Don’t miss the opportunity to visit fascinating buildings not normally open to the public, writes Susan Welsh
The hugely popular Doors Open Days initiative takes place throughout Scotland in September, and along with Scottish Archaeology Month, form Scotland’s contribution to European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
Each year events offer the opportunity to explore monuments and sites, many of which are not normally accessible to the public.
ABERDEEN
In Aberdeen most of the events take place on Saturday, September 12, with a whopping 42 venues taking part, six of them for the first time, including Aberdeen Crematorium.
Here visitors can see all aspects connected to the working of the crematorium including the two chapels, rest room and behind-the-scenes cremating area. Tours will be conducted hourly between 10am-3pm and places are limited.
Also opening for the first time in Aberdeen are St Mary’s Chapel on Correction Wynd, a vaulted crypt under the East Church beautifully built by Aberdeen’s Master Mason, Sir Andrew Wrycht in 1438, dedicated by Bishop Elphinstone in 1498 and restored sympathetically by Dr William Kelly in 1898.
Within the Chapel there are examples of some of the original 16th and 17th-century woodwork panels.
The modern, purpose-built Aberdeen Dental School at the Foresterhill Campus will also open between 10am-3.30pm with students offering guided tours of the teaching facility including a look at clinical areas supporting student learning in dentistry, student clinics, clinical skills suite and laboratories.
At Albury Outdoor Sports Centre in Ferryhill there’s a chance to view the facilities and even take part in some of the sports available while visitors can learn more about green energy by visiting the Duthie Park Eco-Friendly Biomass Heating Units at the park.
The workshop and biomass facility will be open for people to explore this self-sufficient unit, which is fed from felled trees collected from Council owned venues across the City.
Tours of the facility will take place hourly from 11am-3pm and include visiting the wood processing facilities.
The second, larger biomass Unit, behind the Winter Gardens accessed through the Victorian corridor of the Winter garden will also be open throughout the day.
In one of the city’s oldest areas,
Old Torry, the Community Centre on Abbey Place will be open to let visitors see the building and the activities undertaken since 2011 supporting local groups and organising events for folk in Torry.
It’s open from 10am-4pm. Other Aberdeen gems throwing open their doors include Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Town House, the Freemason’s Hall and Aberdeen Synagogue (Sunday) and Cruickshank Botanical Gardens.
Free buses, following a circular route, will leave from Broad Street, outside Marischal College at regular intervals from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, September 12.
HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
The Highland Doors Open Days programme is taking place on weekends in September this year.
As with other areas, this is a chance to visit a range of buildings in the Highlands, all with free entry on their Doors Open Days dates, and to discover their fascinating stories.
Among the hidden gems throwing open their doors this weekend are Ballone Castle in Portmahomack; Cromarty House, Cromarty Lighthouse and Cromarty Courthouse Museum; Fearn Abbey by Tain; Fingal Lodge of Freemasons in Dingwall; Hugh Miller’s cottage and museum in Cromarty; Kyle of Sutherland Heritage centre, Ardgay and the old parish church in Edderton.
Ullapool Museum and Gairloch Heritage Museum will also be welcoming visitors. Other properties across the Highlands and Islands, and Aberdeenshire will be open on the weekends of September 19-20 and 26-27.
For full details of Doors Open Days across Scotland visit www.doorsopendays.org.uk