The animals at Camperdown Wildlife Centre

Dundee

Camperdown Wildlife Centre – Dundee's Small Zoo in the Woods

A few hours.

The route

Camperdown Wildlife Centre is Dundee's own small zoo, tucked into the woods of Camperdown Country Park.

Lemurs, meerkats, otters, a lynx and gibbons live along its easy, mostly flat paths, and its three brown bears sleep through the winter. There's a café and a picnic area, and it's a lovely morning or afternoon for young children.

Before you go

Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
InchtureGuardswell FarmSleeps 10 8 miles awayAirditSleeps 2 9 miles awayFairygreen CottageSleeps 4 12 miles awayThe Cabin at FairygreenSleeps 2

The day

Camperdown

A morning among the lemurs, meerkats and otters in the woods of Camperdown Park, at a toddler-friendly pace. Then an ice cream in the café or a picnic outside.

About two and a half hoursAbout 1 mile on foot

Camperdown Wildlife Centre
Camperdown Wildlife Centre is about a mile inside Camperdown Country Park on Dundee's north-west edge. Turn off the A923 Coupar Angus Road at the roundabout for the Leisure Park, go straight into the park's main entrance and follow the signs along the drive to the free car park beside the centre. It's open every day, from 10am to 3.30pm from October to February (last admission 2.45pm) and to 4.30pm from March to September (last admission 3.45pm). Tickets are £9.50 for adults and £6.50 for children aged 3 to 17 at the time of writing, with a family ticket for two adults and up to three children at £32, and they're good all day. The three European brown bears, Brum, Brumma and Maja, are the favourites, but they sleep through the winter and may not be on show from November to March. Round the paths you'll meet ring-tailed lemurs, meerkats, Asian small-clawed otters, a Carpathian lynx, lar gibbons and lion-tailed macaques, with hyacinth macaws among the birds. The 16 acres are mostly flat and fine for a pushchair, an adult wheelchair can be borrowed free, and there are toilets and baby changing at the entrance. The café does snacks, sandwiches, cakes and ice cream, and there's a picnic area for a dry day. Dogs may wait in the café and reception, but none can go in among the animals.