Where the journey started

Dundee's impressive skyline

This Easter I drove to Scotland to visit the family. Usually, I prefer to take the train, but, being a last minute decision, I opted for the car, which proved to be a big mistake.

Eleven hours after setting off from London, I pulled into Dundee, under cover of darkness, exhausted by a drive marred by traffic jams, road closures and inexplicable delays. Lesson learned.

In case you've never been to Dundee, it has to be one of the UK's most impressively positioned cities. Hugging the banks of the 'silvery' river Tay, the town is crowned by the Law Hill, a very, very old and long extinct volcano. Sunsets over the estuary are something to behold - especially if you live across the Tay in Newport - and the river is renown for its salmon fishing.

Dundee is also home to the impressive and imposing brand new V&A museum, due to open in September 2018. The city is also the birthplace of comic books the Beano, the Dandy and their much loved characters, Dennis the Menace and Desperate Dan.

It also happens to be where Sam's journey in Changing Trains starts. He sets off from Platform 1, in the old subterranean station.

New terminal & hotel

The ugly old terminal has, mercifully, been knocked down and a new one with an hotel attached has been built in its place. I'm sure it'll be lovely when it opens, but I can't help think the Council planners got it a tad wrong using the same tan colour tone for the new facia as the old plastic coating.

Whatever the case, none of this detracts from the fact that Dundee and it's surrounding beach towns and villages is fast becoming a popular destination for tourists and those looking to relocate. Who knows? Maybe I'll even move back. If the weather was warmer, I'd already be there.