[3] The AHS was set up with the goal of encouraging the study of local history in the Abertay area (Perthshire, Angus and northern Fife).
[5] In 2015 the archaeological activities of the Society were taken over by a newly established fieldwork division, which has undertaken projects including the recording of stones that survive from the demolished Dundee Royal Arch.
A number of notable historians and authors have written volumes published by the Society including Bruce Lenman, Andrew Murray Scott and Christopher Whatley.
[7] The 51st AHS publication Ten Taysiders: Forgotten Figures from Dundee, Angus and Perthshire was published in 2011 and was edited by members of the Society's Council.
Lythe, who edited and wrote several of the Society's publications, was credited with moving the AHS away from simply organising events and towards actively encouraging research into local history.
[14] In 2011 the AHS contributed to the Dundee Science Festival by organising a public lecture on the design and construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
[16][17] The Society is run by a council whose membership includes the President, General Secretary, other office bearers and various ordinary members.
[2][5][19][20][21][22][23] An annual prize is awarded by the AHS to the undergraduate at the University of Dundee who produces the dissertation which makes the most significant contribution to local history.
[27] An editorial note in the publication announced that it was hoped, if finances allowed, that it would to 'be followed by others of similar character, produced to a uniform size to simplify binding into convenient volumes'.
[27] It was also stated that while its publications would 'always have a strong local flavour the Society aims to avoid undue parochialism and seeks to set its studies against the wide backcloth of general historical development'.
[8][22] The following books have been published by the AHS:[28][30][31] The Society has undertaken a programme of making digital versions of some of its out of print publications available for free download from its website.