If you arrive in Dunedin by air, you’ll pass Mosgiel on the way into the city. This large suburb doubles as a country town for the local farmers.
Mosgiel is part of Dunedin, but separated from the city by hills. It takes its name from Mossgiel in Ayrshire, the farm of poet Robbie Burns, who was the uncle of one of Dunedin’s founders. Mosgiel’s history is interwoven with the wool products industry. It no longer has a woollen mill, but it’s home to one of New Zealand’s largest agricultural research institutes. As an important service town for the Taieri Plains farming community, Mosgiel has a wide selection of retail and service businesses.
Between Mosgiel and the city centre of Dunedin stand the rugged Three Mile Hill and Scroggs Hill, which form part of the crater wall of a long-extinct volcano, the crater of which has become Otago Harbour. To the south of the town lies one of the many volcanic peaks that formed part of the volcano, Saddle Hill, a prominent landmark, visible from a considerable distance and notable for its distinctive shape. Kinmont Park nestles at the foot of the hill: this recent housing subdivision forms Mosgiel's own largest suburb.