Your Heritage
A group of Dundee residents recognised that women had played an important part in the city’s heritage, but their contribution had gone unrecognised. They formed Dundee Women’s Trail Group to create a walking tour of the city centre to raise awareness of the lives of historically important women.
They carried out research and identified 25 women who helped shape Dundee since the 16th century but had been largely forgotten. These included women from a wide range of backgrounds, such as social activists, health professionals, mill workers, engineers and artists. For example, Katharine Read (1723 - 1778) was a portrait painter who was as well known as Reynolds and Gainsborough in her time, and was appointed ‘Painter to the Queen’. Agnes Husband (1852 - 1929) was one of Dundee’s first women councillors, a Suffragette and campaigner for better education. Rebecca Strong (1843 - 1944) trained under Florence Nightingale and transformed the quality of nursing provision at Dundee Royal Infirmary.
The volunteers developed a trail website, leaflet and a book entitled Twenty-five Footsteps. Bronze memorial plaques identifying key locations associated with the women were placed around the city. The map-based trail was designed to be followed via a smartphone.
The trail has become a valued resource for both residents and visitors to the city and is now managed by Dundee City Council. Its inspirational messages of ambition and personal achievement have been particularly well received by young women.