Buildings across Scotland are throwing their doors open to the public as part of the country’s biggest annual festival of heritage, architecture and culture.
Doors Open Day, which started in 1990, offers people a glimpse behind the scenes in familiar buildings which they may never normally venture into and also buildings not usually open to the public.
And it invites people to appreciate the history and culture reflected in the built environment all around us.
Doors Open Day happens on different dates in different places. Midlothian buildings featured earlier in September. Buildings in Edinburgh will open their doors at the end of the month.
West Lothian’s turn comes this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, and East Lothian the following weekend, September 26 and 27.
Here are details of eight buildings in West and East Lothian inviting you in for a look around. Scroll through and see which ones you want to explore.
5. Whitburn South Church
The exterior of the church dates for 1729, with alterations in 1930. After the building was gutted by fire in 1955 it was restored and rededicated in 1959. It has had listed building status since 1963 and still holds regular services. Address: Manse Road, Whitburn, West Lothian, EH47 8EZ. Open: Saturday, September 19, 10am-4pm. | Scottish Civic Trust
6. Langskail, Gullane
Langskail (a long house) is a new house in Gullane designed by Richard Murphy Architects and finished in 2023. All the rooms in the house face south and the angle of the monopitch roof is calculated to admit light during the winter but to create shade in the summer. There are four substantial sliding doors facing south and one facing west. When they are all fully open the living/dining/kitchen areas merge completely with the outdoor terrace and garden. Address: Broadgait, Gullane, East Lothian, EH31 2DH. Open: Sunday, September 27, 10am-5pm. | Scottish Civic Trust
7. National Museum of Flight
Visit the museum for free on Doors Open Days and learn about the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day. Immerse yourself in interactive galleries, supersonic experiences and the historic hangars and airfield. Get on board Concorde to discover what transatlantic flight was like for its passengers and crew. And see behind the scenes in the conservation hangar. Address: East Fortune Airfield, North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 5LF. Open: Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, 10am-5pm. Book ahead: https://www.nms.ac.uk/events/doors-open-days | Scottish Civic Trust
8. St Mary's Church, Haddington
A 14th century church of cathedral proportions, St Mary’s was ruined in Haddington’s famous 1548-59 Siege; due to cost at that time, only half was repaired; it was decorated in the plain style of John Knox’s reformation. Some decoration returned during the 19th century Gothic revival. The whole church was only finally restored to its medieval state and the whole length returned to use in 1973. Many original features and medieval sculptures remain. Address: Sidegate, Haddington, EH41 4BZ. Open: Saturday, September 26, 11am-4pm, and Sunday, September 27, 1.30-4pm. | Scottish Civic Trust