Broughty Ferry & Barnhill

Broughty Ferry, or "The Ferry" as it's better known to locals, may rub shoulders with Dundee but it retains a fiercely protected identity all of its own. The imposing 15th Century castle, now home to a museum, hints at the historic importance of a town whose story can be traced in her architecture.

The quaint fishermen's cottages and grid iron pattern of development hint at times past and they enjoy Conservation Area status, while the influence of Dundee jute wealth can be detected in the impressive Victorian villas and terraces overlooking the esplanade, top rated beach and the coast of Fife across the Tay estuary.

Nowadays, "The Ferry" and Barnhill may be fertile commuter territory for many of the 13,000 or so residents but the appeal of living here lies in her distinctive shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and boutiques, with Grove Academy and three primary schools catering for families lured by modern housing developments which have rolled out between the River Tay and the main north-south road.