1000 Historic and Cultural Venues in Scotland, UK, to Take Part in Doors Open Days
1000 Historic and Cultural Venues in Scotland, UK, to Take Part in Doors Open Days
From Aberdeen and Dundee to Argyll and Bute, this year’s Doors Open Days will be marked all across Scotland, United Kingdom. Throughout September, both towns and rural areas will join the celebration by offering free admissions to local heritage sites, historic monuments and places, architectural masterpieces, as well as different cultural venues.
Entirely free and uniquely engaging, the Doors Open Days festival historically attracts thousands of event organisers, visitors and volunteers. Every year, the citizens gain access to about 1,000 venues that provide them with new insights into the Scottish history, culture and traditions.
The programme for 2017 will include a variety of new activities, most of which will be tied to exploring the national architectural heritage. Organised alongside Scottish Archaeology Month, Doors Open Days 2017 will delve into the hidden histories of Scottish cultural monuments with guided tours at various public places, as well as numerous local spots that are typically not open to public.
One of the important novelties for this year is the expansion of the programme to East Lothian, a historical region bordering the city of Edinburgh, which will bring exciting new venues to the Doors Open Days Map. Commenting on this integration, Edinburgh’s Doors Open Days coordinator, Joe Taylor of Cockburn Trust, expressed his excitement about the fact the programme is growing to include new regions and new activities. He also commented on the significance of the event for local communities, noting:
“In an age where there is a temptation to retreat into our online bubbles, EDOD offers the incentive to get out and connect with people and places, thereby strengthening an awareness of the communities we all live in.”
The event will be taking place throughout the month of September, with many cities/regions celebrating it on a different weekend. The dates for most of the regions are already available, while event organisers are still welcome to submit their programme proposals. Additional resources for those wishing to join can be found here, while the full agenda will be published and promoted in August.
Doors Open Days in Scotland are organised with support of Scottish Civic Trust, Historic Environment Scotland and Aberdeen Asset Management. Involving thousands of people across Scotland, UK, in a diversity of exploratory activities, Doors Open Days represent one of the most exciting ways to learn about Scottish history and heritage.