ANDREW BATCHELOR: Could Mills Observatory be Dundee's next big music venue? I think so!

Mills Observatory has always been one of Dundee’s most magical landmarks – a place where science, nature and imagination come together high above the city. Sitting proudly on Balgay Hill, it’s a spot that makes you stop and take in how special Dundee really is.

Now, after kicking off its 90th anniversary year, what if we reimagined the future of the observatory, just for the lighter months, as something more?

Over the years, Dundee has become known for its creativity – from design and film to music and performance. Yet one of its most scenic settings, Mills Observatory, could be the backdrop for something completely new: a summer series of intimate music events that bring the building and its surroundings to life in a fresh way.

I think having these events under a series entitled “Mills Sessions” (it's got a good ring to it) would be a brilliant way to make that happen.

The idea would be simple – small-scale performances held during late spring and summer, when the observatory isn’t open for stargazing. The Balcony could host sunset sets overlooking the Tay, while the Planetarium Room could offer cosy, acoustic or ambient sessions for 20 to 25 people.

It wouldn’t be about big crowds or festival-scale productions, but about atmosphere and experience – hearing local musicians play as the sun goes down over Dundee, surrounded by trees, light and sky.

Mills used to open during the summer months, but in an effort to keep budgets tight, those hours were sacrificed. In recent years though, the observatory has been used for occasional summer events like the inaugural Dundee Book Festival, proving there’s an appetite to make use of the space during the lighter months once again.

That’s why I think summer should be back on the menu – not every night, but through occasional weeks of activity, whether weekly or biweekly, to keep the space lively and accessible without stretching resources.

Few cities have anything quite like Mills, and that’s what makes this idea so exciting. It’s a way of celebrating Dundee’s creative spirit while shining a spotlight on one of its most historic landmarks.

Done right, something like the "Mills Sessions" could help attract new visitors to Balgay Hill, create new opportunities for local artists and make Mills a key part of Dundee’s summer cultural scene.

It’s early days, of course, but the potential is there. Dundee has always been a city that looks up – maybe it’s time for our music to do the same.