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An extinct volcano formed around 400 million years ago, the 572-foot peak is the city's most distinctive landmark and an enduring attraction for visitors and locals.

Central to Dundee’s defences for thousands of years, the Law was used as Iron Age hillfort and prehistoric graves dating to about 1500 BC have been uncovered on its slopes. Roman pottery dating from the 1st century AD has also been discovered.

The most notable find, a cup-shaped steatite lamp found during the construction of the war memorial, can be seen in the city’s McManus Galleries.

In the 1820s, the Law had a 300 metre long, 3 meter diameter tunnel driven through its eastern flank to carry the Dundee to Newtyle railway. Originally drawn by horse, the first locomotive was introduced in 1833 and operated until the 1860s when a new railway line was built to skirt the hill.

Investment and landscape improvements mean the summit now sports a stylishly constructed observation point offering spectacular views extending on a clear day almost 45 miles over the city to Fife, Perthshire and the Sidlaw Hills to the north.

Public art blends sympathetically with natural habitats, “Fact Panels” guide visitors through the panorama and provide a wealth of fascinating historical, archeological and environmental information.

The city’s Nature Conservation Strategy has ensured the Law remains largely unspoilt and home to a wide selection of trees, plants, mosses, fungi, insects, birds and mammals.

The peak is easily reached by foot, bus or car.

 

This information is provided by the Support Services Department