In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Ashfield, Edinburgh Trades Fund

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Ashfield, the Edinburgh Trades Fund building, houses a collection of artfeacts pertaining to the ancient Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh. There were the artisan classes invovled in the governance of the city and it's development over centuries. This was initially centered within the Old Town, but then they were highly influential in the development of the Edinburgh New Town.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Barnton Bunker - WWII Operations Complex, Barnton Bunker Preservation Society

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Through our restoration efforts and volunteer-led creative projects and initiatives- we gradually fix the once severely damaged areas of the site and create spaces and events to inspire and teach - about the value of communication, collaboration, imagination, and history education. By welcoming unique creative voices, cultural celebrations, community events, and international volunteers into a place built from fear of other countries and designed for war operations, we actively resist exclusion, champion communication and teamwork over aggression, and are building something full of hope and curiosity in each other, and our shared future together!

In Person

Edinburgh

Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church

26 September 2026

Opened for worship in 1824, as part of Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town, Broughton St Mary’s is a distinctive landmark on the city skyline. Among the church’s most striking features are the stained glass windows, the attractive panelling around the front of the gallery, and the pulpit, said to be one of the highest in Scotland. The fine Lewis organ dates from 1882. Recently refurbished, the church celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2024.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

26 September 2026

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

27 September 2026

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is Edinburgh’s oldest purpose-built visitor attraction. Situated at the top of the Royal Mile it offers 5 floors of interactive exhibits, rooftop terrace and is home to the Victorian Camera Obscura, once owned by Patrick Geddes. Open all year round, early until late and activities for all ages to enjoy

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Cancelled - Newington (Echo Bank) Cemetery

26 September 2026

Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled. One of Edinburgh’s oldest cemeteries, opened 1846, with many notable burials including 156 individual war graves and a memorial

In Person

Edinburgh

Cancelled - Thomas Peck Hunter, VC, RM / RM 43 Commando Memorial Cairn.

27 September 2026

A stone cairn Memorial on a corner site of two roads, Whisky Quay & Ocean Drive. Facing Prince of Wales Dock. Erected in June 2002 by Members & Friends of Royal Marines Association - Edinburgh Branch.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Corstorphine Old Parish Church

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Corstorphine Old Parish is now part of a union with Craigsbank Church, also open for Doors Open Day, and are known as Corstorphine Old and New, Church of Scotland. The main building dates from 1429, with some earlier construction, on the site of a 12th century building.

In Person

Edinburgh

Deaf Action

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Deaf Action exists to support the diversity of deaf people, including deaf users of British Sign Language (BSL), and those who are deafened, deafblind or hard of hearing. Our work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access and opportunity.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Dovecot Studios

26 September 2026

Dovecot is a world-renowned tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh and a landmark centre for contemporary art, craft and design. Established in 1912, Dovecot continues a century-long heritage of collaboration with international artists to make exceptional handwoven tapestries and gun-tufted rugs. Dovecot is housed in the former Infirmary Street Baths which were the first public baths in Edinburgh, built in 1885 by Robert Morham. Facing possible demolition, The Dovecot Foundation funded the restoration of the building with the opening in 2008. The Ladies Baths is used as an event space, while the tapestry studio occupies the former swimming pool. Alongside the tapestry studio, Dovecot run an exciting programme of exhibitions and events to further explore contemporary art, craft and design.

In Person

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Central Quaker Meeting House

26 September 2026

Built in 1865 as a congregational church, the building has had several owners and has been the site of the Edinburgh Central Quaker Meeting House since 1987.

In Person

Edinburgh

Filmhouse

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Filmhouse is a proudly independent, non-profit cinema and registered charity in the heart of Edinburgh, committed to screening the full diversity of cinema from across the globe.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Friends of Warriston Cemetery

26 September 2026

The Friends of Warriston Cemetery group was set up in July 2013 to care for the first garden cemetery in Edinburgh. Opened in 1843, the cemetery was in private ownership until 1994, when it was compulsorily purchased by the City of Edinburgh Council following years of abandonment. Together the Council and the Friends are working to restore the 14 acres of heavily overgrown cemetery, seeking a balance between family/public access and biodiversity and wildlife protection.

In Person

Edinburgh

Greyfriars Kirk

27 September 2026

Situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, Greyfriars Kirk was founded in 1620 and is the first church to be built in post-Reformation Edinburgh. We are proud to be a welcoming and inclusive church to people of all faiths and none.

Virtual

Edinburgh

Impact Arts

Impact Arts is a Scottish creative arts charity using creativity to improve lives, build confidence and create opportunities for people and communities across Scotland. They have partnered with the regional coordinators, The Cockburn Association, to bring a series of art events to Edinburgh Doors Open Days.

In Person

Edinburgh

Invisible Cities Walking Tours

26 September 2026

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

27 - 2 September 2026

Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that redefines city exploration by training people who've experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides. Guides design and deliver every tour themselves, while the organisation trains them in route design, public speaking, customer service, storytelling, etc. Tours explore areas such as the Old Town and Leith, with particular focuses on crime, drug culture, and the history of women

Edinburgh

Lind & Lime Gin Distillery

27 September 2026

Join us for tour where you'll hear how the Lind & Lime signature gin is made, get hands-on with the botanicals used in it's production, and learn how the giant still operates.

In Person

Edinburgh

Lyon & Turnbull Auctioneers

27 September 2026

Designed by Archibald Elliot in the neoclassical style in the 1820s, originally opened as Broughton Place church in 1821 before conversion to an auction saleroom in 1999, 33 Broughton Place is the winner of several architectural design awards. Now the historic HQ of UK auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull, a firm who have been part of Edinburgh's history for 200 years.

In Person

Edinburgh

National Galleries of Scotland - Modern One, Conservation Studios

26 September 2026

26 September 2026

National Galleries Scotland: Modern One is the art gallery which is home to all things contemporary. Visitors can discover displays, shows and installations from the leading artists of today.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

National Galleries of Scotland – Modern Two, Prints & Drawings Study Room

27 September 2026

27 September 2026

National Galleries Scotland:Modern Two was originally built as the Dean Orphan Hospital in 1833 by Thomas Hamilton. It was converted into a Gallery by Terry Farrell and Partners in 1999. Modern Two now hosts temporary exhibitions and is home to the National Galleries of Scotland’s archive, library and works of art on paper collections.

In Person

Edinburgh

National Galleries Scotland- Modern Two, Reading Room

26 September 2026

26 September 2026

26 September 2026

26 September 2026

National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two was originally built as the Dean Orphan Hospital in 1833 by Thomas Hamilton. It was converted into a Gallery by Terry Farrell and Partners in 1999. Modern Two now hosts temporary exhibitions and is home to the National Galleries of Scotland’s archive, library and works of art on paper collections. These can be viewed by appointment in the Reading Room and the Prints & Drawings Study Room.

In Person

Edinburgh

Newhaven Church of Scotland

27 September 2026

The Newhaven Church of Scotland is now what was the basement of the old church building which was converted into flats about 20 years ago. The church is active for worship and community facilities.

In Person

Edinburgh

Northern Lighthouse Board

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Built in 1786, as part of James Craig’s New Town development, the original façade of our headquarters is almost unchanged. 84 George Street has been our headquarters since 1832 and is marked by a miniature working lighthouse outside the entrance. It's here where the network of lights for Scotland and the Isle of Man is remotely monitored.

In Person

2026 Theme

Virtual

Edinburgh

Norton Park

26 September 2026

Norton Park is home to 29 charities and social enterprises in Edinburgh. We look after two historic buildings near the city centre and give them renewed purpose. Our business hub is a converted ex school building and provides affordable serviced office space to third sector organisations. Next door, the conference centre, now housed in two repurposed churches, this space has meeting and event space for hire, open to any business, charity or group.

In Person

Edinburgh

Old Newhaven Burial Ground

27 September 2026

Old burial grounds and chapel walls that dating to the 16th century. The first recorded burial in 1505 for a shipwright and the burial grounds were a resting place for Newhaveners until 1848.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Pianodrome Warehouse

26 September 2026

Warehouse used for building piano sculptures and housing pianos for adoption

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Polwarth Church

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Designed 1899 by Sydney Mitchell & Wilson, stone & brick with addition of James Jerdan & Sons Tower. A lofty communicating building with ground floor, 1st floor Gallery, Tower & Basement. Building officially opened on 18 May 1901. Addition of Foster & Andrews organ 1903 which was completely rebuilt in 1984. 1903 Clayton & Bell of London designed a stained glass East Window in the memory of John Drennan's mother. Union of Candlish & John Ker churches on Candlish site in 1981 and renamed Polwarth Church. Four stained glass windows from John Ker church removed and installed in the Murray Aisle in 1983. Extensive use of beautiful gardens widely used by the community, including a Teds’ Den for children. The All Aboard boat owned by the church has resided at the floating pontoon alongside the Canalside Garden since 21 May 2021.

In Person

Edinburgh

Port of Leith Distillery

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

The Port of Leith Distillery is a remarkable new landmark in Edinburgh’s historic whisky district of Leith. This is the UK’s first vertical whisky distillery. In fact, nobody has built anything quite like this anywhere in the world.

In Person

Edinburgh

Portobello Lodge No. 226, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

The Portobello Lodge No.226, founded in 1808. It was established to address the financial burden of commuting for freemasons from Portobello to Edinburgh. The lodge's founding was a response to the challenges of the time, and it has since played an active role in the local community. One of its first civic duties was to be present at the laying of the foundation stone of the local Parish Church on October 27, 1808. The lodge operates from superb premises in Figgate Street Portobello, featuring a beautiful temple and excellent social facilities. The lodge has a rich history and continues to be an active part of the community, with members traveling to various lodges and forming strong ties with other Masonic organizations.

In Person

Edinburgh

Raimes Clark and Lindsay & Gilmour Pharmacy Head Office

27 September 2026

The Georgian villa of James Smith, the merchant who laid out Smith’s Place in 1814, has belonged to Raimes Clark & Co Ltd since 1835. It is home to the Head Office of Lindsay & Gilmour Pharmacies and remains a very fine surviving example of a Leith merchant’s house. It retains many of its original features such as the oval central staircase, Adam fireplaces and the oldest surviving walled garden in Leith.

In Person

Edinburgh

Richard Murphy’s House

26 September 2026

Richard Murphy’s own house was completed in 2015 and has since won many awards, not least the RIBA Channel 4 “UK House of the Year” award in 2016. It is an essay in how to make a creative contribution to a historic context, how to be spatially ingenious on a very small site, how to be energy efficient and change with the seasons as well as display Richard Murphy’s many architectural influences absorbed over a life time of practice.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Saltyard Community Cafe

26 September 2026

Saltyard is a Community Café and formerly was the 1991 St Colm’s Parish Church and forms part of the St Colm’s Sheltered Housing complex for retired tenants over 60 years of age.

In Person

Edinburgh

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service

26 September 2026

The High Court of Justiciary and Court of Session are collectively known as the Supreme Courts of Scotland. The Court of Session is the Royal Court of Scotland, hearing civil cases in the name of His Majesty, the King, and was created in 1532. The High Court of Justiciary hears criminal cases was created in its current form in 1672. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Courts extends to the whole of Scotland.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Seafield Wastewater Treatment Works

27 September 2026

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED. Scotland’s largest Wastewater Treatment Works is opening its doors once again. Join us for a tour where you will learn about the Wastewater Treatment process, the human related problems and how we are taking the Lothians wastewater and recycling it. The 90 minute tour will take you through the history of the site from the MV Gardyloo to the high tech digesters generating energy for the community.

In Person

Edinburgh

St Andrews Roman Catholic Church

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

St Andrews is a Roman Catholic church which is unique in Edinburgh and rare in Scotland. It is a wooden church built in 1902, so it approaches its 125th anniversary. The interior is attractive and very different to other Edinburgh churches.

In Person

Edinburgh

St Johns Episcopal Church

26 September 2026

St John’s is a flourishing city-centre church at the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road and a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Designed by William Burn, the church was built between 1816 and 1818 in the perpendicular revival style. One of its most distinctive architectural features is the fan-vaulted roof, inspired by the vaulting of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey. The church also features some of the most splendid 19th century stained glass in Scotland and is known for its many memorials, including a plaque for a member of the congregation who died at the Battle of Little Big Horn (Custer’s Last Stand), and the grave of Malvina Wells, the only known person buried in Edinburgh who had been born into slavery.

In Person

Edinburgh

St Mark's Episcopal Church

26 September 2026

Built in 1826, St Mark's is a beautiful Georgian building at the heart of Portobello. Through the 200 years it has been altered to reflect the fortunes of Portobello and to respond to the needs of the congregation and community.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

St Peter's RC Church, Morningside

27 September 2026

From its towering campanile to its intimate cloistered courtyard, a little bit of rural Italy in the heart of literary Morningside. St Peter’s was built especially for Father John Gray (former aesthetic poet and associate of Mallarmé, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Wilde and Beardsley) by his literary patron Marc-André Raffalovich, in 1907. The work of Sir Robert Lorimer (champion of the “Arts and Crafts” movement) this Grade A listed building remains a repository of exquisite metalwork, woodcarving, paintings, statuary and stained glass.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

St Vincent’s Chapel

26 September 2026

St Vincent’s Chapel is a Listed Category B building within the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, and within the New Town Conservation Area. It is located in Stockbridge, immediately opposite William Playfair’s much larger St Stephen’s Theatre (former church).

In Person

Edinburgh

The Lost Close

26 September 2026

Just off Parliament Square; The Lost Close is the most recently uncovered underground space in the heart of the Old Town. Originally the building was the first purpose built bank in Scotland, the site of one of the most prominent coffee houses in Edinburgh’s history, before being tuned into police chambers and courtroom after the great fire of 1824, finally being converted into accommodation in 2018.

In Person

Edinburgh

The National Robotarium - Heriot Watt University

26 September 2026

The National Robotarium is the UK's centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The purpose-built facility brings together researchers, students, businesses and innovators to develop, test and apply robotics and AI solutions to real-world challenges. The building is home to specialist labs/laboratories, collaborative workspaces and innovation facilities that support research, skills development and technology innovation.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

The Old Assembly Hall - Simpson & Brown

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

The Old Assembly Hall is home to Simpson & Brown; a firm of architects, heritage consultants, and archaeologists. The first assembly hall on the Old Assembly Hall site was built in the 1780s and was open to subscribers for regular evenings of dancing and entertainment; the rest of the time it was open to the public as a tavern, run by local Leith innkeeper George Gibb. What is now Old Assembly Hall was the main assembly hall of this building.

In Person

Edinburgh

The Scotch Whisky Experience

27 September 2026

The Scotch Whisky Experience was once the Castlehill School. Since 1988 a fascinating and sympathetic conversion of the building has created a fully accessible experience for guided whisky tours, private group dining and the well-loved Amber restaurant.

Virtual

Edinburgh

Trinity Apse

Trinity Apse is one of Edinburgh's finest medieval structures, and all that remains of a collegiate church founded in the 1460s by Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scots. Once one of the city's most ambitious buildings, it was dismantled stone by stone in 1848 to make way for the railway, and survives today as a fragment of its former self, rarely open to the public. This online exhibition, created in partnership with the Trinity Network, brings Trinity Apse's story to a wider audience for the first time. Built around this year's Doors Open Days theme, Heritage at Risk, it revives the story of the apse and its founder, resists their slide into obscurity, and reimagines what the building's future could hold. Featuring video content, historic maps, and interactive elements, visitors can explore the building's history, meet its forgotten founder, and share their own ideas for its future.

In Person

Edinburgh

Trinity House Maritime Museum - Historic Environment Scotland

27 September 2026

Once the headquarters of the Incorporation of Mariners and Shipmasters, Trinity House is home to a treasure trove of fascinating maritime memorabilia, artworks and curiosities collected by sailors from Leith throughout the centuries and from all the corners of the globe.

In Person

Edinburgh

U.S. Consulate General Edinburgh

26 September 2026

The U.S. Consulate General has settled in its current location at 3 Regent Terrace since 1951. Regent Terrace is a residential street of classical townhouses built between 1826 and 1833.

2026 Theme

In Person

Edinburgh

Unitarians In Edinburgh

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

St Mark’s is a historic, city-centre place of community on Castle Terrace, home to Edinburgh’s Unitarian congregation. Our community has roots in the city going back to 1776, and our current building has long served as a space for liberal religion, reflection, music, community gathering and welcome. We are an open, inclusive congregation that values freedom of belief, social justice, interfaith connection and hospitality.

In Person

Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh: Usher Building and Institute for Regeneration and Repair

26 September 2026

The Usher Building is home to the Usher Institute and partners – working together with people, populations and data to understand and advance the health of individuals and populations through innovative collaborations in a global community. The building was opened officially by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in June 2025. The Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR) is a multi-disciplinary research institute. Our scientists and clinicians study tissue regeneration and repair to advance human health and reproductive outcomes. The Institute incorporates the Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM), Centre for Inflammation Research (CIR) and the Centre for Reproductive Health (CRH). It was opened officially by the Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh in January 2024. The two buildings are co-located as part of Edinburgh BioQuarter – a health innovation district where the University of Edinburgh works in partnership with the NHS and Scottish Enterprise to create a leading location for healthcare delivery, groundbreaking medical research and health innovation. Over the next decade, BioQuarter will transition into a new mixed use, urban neighbourhood of Edinburgh, centred around a world leading community of health innovators and companies, grounded in our local community.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Walking Tour: Scotland’s Printing Heritage

26 September 2026

A walk exploring the printing industry connections of Edinburgh’s New Town, and highlighting the traces of famous businesses that can still be seen.

In Person

2026 Theme

Edinburgh

Welby & Wright

26 September 2026

27 September 2026

Welby & Wright Tileworks is an independent working ceramic studio in Edinburgh specialising in the traditional manufacture, conservation and restoration of handmade encaustic tiles and mosaic. It is a private working studio, not normally open to the public, where historic craft techniques are combined with contemporary design and technology.