Leisure and culture facilities in Dundee have enjoyed one of their busiest ever years, figures have shown.
The publicly-run centres – which include the Olympia and Lochee swimming pools, libraries and museums like the McManus – had a bumper year, with thousands more visits.
More than 158,000 people stepped through the doors of the McManus during its 150th birthday celebrations, an increase of 5%.
Dundee Central Library retained its position as the busiest public library in Scotland and in total more than 3.1 million visits were made to centres across the city, according to a report published by Leisure and Culture Dundee.
Almost half a million visits were paid to the Olympia swimming pool and gym during the same time, with nearly 476,000 recorded – the most in the centre’s history.
Other leisure and sport facilities noted an increase, with the McTaggart Centre recording 113,425 visits and Dundee International Sports Complex (DISC), 211,969.
Overall, there were an extra 41,000 visits to sport and leisure facilities in the last financial year, a feat recognised the National Strategic Group for
Physical Activity and Sport as a positive for the city’s health.
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A further three years of funding has been earmarked for the Unesco City of Design, which is operated by Leisure and Culture Dundee on behalf of the Dundee Partnership.
The chair’s report notes the group are disappointed Mills Observatory’s winter programme has had to be curtailed as a result of damage to the dome mechanism.
Sinclair Aitken, chair of Leisure and Culture Dundee, said: “These continued excellent performances across the full range of services and facilities comes down to the commitment of our staff and volunteers who support the delivery of services, and who take a huge personal pride in the quality of the service they provide.
“I want to put on record my thanks to each and every one of them.
“We continue to develop and to deliver for the citizens and visitors to Dundee, high quality, affordable leisure and culture experiences.”
The report can be found on the Leisure and Culture Dundee website and physical copies can be picked up at any of the city’s 14 public libraries.
