What can I find? This is the question that I'm always asking myself as I "tour" Britain via the internet. Where are the best bits? What should I pay attention to? When looking through the lieutenancy areas of Angus and Dundee I found several tidbits of interest that I would love to dig out of the archives, and a few that didn't make it in the first time.
- The RSS Discovery: Dundee is certainly a place worth "discovering," and this ship is a must-see. The gorgeous sailing vessel is the gem of Dundee; it was the ship that went with Robert Falcon Scott to the Antarctic at the dawn of the 20th century.
- Tank Driving: Have you ever seen tank drives advertised? Yes, I mean tanks as in armored vehicles. Here in Angus you can get suited up in full military apparel and actually drive one of these 15-ton behemoths. How's that for an original experience?
- Pictish heritage: The parish kirk at Aberlemno holds some secrets--relics of an ancient and nearly forgotten race. Mysterious carvings are just about the only things left behind, but if you're keen to learn more about the first Scots then check out www.Pictavia.org.uk to learn a bit more about these "painted people."
- Peter Pan's Home: Actually, it's the author and dramatist J.M. Barrie's birthplace, but this may have been where the boy who never grew up was first conceived in the writer's mind. Have you ever seen the movie Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet? I highly recommend it.
- Working mill: Barry Mill near Carnoustie still has a working water wheel. Come listen to the enthusiastic miller and smell the corn as it's being ground--the same way it has been for centuries.
- Glamis Castle: The very name sounds romantic. It was the Queen-Mother's childhood home, Shakespeare's Macbeth supposedly lived here, and today adorable Highland Coos roam this castle's pastures.
- Dundee's Statues: Dundee has a flair for art of an unusual nature. Quirky statues dot the city centre: Desperate Dan, Queen Victoria, Minnie the Minx, Robert Burns, and a fearsome dragon, to name a few.
- The Tay Bridge Disaster: This was one of the worst structural disasters in Britain's history, and it happened right here in Dundee. A poorly constructed bridge collapsed in a storm under the weight of a train, and it is believed that every life aboard was lost.
- Arbroath: This place is well known for the Arbroath smokie, haddock that is salted and smoked in a "geographically protected" manner that actually came from a brilliant little village called Auchmithie. Care to try your hand at Arbroath Smokie En Papillote?
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