Dundee, Fife and Angus

What it is like

Dundee sits on the north bank of the River Tay. Its waterfront has been rebuilt over the last decade, with V&A Dundee at the centre. The city has two universities, a large teaching hospital at Ninewells, and a strong video games industry.

Fife, across the Tay, is a peninsula of towns, farmland and coast. St Andrews has the university and the golf. The East Neuk is a string of fishing villages. South Fife is close enough to Edinburgh for daily commuting over the Forth bridges.

Angus, north of Dundee, has coastal towns like Arbroath and Montrose, and the Angus Glens running up into the hills.

Where people live

Dundee: the West End for flats and villas near the university. Broughty Ferry, a former fishing village with a beach and a high street, is the most popular suburb.

Fife: Dunfermline, Inverkeithing and North Queensferry for Edinburgh commuters. Kirkcaldy and the Levenmouth towns for lower prices. St Andrews, Cupar and the East Neuk villages (Elie, Anstruther, Crail) in the north east.

Angus: Carnoustie, Arbroath, Montrose, Forfar and Kirriemuir.

Getting about

The Fife Circle line runs from Edinburgh through Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. Leven has had a direct railway again since 2024. Trains run from Dundee to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen; for St Andrews, the nearest station is Leuchars. The Queensferry Crossing and the Tay Road Bridge carry the main roads.

Homes

Dundee is one of the most affordable Scottish cities to buy in. St Andrews and the East Neuk are a different market, with high prices and many second homes and holiday lets. South Fife commuter towns sit in between, and popular homes there often go to a closing date.

Read the Home Report carefully on older coastal properties. For renting, see our guide to renting; in St Andrews, student demand makes rented homes scarce.

Schools

Places follow catchment by address. Fife Council covers a large and varied area, so the right school depends heavily on which town, and which part of it, you choose.