Dundee

Dundee built its first fortune on whale oil and jute. Ships hunted whales for their blubber; the oil lubricated the jute mills where imported Bengali fibers became sacking, rope, and canvas. By the 19th century, Dundee was the global center of jute processing—a trade so central to identity that the city's unofficial motto became 'jute, jam, and journalism.' The jam came from Keiller's, which pioneered commercial marmalade in 1797. The journalism came from DC Thomson, publisher of The Beano, The Dandy, and The Sunday Post.

When jute died, replaced by plastic, Dundee pivoted again. Timex arrived in the 1940s to manufacture watches, training a generation in precision assembly. Then came the ZX Spectrum. Clive Sinclair's revolutionary home computer was manufactured in Dundee in the early 1980s—Britain's best-selling computer, which sparked the bedroom coding revolution. The precision skills that assembled watches now assembled circuit boards; the coders who grew up on Spectrums now make video games.

Dundee now claims more game developers per capita than anywhere on earth. Abertay University launched the world's first computer games degree in 1997. Grand Theft Auto was created here. 4J Studios, Rockstar North alumni, operate from the city. Over 40 video game companies cluster in what locals call 'Silicon Glen.'

UNESCO designated Dundee a City of Design in 2014—the UK's first. The V&A Dundee, a Kengo Kuma-designed museum opened in 2018, anchors waterfront regeneration. A planned £100 million esports arena will add 1,000 seats.

By 2026, Dundee will have added a fourth J to its identity: joysticks.