Dundonians have been reminiscing over the Camperdown Park pirate ships in a new Reddit post

The pirate ships were installed in the 1980s and removed in 2003. (Picture: Elliott Simpson / Geograph)

Dundonians have been taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane, remembering the iconic pirate ships that once stood proudly at Camperdown Park.

A post recently shared on Reddit sparked the wave of memories, with the original poster, dxdt_sinx describing it as “the single greatest loss to Dundonian society”

dxdt_sinx continued by fondly recalling clambering over the towering wooden ships as a child, armed with a plastic cutlass and a vivid imagination.

To many, they were pirate ships offering the ultimate playground adventure - a thrilling maze of platforms, zip lines, and slides, with very little thought for health and safety.

One user reminisced about the sheer height of the ships, recalling 20-foot drops onto compacted sand and carefree afternoons running between the decks.

Others joked about childhood injuries that today would probably involve a trip to A&E, like headbutting statues or falling off zip lines.

Despite the hazards, or perhaps because of them, the ships are remembered with immense fondness.

While many thought the ships were connected to the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, several users pointed out that they were actually a tribute to the Battle of Camperdown - a major naval victory during the French Revolutionary Wars led by Dundee-born Admiral Adam Duncan.

It was after this battle that the Camperdown estate was named, and the ships were built in 1983 to celebrate that local heritage.

One contributor summed it up perfectly: “The children yearn for falls from a vast height.” Another added, “They were 30 feet tall. They were the best fun - and they’d never build anything like them today.”

The ships were eventually removed in 2003, making way for a modern, safer playpark.

While many acknowledge that the current facilities are more suitable for today’s children, there’s still a special place in Dundee’s heart for the epic wooden ships that fuelled countless adventures - and a few bruises - for an entire generation.

As one commenter put it: "Core memory unlocked.”