Category: DCT-Events

Thursday 20 November 2025, 7.00 pm

Talk by Iain Flett

Dundee citizens had two layers of government between 1975 and 1996: a top tier of Tayside Regional Council, which dealt with police, fire, roads and civil engineering; and the City of Dundee District Council, which was left with burials, licensing, museums and libraries. For a longer period from 1824 until 1894 (when Dundee became a unitary County of a City), it was much the same: Dundee Police Commissioners dealt with fire, police and civil engineering; and Dundee Town Council dealt with licensing, burials and eventually libraries.

‘Police’ in Scotland did not just mean bobbies on the beat; it meant good management of police, fire, public safety and sanitation. So the Police Improvement Act of 1871 dealt with lands for public markets and for public parks (i.e. Balgay); to make new streets (Commercial Street) and widen existing streets (Seagate); and, most importantly for post-cholera Dundee, to make an outfall sewer. The Police Commissioners were also meticulous in proudly recording their astounding achievements in a photograph album appropriately called Dundee Old and New.

Popular Dundee historian and archivist Iain Flett will take you through this—and you can weep at the déjà vu of mediaeval buildings being swept aside in the name of progress.

This talk will be a joint event with Dundee Historic Environment Trust and will take place in the Dundee Art Society Roseangle Gallery, starting at 7.00 pm.  Guests are always welcome and there will be the opportunity to chat over a glass of wine afterwards.

Thursday 16 October, 7.00 pm

The Awards ceremony for the two-yearly DCT Awards will take place in October.

The Judging Panel for the Dundee Civic Trust Awards 2025 visited five shortlisted projects in August:

• Innovation Hub, Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc;
• Derby Street Housing by Hillcrest;
• Walker Luxury Jewellery Shop, Union Street;
• University of Dundee Life Sciences Innovation Hub; and
• Downfield House, Bank Avenue.

Two categories were considered: the DCT Award 2025 for new- build/retrofit buildings, and the DCT/Dundee Historic Environment Trust Conservation Award 2025 for those projects restoring and preserving the city’s built heritage and historic buildings.

The Awards Ceremony will take place at 7 pm on 16 October in the Dundee Art Society Gallery, Roseangle – all are welcome!

Thursday 18 September 2025, 7.00 pm

Talk by Willie Watt

Dundee Civic Trust restarts its popular series of winter evening talks on Thursday 18 September, when local architect Willie Watt will give us an illustrated talk based on his own sketch books entitled Drawing on the Vernacular – Orkney’s North Isles.

Willie led Nicoll Russell Studios’ analysis of vernacular buildings in Sanday, Stronsay, Shapinsay and Westray via sequential sketches supported by interactive sketching workshops which attracted locals, lay people, professional artists, archaeologists and architects.  The process entailed looking at and considering the buildings around them slowly and considering the sense of place, change, regeneration, appropriateness, resilience, inappropriateness, heritage and value.  These in turn are promoting the islands and furthering their interpretation.

This highly visual talk based on Willie’s delightful sketches explores those places, reflects upon the value of the vernacular and lessons learned.

The talk will take place in Dundee Art Society’s Roseangle Gallery, starting at 7.00 pm (19:00).  Guests are always welcome and there will be the opportunity to chat over a glass of wine afterwards.

Thursday 17 April 2025, 7.00 pm

Talk by Bruce Keith

This talk, by our regular and fast-paced AGM speaker Bruce Keith, is based on his third book and takes a subterranean odyssey exploring the natural and man-made heritage under our feet. From natural caves to hollow mountains used to generate hydro-electric power, from ancient civilisations to underground bunkers to railway tunnels, from water supplies to the sewers which take away our wastes and much else asides; all are revealed when we take a look below. And Dundee and her hinterland has much to offer and amaze.

The talk will take place as usual in Dundee Art Society Roseangle Gallery, but it will be preceded by the Trust’s AGM at 7.00 pm (19:00) and will start at the later time of 7.30 pm (19:30).  Guests and non-members are welcome and there will be the opportunity to chat over a glass of wine afterwards, kindly supplied by McNicoll & Cairnie, Wine Merchants.

Thursday 20 March 2025, 7.00 pm, Discovery Point

Talk by Professor Norman McLennan, FRICS

Norman’s talk will provide an insight into the energy sector transition as it moves towards more renewable solutions, whilst at the same time ensuring a balanced energy mix. He will give a snapshot of how Dundee supports related industries, looking also at the complex collaborative alliances that are now required across the offshore marine sector, as well as the many different business streams and opportunities that are now available to large offshore construction vessel providers. These include offshore decommissioning, installation of offshore wind farms, transportation and marine casualty work such as salvage and wreck recovery. The talk will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to see video footage of some truly remarkable real-life projects.

This is our annual joint meeting with the Friends of Dundee Heritage Trust. Note that, as it is the Friends’ turn to host the event, it will take place at Discovery Point, Dundee, DD1 4XA.

Thursday 20 February 2025, 7.00 pm

Talk by Professor Fionn Stevenson

Buildings account for 40% of global carbon emissions today, and are drastically increasing climate change. How can we build more benignly? Biogenic construction offers an alternative set of robust materials to challenge the dominance of steel and concrete which are  a major source of pollution. If you think these natural materials don’t work in Scotland, come and discover the latest technology and design techniques that are available to ensure the high performance. This talk will introduce you to international and local exemplar buildings and products that can be used for both new buildings and retrofit projects, with a nod to some traditional techniques too.

Professor Fionn Stevenson is a well known sustainable design expert who has carried out extensive research into the use of natural materials in buildings. She developed Scotland’s first ever bioregional materials database, drawing on materials and products from the Highlands and Islands, and was previously chair of the Scottish Ecological Design Association.

This talk will take place in the Dundee Art Society Roseangle Gallery, starting at 7.00 pm (19:00).  As always, non-members and guests will be very welcome and there will be the opportunity afterwards to chat over a glass of wine, kindly supplied by McNicoll & Cairnie, Wine Merchants.

Thursday 16 January 2025, 7.00 pm

Talk by Dr Erin Farley

The Wellgate Project began when Adam Piggot, a Glasgow-based designer and artist, got in touch with the Local History Centre at Dundee Libraries with a creative idea inspired by his family history research. To mark fifty years since the demolition of the original Wellgate, Dundee Libraries began collecting memories of life and work in the street before its redevelopment. Erin Farley from Dundee Libraries’ Local History Centre will speak about the early history of the Wellgate, its importance in the growth of Dundee and its development into a busy city centre shopping street, as well as sharing some of the memories and stories collected through the project so far.

Dr. Erin Farley is the Library & Information Officer for the Local History Centre at Dundee Libraries, which holds a large and varied collection of books, manuscripts, images, oral histories and print ephemera. She is also a traditional storyteller. Erin completed a PhD thesis on working-class writing communities, The Place of Poetry in Victorian Dundee, at the University of Strathclyde in 2019.

The talk will take place as usual in Dundee Art Society’s Roseangle Gallery, starting at 7.00 pm (19:00). Guests are welcome and there will be an opportunity to chat over a glass of wine afterwards.

Thursday 21 November 2024, 7.00 pm

Talk by Mark Watson of Historic Environment Scotland

(Joint event with Dundee Historic Environment Trust)

Reduce, re-use, recycle: a green city must use well the assets it has before building anew. How Dundee has adapted to changing economics and through good planning (yes, by Dundee City Council), much of its best historic architecture gives new vitality to the City of Design. Some buildings you’d scarcely notice, or wouldn’t miss until they are gone, and others are startlingly transformed. How that happened will be revealed in this illustrated talk.

A Dundonian, Mark Watson had the unique opportunity to negotiate and approve changes to the historic environment of Dundee over 14 years, added to four years listing buildings, for what is now Historic Environment Scotland (Industrial Heritage team, External Relations and Partnerships Directorate). He now works on industrial and engineering heritage in Scotland. The talk will cover those and other building types. He worked on managing change to historic buildings and areas across Scotland and is convenor of the Scotland branch of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC). He wrote the nomination for New Lanark’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List and parts of that for the Forth Bridge. He researches textile history, industrial architecture and engineering heritage.

This talk will be the first of new series organised by Dundee Civic Trust jointly with Dundee Historic Environment Trust.

The talk will take place in the Dundee Art Society Roseangle Gallery, starting at 7.00pm (19:00).  As always, non-members and guests will be very welcome and there will be the opportunity afterwards to chat over a glass of wine, kindly supplied by McNicoll & Cairnie, Wine Merchants.

Thursday 17 October 2024, 7.00 pm

Talk by Dr Jan Merchant

The Big Back Garden project is led by the University of Dundee’s Archive Services and explores the history of Baxter Park and its use. Central to the project were local communities who contributed their time, ideas and their memories of the Park.

This evening’s talk, by Dr Jan Merchant, Senior Archivist, University of Dundee Archive Services, will offer a brief history of the Park, describe the project and discuss the role of green spaces in our lives.

The talk will take place in the Dundee Art Society Roseangle Gallery, starting at 7.00pm (19:00). As always, non-members and guests will be very welcome and there will be the opportunity afterwards to chat over a glass of wine, kindly supplied by McNicoll & Cairnie, Wine Merchants.