It’s chance to explore behind the scenes, see around buildings you don’t normally get into and find out more about familiar places which may hold surprising secrets.
Doors Open Day is billed as Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates architecture, culture, and heritage. It began in 1990, with 44 events in and Ayr. But in the past 34 years it has expanded to cover the whole of Scotland.
The Doors Open Days events take place on different days in different parts of the country – Midlothian and West Lothian had theirs last weekend, September 14-15; Edinburgh and East Lothian have theirs on September 28-29.
Here’s a first installment of 25 places you can visit in Edinburgh - look out for more to come.
1. 1930s police box
An Edinburgh police box at the junction of Northfield Broadway and Mountcastle Driver North still has its original interior fittings. The box, commissioned in May 1933, was produced to the 1929 design of City Architect Ebenezer James MacRae to fulfil a modern, practical and technical function, whilst being styled to fit in with the city’s existing architecture. Visitors will be able to enter the police box and see a display which illustrates how it was used. Open: Saturday 28 September, 10am-4pm. | Scottish Civic Trust
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2. Abbey Strand Centre
Sitting just outside of the gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Abbey Strand buildings have been witness to more than five centuries of Scottish history. They have been used as a weapons store during the reign of James V; as courtiers’ lodgings for the court of Mary, Queen of Scots; and as a sanctuary for people in debt. Today, the Abbey Strand Centre is a place for learning, with a varied programme of school visits, workshops and lectures taking inspiration from the rich history of the Palace and surrounding area. Open: Sunday 29 September, 10am-3pm. Guided tours of the physic garden at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. | Scottish Civic Trust
3. Abden House - Confucius Institute, Edinburgh University
Abden House was built in 1855 for published Thomas Nelson. Today it's the property of Edinburgh University and houses the Edinburgh Confucius Institute. Built with three storeys in the Jacobean revivalist style of the 19th century, Abden faces a carriage circle with gates at the end of Marchhall Crescent. Language and culture activities will be on offer, encouraging people of all ages to learn more about the Institute, meet the institute teachers, and learn some Chinese language. Open: Sunday 29 September, 10am-3pm. | Maverick Photo Agency
4. Adam Smith's Panmure House
Panmure House, Lochend Close, is the final remaining home of Adam Smith, philosopher and 'father of modern economics.' It was originally built in 1691 and Smith lived there between 1778 and 1790, during which time he completed the final editions of his master works: The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations. In 2008, Edinburgh Business School & Heriot-Watt University undertook to rescue this historic building from dereliction and it was formally opened in 2018. Today it is a centre of excellence for the study of contemporary economics, a place of reflection on the legacy of Adam Smith, and a venue for social and economic debate. Open Saturday and Sunday, 28 and 29 September, 10am-pm. | Scottish Civic Trust