Arbroath Signal Tower Museum and Lighthouse
Doors Open Days offers access to places that are often closed to the public, giving visitors the key to some the country’s best-kept locations, attractions and sites.
Organised by the Scottish Civic Trust throughout September, the event will see architectural gems, fascinating museums, historic sites and other hidden treasures open their doors to the public on Saturdays and Sundays. You’ll also find expert tours, guided walks, exhibitions and other activities on offer, all completely free.
Please note, booking in advance is recommended for many of the guided tours, and opening dates and times should be checked before you go.
Here are the dates for 2022:
Weekend One: 3 – 4 September
Areas: Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, East Fife, and Scottish Borders.
Highlights:
- Visit a tiny prefabricated hut which was transformed into an Eastern Orthodox place of worship at Hallmuir Ukrainian POW Chapel
- Hop on a ferry to the Isle of May to visit Scotland’s first lighthouse
- Take a walking tour of the picturesque town of Hawick and learn about its surprisingly rich black history connections relating to Frederick Douglass and other major abolitionists, as well as Britain’s first black schoolteacher, Tom Jenkins, who lived in the town
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Weekend Two: 10 – 11 September
Areas: Aberdeen City, Angus, Ayrshire, Central Fife, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Midlothian, West Dunbartonshire (Saturday only), and West Lothian.
Highlights:
- See inside the elegant Art-Deco era Bon Accord Baths of Aberdeen. This listed building is in the process of being revived by local community organisations
- Pay a visit to one of only three working camera obscuras in Scotland. Gifted by Peter Pan author JM Barrie, the Kirriemuir Camera Obscura is real architectural gem
- Darvel: Private Telephone Museum is home to an astonishing array of telephone memorabilia, dating back all the way to the 1900s and up to the present day
- Urban explorers will jump at the chance to freely explore the ruin of Mavisbank House, one of Scotland’s earliest Palladian-style villas
- Step inside Soutra Isle, an unlocked crypt belonging to a noble family from the 17th century with ornate carvings. Learn what secrets it can tell us from an archaeologist
- Intrigued by secret societies? This Masonic Lodge in East Dunbartonshire will open it doors to reveal its rare architectural and design features
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Weekend Three: 17 – 18 September
Areas: Aberdeenshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Fife, and Caithness and Sutherland.
Highlights
- At Durn House, savour the chance to explore an 18th century mansion which has remained pretty much intact since its construction. Brimming with Jacobite lore and connections to royalty including Queen Victoria and Bonnie Prince Charlie, hear its fascinating story
- Marvel at the stunning stained-glass window depicting Jacob’s Dream at Forgone Hall, a simple building erected in the 1920s
- See how the old Smiddy in Banff has found a new lease of life as Vanilla Ink, a silversmiths and jewellery workshop which is hard at work getting young people and the locals to grips with this heritage craft
- The Witches Maze is no mere folly. It’s a memorial to 11 innocent people found guilty of witchcraft and executed in the witch trial frenzy of the 17th century
- The Hamilton Mausoleum is one of Scotland’s most majestic private tombs. Dedicated to the 10th Duke of Hamilton, marvel at the huge domed roof and the reverberating echo created by its cavernous interior which lasts for an incredible 15 seconds!
- Grab the rare opportunity to visit Little Sparta, an internationally acclaimed landscaped garden which spans seven acres of windswept moorland
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Weekend Four: 24 – 25 September
Areas: Clackmannanshire, Dundee, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Shetland, Stirling, Moray, and Outer Hebrides.
Highlights
- Learn how emergency responders at Alloa Fire Station stay ready to mobilise to any incident in Scotland on a guided tour
- What’s in a name? Quite a lot, it turns out. Find out on the Dollar Place-name Walk led by Dr Simon Taylor which will delve into the stories behind the place and street names of the town and its surrounding area
- The Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery is one of Dunbar’s oldest buildings and has been at the heart of town life since the 16th century. You’ll know it by its witch’s hat-shaped tower and distinctive sun dial
- Dundee Central Mosque was the first purpose-build mosque in the north east of Scotland. Learn how it functions as both a place of worship and a community centre for the city’s Islamic residents
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Stay tuned as more exciting details of events are released over the summer.
Edinburgh & East Lothian’s programme will be guest-curated by Under One Roof, Scotland’s charity for supporting tenement owners. The theme will be Standing Strong.
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