact details.
- Checked the event name, type and 90-minute duration against the source text.
- Verified the meeting point as the Tay Whale sculpture next to V&A on Dundee Waterfront.
- Matched the listed price of £12 and £10 concessions.
- Included only the booking contact details provided in the listing.
- Source
- Dundee City Events
- Scope
- Dundee
- Updated
- 2026-06-29 17:44
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