Dundee is a city many people think they know well. The waterfront, the Law and the Tay Rail Bridge dominate the skyline.

But beyond the obvious landmarks are smaller details, hidden corners and stories tucked into stone, pavement and even underground.

Some of these secrets sit right in the open, passed by thousands every day. Others require you to look up, look down or head beneath the surface. Here are eleven secret things you might not know existed in Dundee.

The Grissel Jaffray floor mural off the Murraygate

Just off the Murraygate, set into the ground rather than on a wall, is a striking mural depicting a flame in tribute to Grissel Jaffray who was the last woman to be labelled as a witch and the last victim of the witch trials in Scotland. Because it is embedded in the pavement, many people walk straight across it without ever realising its meaning.

The flame symbol serves as a quiet memorial to a darker chapter in the city’s history. It is not large or flashy, but it is powerful once you understand what it represents.

The underground bunker on Craigiebarn Road

Beneath Dundee on Craigiebarn Road lies a Cold War era bunker built as part of the UK’s civil defence network. Designed to operate in the event of a nuclear emergency, it formed part of national contingency planning during a tense period of global history.

From the outside, there is little to suggest what exists below ground as it is situated within a quiet housing estate. It blends quietly into its surroundings, a hidden reminder that even Dundee had a role to play in preparing for the unthinkable.

It is run by 28 Observed Group who have ran tours in the bunkers - but as of February 2026, they have since been sold out!

The dragon on top of St Andrew’s Church spire

High above King Street, perched on the spire of St Andrew’s Church, sits a small dragon. It is a tiny architectural detail that most people never notice unless someone points it out.

Once spotted, it becomes impossible to ignore. It is one of those features that proves Dundee’s skyline is full of subtle flourishes and playful touches hidden in plain sight.

Dundee is a city with dragons within its veins and considered the symbol of the city with the mythical creature being featured in the urban legend of the Dundee Dragon which is likely the reason for this addition to the church spire.

The designer of the Tay Road Bridge that appears underneath the bridge

If you’re walking underneath the Tay Road Bridge, chances are you will see a mural of the man and wondering who he is.

That is William Fairhurst - the designer of the Tay Road Bridge. His face has been immortalised on one of the pillars he once designed.

The carved tenement faces on Ellen Street

On Ellen Street, small carved faces are built into the sandstone facades of the tenement blocks on the street. They sit high above eye level, quietly watching the street below.

Most people hurry past without ever glancing up. But once you start looking for them, you realise how much character is hidden in Dundee’s Victorian stonework.

The Dundee International

Submarine Memorial at City Quay

Between Victoria and Camperdown docks stands the Dundee International Submarine Memorial, dedicated in 2009. It honours the 296 sailors and commandos who were lost while operating from HMS Ambrose during the Second World War.

During the war, Dundee was home to an international submarine flotilla made up of British, Dutch, Norwegian, Free French and Soviet crews. Today, many people walk along City Quay without realising the global wartime history tied to that exact stretch of the Tay.

The cow pie inside DC Thomson’s headquarters

Inside the foyer of DC Thomson’s headquarters, home of The Beano, sits something unexpected - a cow pie, a certain food that one Desperate Dan, from the Dandy, really loves.

It is a playful nod to the Dandy’s mischievous humour. Unless you have stepped inside the building yourself, you would never know it is there. It reflects Dundee’s creative identity and the global reach of a comic born in the city.

The monkeys above the notice board near City Square

Near City Square, small monkey figures cling to the top of a notice board. They are easy to miss because they sit above eye level and blend into the busy surroundings.

Many people walk past them daily without ever looking up. It is one of those quirky details that adds personality to the city once you know it is there.

The plaque marking Mary Shelley’s time in Dundee

A small plaque situated on South Baffin Street quietly marks the time Mary Shelley spent in Dundee as a young girl between 1812 and 1814. Long before she wrote Frankenstein, she stayed in the city during her formative years which helped shape her imagination, citing Dundee as an inspiration to her.

The plaque is situated on what is called “Frankenstein’s Steps” which is situated where the cottage she stayed in used to be.

It is easy to walk past without noticing as it is featured way at the back of the street. It is a fitting tribute to one of history’s greatest authors who was inspired by Dundee.

William McGonagall’s Tay Bridge poem set into the pavement

Along the Riverside Esplanade, lines from William McGonagall’s poem about the Tay Bridge disaster are laid directly into the pavement.

People walk across the words every day without realising they are stepping through literary history. The physical placement connects the poem to the very landscape it describes, embedding Dundee’s past into the ground itself.

Dundee’s hidden underground vaults

Beneath parts of Dundee’s city centre lies a network of old vaults and underground spaces that most people walk over every day without knowing they exist.

These spaces were built centuries ago, later built over and eventually forgotten. Left in darkness for decades, they carry stories of trade, hardship and some grim chapters from the city’s past.

You cannot simply wander into them. Access is limited to tours led by Louise and Stewart of Dark Dundee, who guide visitors below street level and bring these hidden spaces back to life. It is one of Dundee’s most fascinating secrets - an entire layer of the city that survives beneath your feet.

Dundee is a city that rewards curiosity. Its biggest landmarks tell one story, but its smaller details tell another.

Next time you are out and about, look up at the rooftops, glance down at the pavement or pause beside a building you thought you knew.

You may discover something that has been there all along.