Doors Open Days comes to Edinburgh: What is it, what dates and full list of locations

Doors Open Days is coming to a close in Edinburgh this weekend.

Doors Open Days have been taking place up and down Scotland, and come to a close in Edinburgh.

Celebrating Scotland’s heritage, the events are all free and open to the public.

The locations in Edinburgh open on September 24 and 25, and range from the National Library of Scotland to the Chapel of St James the Great.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What exactly is it?

Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival which offers access to over a thousand venues across the country.

It aims to ensure Scotland’s spaces and stories are accessible to anyone living and visiting Scotland. Many of the venues usually have an entry fee or are not open to the public.

It was organised by the Scottish Civic Trust and is part of European Heritage Days and Scottish Archaeology Month.

Where’s open in Edinburgh?

Over the weekend of September 24 and 25, there’s a whopping 56 locations open to the public.

Some of the highlights are:

• Augustine United Church
• Bridgend Farmhouse
• Corstorphine Hill Tower
• Dower House
• Granton Castle Walled Garden
• Heriot Watt Campus Trail 
• Museum on the Mound
• National Galleries of Scotland - Granton Art Centre
• Riddle’s Court
• Seafield Treatment Centre

How did it all begin?

Doors Open Days began in Glasgow and Ayr in 1990 as part of the European City of Culture celebrations.

It was very successful, encouraging other areas to participate the following year.

Now, around 1,000 buildings are open in September with over 200,000 visitors. It spans throughout the country, from Dundee to Inverness.

What other locations are open in the rest of Scotland?

On the weekend of September 24 and 25, the following areas have locations open to the public:

• Badenoch & Strathspey
• Clackmannanshire
• Dundee
• East Lothian
• Shetland
• Skye and Lochaber
• Stirling
• Moray

For more details and a full list of locations, visit https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/.