Dundee’s motto, these days, is ‘the City of Discovery’ – partly because the famous ship of that name is the central attraction of Discovery Point, one of Scotland’s fourth-biggest city’s leading visitor centres. And indeed Dundee is much worth discovering, or re-discovering, as it has an array of appeal both in town and on its beautiful hinterlands of Fife, Angus and Perthshire.

Dundee Riverside Airport is small but offers a growing number of direct links and the city – connected by famous bridges over the Tay – is easy to get to. These advantages combine to make the place a high-quality centre for work or play. The city’s universities have come into their own and one was recently, in the most prestigious study, announced as one of the world’s top ten centres for bio-sciences.

The city has as many or more hotels to offer than Perth, and there’s a good range of hotel type. The Invercarse Hotel offers guests a slightly more personal welcome that some of the bigger hotels in town, and also has perhaps the leading banqueting suite. And do beware using the AA website for a Dundee hotel search: almost all the listings shown are in St. Andrews, 20 minutes' drive away!

The hotel is well signposted from Riverside Drive, the attractive main drag that runs past the city's airport. You head up a hillside, in a quiet and leafy part of town, and will soon spot the hotel. There's easy, free parking to the rear. The site is terrific and we very much liked the garden to the front with its outlook over the 'silvery Tay' and the magnificent, no less, redwood trees that tower over the hotel.

Invercarse has grown, something like Topsy, over the years. Its director is the very personable Martine Kidd. The core is a handsome nineteenth century jute baron's manor and from the front, above the bronze-glazed Redwood Lounge and Ballroom windows - fronted by a Terrace where umbrellas shade wooden tables ideal for an al fresco drink - you can see arched windows and a coat of arms. Today's entrance is modern, and at the right side. A reception Foyer leads through arches to a Bar area with relaxing leather tub chairs, large circular open-plan bar and a fireplace; beyond is the restaurant, named after the soaring trees it overlooks. For a moment, you might be in Canada.

Bedrooms are in a 1980s and 2000 extension leading up the hill to the rear. Décor throughout the hotel is relatively standard hotel style and it's neither cutting edge nor is it a boutique operation. The strengths of the Invercarse Hotel are in its setting, its friendly and experienced local staff (who win for the hotel a Red H™ hospitality merit award), it's edge of town convenience in terms of parking and peace and quiet, and the excellent functions facilities. Oh - and full marks for the free, fast wi-fi internet access. We like that.

The accommodation is in a two storey wing, all of it modern in style. Rooms vary a bit in size / layout and some have a more contemporary look than others with one wall, for example, decorated with wallpaper featuring small metallic squares. All rooms have good flatscreen TVs, hairdryers, tea / coffee trays with hot chocolate and shortbread or oaty biscuits.

Free wi-fi internet access is available in all bedrooms and we found the system fast and simple to use. All rooms have a dressing table / desk with chair. Bathrooms have baths with overshowers and wall-mounted Lux shampoo / soap dispensers are used. All bathrooms we examined were well-lit, with good big mirrors.

All rooms are the same 'grade', although there's one two-roomed Suite (room 209) which has its own comfy lounge with brown leather sofas and a modern look. Upper level rooms are perhaps best, with rooms 120 and 116 (Twin Room) being favourites. Room 107 on 2nd floor is a light, airy Double Room with a double window from which you can see the river. Room 101 is a higher-ceiling Double Room. Room 210 is a smartly decorated Twin Room. We stayed in room 219 which was more spacious, with orange / cream décor and, like all rooms, a wall-mounted trouser press / iron and ironing board unit which was most useful.

The independently-owned hotel's management have successfully positioned the hotel as a popular-with-locals place for dining. The Redwood Lounge, in blue and gold shades and with a wall of glass looking down the hill to the Tay, is easy-going and when we stayed we found the Dundonian staff caring and homely, and must mention in particular Arlene whose kindly manner could be used as a template for the tourism industry.

Menus are full of common sense and chef David Adamson, here for over two decades, is one who gives guests what they want, rather than the customers being faced with what chef wants them to experiment with. Lunch is popular at under £10 and evening menus include a fixed-price supper menu with four choices per course. Sundays offer high tea, that Scots favourite, and a good value supper choice. Dinner also offers a list of individually priced items such as steaks, salads, fish, old favourites like macaroni or scampi.

We stayed on a Sunday and enjoyed a substantial dish of homemade Leek & Potato Soup, and then a home-style roast of the day dish of Roast Lamb, Stuffing and Redcurrant Jelly with Gravy, Peas and Chips. Dessert was a Summer Berries Pudding. Everything tasty and freshly-made; served with a smile. And at just £15 for 2 courses we were smiling too.

The breakfasting area of the Redwood Lounge is set up with a buffet offering a selection of fresh fruit, juices, yoghurts, croissants, muffins, prunes and grapefruit segments, cold meats and cheeses, peppered mackerel and - in a nice touch - a freshly made smoothie-of-the-day. A separate area offers a self-serve selection of hot, trad items such as bacon, scrambled eggs, black pudding, tomato, beans and two kinds of very tasty sausages. Fried / poached eggs are made to order. Tea / coffee brought to the table. Make your own toast in one corner, and choose from cereals laid out in another. Skim or full fat milk, butter or sunflower spread. Overall, a good and enjoyable breakfast set up, and when we stayed our waitress Jackie was hospitality personified.

The Invercarse has no leisure facilities of its own but Dundee has a good pool / health club about 5 minutes' drive away. The hotel is well-placed for visits to St. Andrews, the East Neuk of Fife (pretty fishing villages) or Perthshire. Golfers have countless courses from which to choose. Dundee itself (see links below) offers much for the visitor.

A strong card of the Invercarse Hotel is its handsome blue and cream Ballroom. This very large facility has a wonderful, glassy front looking down through the gardens to the river and Fife hills. Up to 240 guests can be catered for if a meal is required, and the hotel is thus very popular for weddings. The Ballroom has its own entrance and car park so non-function guests are not disadvantaged. Also available are three meeting rooms including the McIntosh Patrick Room, named after the renowned local artist and featuring his work on the walls (one painting was once the biggest-selling print in the USA by a foreign artist). This has an attractive, boardroom feel and has presentation gadgetry. Remember the free wi-fi, too.

Gary McLean says…
“The hillside setting amidst superb trees gets high marks from me - I like fresh air, thanks, and all too often city centre hotels have us coughing in carbon monoxide fumes. Not here. Also on my own hit list? The dining staff in particular were lovely people, indeed everyone seemed helpful and positive. The food set-up is sensible and I'd certainly use the Redwood Lounge, a room with a view indeed, if I lived locally. Rooms have mixed design, some a bit dated in a 1990s sense, but housekeeping is good and the accommodation facilities are fine. A friendly, sound 3 star hotel, one which doesn't photograph easily externally and is much nicer 'in the flesh'.”

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REVIEW STATUS & MERIT AWARDS This establishment has now been fully reviewed by the Guide and any HotelReviewScotland.com™ Merit Awards will show above, beneath the address details. We also list the latest ratings and gradings for this business from other guides and organisations. One or more of our experienced reviewer team has stayed at this establishment, spent time with the management, and the Guide is receiving reader and industry input from one or all of: online Reader’s Reviews; Comment Postcards; and Voting in The Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards. All entries are carefully monitored. The lead star grading has been awarded by the Scottish Tourist Board / VisitScotland. As the hotel is a Full Member of HotelReview™ Scotland the Look & Book Box™ links are LIVE.

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