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Five bronze penguins on the low wall outside the Steeple Church on the Nethergate, Dundee.
Dundee

The March of the Penguins

Five bronze penguins by Angela Hunter on the Steeple Church wall, dressed up for the city's big days.

Welcome

Five bronze penguins stand in a row on the low wall outside the Steeple Church on the Nethergate, in the middle of Dundee, as if they had just waddled up from the river.

They are the work of the Dundee artist Angela Hunter, and they have become a firm favourite with the people of the city. They are a nod to Dundee's part in the story of Antarctic exploration: Captain Scott's ship Discovery was built here, and she lies again at Discovery Point, a short walk away.

What sets them apart is the dressing up. The penguins are regularly dressed to join in the city's occasions, from graduations and charity fundraisers to Christmas and royal visits, and they even have their own Facebook page. Angela Hunter also made the bronze monkey on top of the information board on the High Street, busy rearranging its letters to read In ma fair toon. The penguins are free to see at any time, a moment's detour from the Nethergate's cafés and galleries.

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The Daily for 29 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view from a garden staircase looks down a formal garden's central path, statues and cherub urns lining the balustrade in the foreground.
Close byHeather Street FoodA little white horsebox coffee van outside the V&A on Dundee's waterfront, with fresh doughnuts and its own roasted coffee.3 min by roadSee itHeather Street Food
Before you go

Free to see at any time, on the wall outside the Steeple Church on the Nethergate, in Dundee city centre.

Getting there
Outside the Steeple Church, Nethergate, Dundee.
Open
Any time; free.

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Where it is

Nethergate, Dundee.

Close byIn Dundee city centre.
  1. Inside Assai Records in Dundee: racks of vinyl round white walls under the shop's sign, with a crate of records on a wooden floor.Assai RecordsUnder a mile as the crow flies
  2. Inside Höfn on Bank Street, Dundee: the counter in front of lit shelves set into a round arch, seen across a wooden table.HöfnA coffee shop on Bank Street in the centre of Dundee, with speciality coffee, pastries and open sandwiches, open every day.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. The cheese counter at The Cheesery in Dundee, full of cut wedges and whole cheeses with handwritten labels.The CheeseryUnder a mile as the crow flies
  4. Dundee Contemporary ArtsDundee Contemporary ArtsDundee's centre for contemporary art, with two galleries, two cinemas, a print studio and the Jute café bar on the Nethergate.Under a mile 3 min by road
  5. Fisher and Donaldson's pink shopfront with chocolaterie and patisserie signs.Fisher & Donaldson, DundeeThe Dundee shop of the Fife family bakers founded in 1919, home of the famous fudge doughnut.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. Discovery Point and RRS DiscoveryDiscovery Point and RRS DiscoveryCaptain Scott's Antarctic ship of 1901, built in Dundee and berthed again at Discovery Point, with a museum of her voyages.Under a mile 2 min by road
Directions
Sandstone tenement building with green-fronted corner pub belowRestaurantsBird & Bear0.5 miles
Desperate Dan statue with Minnie the Minx figures in Dundee city squareAttractionsThe Desperate Dan & Minnie the Minx Statues0.5 miles
Wee Mexico takeaway with blue doors beneath a pink bay-window townhouseRestaurantsWee Mexico0.5 miles
The tiered, ribbed concrete walls of a modern museum building curve toward a domed glasshouse and a ship's mast visible along the waterfront.AttractionsV&A Dundee0.5 miles
Paintings and ceramics on display inside Gallery Q, Dundee.AttractionsGallery Q0.6 miles
Inside Eastfield on Perth Road in Dundee: a wooden counter with the coffee machine, shelves of jars and preserves, and long wooden tables.RestaurantsEastfield0.7 miles
The counter at EH9 Espresso on the Perth Road, Dundee, with a barista at the coffee machine and the price list on a plywood wall.CafeEH9 Espresso0.8 miles
White food trailer selling donuts, coffee and bagels outside V&A DundeeCafeHeather Street Food0.8 miles
Wooden shelves display rows of spectacles beneath vintage cameras on topShoppingLand O'Spex0.8 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the penguins, and when each is next free.

The black timber cabin's exterior, with a chimney above the roofline and a freestanding bath standing on the decking below.Bracken Treehouse at Airdit
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Balmullo
  • 6 miles from the penguins
Free 8–10 NovThe long timber-clad side of the house runs under a slate roof with solar panels, white chairs on the terrace and a clear blue sky.The Glasshouse
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Newburgh
  • 12 miles from the penguins
Free 16–19 NovTwo arched glazed doors in a stone wall open onto a paved patio, a rattan table with daffodils and mugs to the right.The Arches
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Newburgh
  • 12 miles from the penguins
Free 1–3 NovA white rendered cottage with a red tiled roof, dark dormers and a timber porch stands beside a birch tree under a blue sky.West Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Newburgh
  • 12 miles from the penguins
Free 30 Oct – 2 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in DundeeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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