The Dundee System is the third shipbuilding center of the Highlands Cluster, smaller than Aberdeen or Cardiff but specializing in vessels that require exceptional skill to build. When someone needs a custom ship, a one-off design, or engineering that pushes the boundaries of what's possible, they come to Dundee.
Dundee carved out its niche by refusing to compete directly with the larger shipyards. Where Talbot Yards builds warships by the dozen and Emory Shipwrights produces reliable freighters, Dundee's yards build the ships that don't fit standard categories.
Racing yachts. Exploration vessels. Prototype designs testing new technologies. Ships for customers whose requirements are unusual, whose specifications are demanding, or whose budgets allow for bespoke craftsmanship. Dundee builds them all, one at a time, with painstaking attention to detail.
The system's primary world and namesake, Dundee is dominated by shipyards and the engineering firms that support them. The planet's industrial zones are smaller than Cardiff's or Aberdeen's, but the work done here commands premium prices.
Dundee shipwrights are artists as much as engineers. They take pride in solving problems that stump larger yards, in building vessels that perform beyond specification, in craftsmanship that shows in every weld and fitting. A ship built at Dundee is signed by the team that built it—their reputation rides with every vessel they produce.
Angus is Dundee's industrial support world, providing the refined materials and specialized components the shipyards need. The planet's manufacturing focuses on quality over quantity, producing alloys and parts to tolerances that mass-production facilities can't match.
Tay Station is Dundee's primary orbital facility and shipyard complex. The station's construction bays can handle vessels up to cruiser size, though most work involves smaller craft where Dundee's advantages in precision matter most.
The station has a reputation for discretion. Customers who need ships built quietly, without questions about purpose or destination, find Dundee accommodating—so long as they pay the premium.
Dundee hosts several boutique shipyards rather than one dominant manufacturer:
MacKenzie Precision - Specialists in racing yachts and high-performance civilian craft. MacKenzie-built ships regularly win competitions across Freelance space.
Ramsay Engineering - Focused on exploration vessels and ships designed for extreme environments. If you're going somewhere no one's been before, Ramsay builds the ship to get you there.
Tay Custom Works - The yard that takes the truly unusual commissions. Prototype testing, one-off designs, ships that don't fit any existing category. Expensive, slow, and worth every credit.
These yards compete fiercely for prestigious contracts but cooperate when facing outside competition. Dundee's reputation benefits them all.