Lochee Conservation Area

Lochee originated during the 12th Century but didn’t officially become a north-westerly region of Dundee until the 19th Century. The name Lochee means ‘eye of the Loch’ in reference to the former Loch Balgay which was located to the west of the valley, in which the village was located. Prior to the 18th century the shallow sloping area mainly consisted of fields, farmlands and cottages. Many of said cottages were located beside the Lochee Burn and the road into Dundee, thus establishing a primitive form of the present layout. During the Industrial Revolution in the 18th/19th centuries the town expansion was on a relatively large and rapid scale and instituted Lochee’s long association with the Cox family. The Cox family were the pioneers of the area’s spinning, dyeing, bleaching and manufacturing of linen which then allowed them to donate important facilities and buildings to the area throughout the 19th century, such as, the public library, leisure centre and Lochee Park.