Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates heritage and the built environment, new and old. Every September, you can explore hundreds of fascinating buildings across Scotland for free. Some open up once a year, some just once in a lifetime.
Doors Open Days is a national event run by the Scottish Civic Trust. Information about the national programme, including event listings, can be found at www.doorsopendays.org.uk.
Programme Highlights:
Adam Smith Heritage Centre
new
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
Exhibition of Adam Smith’s life and times, highlighting the global importance of Smith, as an 18th century moral philosopher and economist, both then and since. The Adam Smith garden will also be open for perusal.
Art Catriona Gallery
new
14 September 2024
For a Doors Open Days special event Fife artist Catriona Livingston will be opening her personal gallery for public viewing where her original vibrant and modern canvases, framed prints, cushions and mugs will be on show.
Auchtertool Kirk
15 September 2024
The Kirk invites you to enjoy peaceful contemplation in this beautiful setting. See our wonderful stained glass war memorial window, 17thC grave slabs, carved stone font and 1886 organ. All are welcome in this place.
Burntisland Heritage Trust
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
For 30 years Burntisland Heritage Group have organised summer exhibitions open to the general public. Visit the our newest display exhibition for 2024 which is titled “The Changing Face of Our Town” with its focus on the High Street, using “Then and Now “ photographs. The historic Burgh Chambers will also be open to visitors.
Burntisland Parish Church
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
Visit this historically important church, the earliest built in Scotland after the Reformation and still in use. It is of a highly distinctive original Scottish design, and is notable for its many carved and painted 17thC wooden panels.
Christ's Kirk on the Green
new
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
Come and visit our excavation looking for early settlement at Leslie Green, and take a tour of the historic graveyard where remnants of the 10thC kirk are said to still be standing.
Dysart Town House
15 September 2024
Visit the late 16th century Tolbooth to explore its prison cell. The 19th century Town Hall holds the exhibition of the Dysart Trust and features fascinating items from the town’s industrial past; old school photographs and evocative local memorabilia are of particular interest.
Erskine United Free Church
new
14 September 2024
Visit Burntisland's iconic landmark as seen on Royal Bank of Scotland's £10 notes ! visible to everyone who passes through the town and for miles around. Learn of the church's history with our display of documents, photographs, and a matchstick model of the church.
Fife Collections Centre
new
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
Book now for an exclusive behind the scenes guided tour of our Collections Centre at 10.30am and at 2pm on Saturday 14th September and on Sunday 15th September. The tour is suitable for people aged 14 years and upwards.
Fife Heritage Railway, Leven
new
7 September 2024
8 September 2024
Volunteers at the FHR are pleased to announce that for the first time since 2019 they will be taking part in Doors Open Days once again. Over this September weekend we will be opening up as much of the site as we can so that you will have the chance to see behind the scenes and see how challenging it is to keep the place on track.
Kirkcaldy Art Club
new
15 September 2024
Visit our historic building on the corner of Hot Pot Wynd in Dysart as part of Doors Open 2024 on Sunday 15th September. We will have an exhibition of members work, tombola and children's activities in our pottery.
Kirkcaldy Community Gardens & Allotments (Ravenscraig)
15 September 2024
Visit our Community Allotment site within the historic Ravenscraig walled garden. Children are welcome to visit and enjoy the walks around and through the gardens.
Kirkcaldy Sherriff Court Annexe
new
14 September 2024
Join a guided tour of the new Justice Courts and custody facilities annexed to Kirkcaldy's Police Station complex. Supervised children are welcome, unsupervised children will be sent down!
Kirkcaldy Townhouse
14 September 2024
Construction of Kirkcaldy Town House started in 1937, but only the foundations were laid before WWII delayed the work for several years. The building has many unique features contributed by several artists, designers and craftsmen.
Law's Close ~ The Merchant's House
15 September 2024
More widely known as the "Merchant's House" this building is one of the finest surviving 16th century town houses in Scotland. An extended conservation programme of the house revealed many original architectural features and interior decoration that can now be seen following its years of restoration.
Methil Heritage Centre
new
7 September 2024
Methil Heritage Centre has reopened !! Come and see our new displays on 'Life in Levenmouth' and the '1984 Miners' Strike', and book a place for our historical talk about the strike.
Museum of Communication
new
7 September 2024
14 September 2024
21 September 2024
Come along and see early visual communication systems before electricity. See the telegraph equipment that superseded them and led to the development of telephones, followed by radio and television systems and wartime developments such as Radar and Sonar.
Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
The Old Kirk joins the Merchant's House, Pathhead Parish Church, Dysart Town Hall, Ravenscraig Walled Garden, Kirkcaldy Art Club and the Town House, in opening its doors to the public.
Pathhead Parish Church
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
Visit our church to help our celebration of the 200th year since the foundation and enjoy the displays highlighting features of interest plus a historical photographic exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the dedication of Pathhead Church.
Silverburn Park & Flax Mill
new
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
Come to Silverburn Flax Mill for 'Hard Hat Tours' and talks, and have a go at our 'Drop–in Workshops' to learn about traditional crafts and building techniques. Enjoy our guided woodland nature walk of the park, or explore how flax becomes linen in our family friendly workshops.
Wemyss Caves
new
15 September 2024
Visit our newly refurbished museum and exhibition building and join a tour to see the largest concentration of original Pictish carvings anywhere !
Wemyss School of Needlework
14 September 2024
15 September 2024
The School has been in existence since 1876, when girls came to learn a skill and earn money. Under the present guardian, Fiona Wemyss, the School has improved and progressed to offer teaching of all kinds of needlecrafts, supplying materials and designs to customers, whilst still retaining the original building and wealth of historical pieces.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
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