DC Thomson, Dundee, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

DC Thomson is the Dundee publishing company behind The Beano, The Courier and The Sunday Post, with its city centre base at 2 Albert Square. It is a working office rather than a visitor attraction, but it matters because it helped make Dundee a capital of comics and newspapers, and the streets around it still show that history.

The story behind it

The firm was founded in Dundee in 1905 and grew into one of Scotland's biggest publishers. Dundee was already known for jute, jam and journalism, and DC Thomson became the main name in that third word, printing newspapers, magazines and children's papers for readers far beyond the city.

It is best known for comics. The Dandy appeared in 1937 and The Beano in 1938, bringing characters such as Desperate Dan and Minnie the Minx to generations of children. Scottish favourites Oor Wullie and The Broons, long running strips in The Sunday Post, come from the same publisher, which is why Dundee feels so closely tied to British comic culture.

What to look for

• Look at the company's frontage on Albert Square and notice how a modern working business sits among the city's Victorian civic buildings.
• Look across the square to the McManus, Dundee's grand Victorian gallery and museum, which gives the area its distinctly 19th century character.
• Look out for comic characters around the city centre, including the Desperate Dan statue on the High Street and the Minnie the Minx statue nearby.
• Look at the mix of stone façades and street corners around the square, which suit a slow wander better than a quick photo stop.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 10 to 15 minutes at the building itself. It is an office, so expect to view it from the outside and do not count on going in.
• Pair it with the McManus on the same square, and check current opening hours before you go.
• Daylight is best for seeing the façades and for finding the comic statues along the High Street and nearby streets.
• The city centre is compact and walkable, so you can easily fold this stop into a wider stroll through central Dundee.

See it on a quest

You can reach DC Thomson on foot as one stop on Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Dundee, a self-guided route through the city. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look properly at the streets instead of just passing by. There is no guide and no group to join, and you can start whenever suits you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.