Everything you need to know about Doors Open Days 2026

The Arlington Baths in Glasgow will be open to the public as part of Doors Open Days this year. | John Devlin / The Scotsman

placeholder image — The Arlington Baths in Glasgow will be open to the public as part of Doors Open Days this year. | John Devlin / The Scotsman

People around Scotland will get the chance to explore rarely opened buildings around the country as part of Doors Open Days 2026.

Throughout September, unique buildings and heritage sites will peel back the curtains and allow the public the chance to explore as part of Scotland’s largest free festival.

Doors Open Days will take place each weekend this month, with venues welcoming visitors for a rare glimpse behind the scenes at some of the country’s most interesting venues. This includes the likes of art storage facilities, historic swimming baths, theatres, government buildings, places of worship and more.

More than 30 years after the first event, during the last Doors Open Days in 2025 there were 966 participating venues and events with more than 158,000 visits as part of the festival.

Now back for another year, here is everything you need to know about Doors Open Days 2026 - and how you can get involved.

Doors Open Days are back for 2026

Scotland’s largest free festival, Doors Open Days offer the public the chance to explore hundreds of buildings up and down the country - many of which rarely, if ever, allow people inside.

The annual event first began in 1990, covering just Glasgow and Ayr before eventually expanding nationwide with all 32 council regions now among participants.

Coordinated by the Scottish Civic Trust, the festival is made possible by local coordinators and also forms part of Scottish Archaeology Month. In addition, Doors Open Days also serve as Scotland’s contributions to European Heritage Days, which is a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union.

Riddle’s Court is a picturesque Category A-listed merchant’s tenement on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Each room reveals a different chapter of its 500-year history, from a painted ceiling installed for a royal banquet to one created for students to dine under. It is a building as beautiful as it is intriguing and one whose story is intimately connected with that of Edinburgh's Old Town.

As well as providing public access to typically restricted areas, there are also a variety of family-friendly activities on offer throughout the month.

Doors Open Days shares its theme with European Heritage Days, which this year is Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine. Designed to reflect the need for action, each aspect highlights the way in which communities can help protect shared heritage and culture.

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Doors Open Days: The full list of 2026 dates and locations

As part of this year’s Doors Open Days, there will be events taking place each weekend in September.

During the first weekend, areas including Aberdeen, Shetland, the Borders, and East Fife will be participating, with Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire and Inverness the following weekend.

Aberdeenshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, West Lothian and more will take part during the third weekend of September, as will Glasgow though slightly earlier in the week. The final weekend includes Dundee, Stirling and Edinburgh as well as East Lothian and more.

Here is the full list of dates and areas for Doors Open Days 2026:

Weekend One — September 5 and 6

Aberdeen City
Badenoch and Strathspey
Dumfries and Galloway
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
East Fife
Inverclyde
Moray (Saturday only)
Outer Hebrides
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders
Shetland
Skye and Lochaber
South Lanarkshire

Weekend Two — September 12 and 13

Angus
Ayrshire
Central Fife
Inverness, Black Isle, Ross and Cromarty
Midlothian (Saturday only)
North Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire (Saturday only)

Weekend Three — September 19 and 20

Aberdeenshire
Argyll and Bute
Caithness and Sutherland
Falkirk
Glasgow (From Thursday, September 17 to Sunday, September 20)
Orkney
Perth and Kinross
West Fife
West Lothian

Weekend Four — September 26 and 27

Clackmannanshire
Dundee
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Stirling

Where can I visit in Scotland?

There are hundreds of interesting and unique buildings across Scotland which will be open to visitors as part of Doors Open Days 2026. From government buildings to privately owned establishments, places of worship and more there will be dozens of chances to get involved.

Highlights include locations such as Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Baths - which is due to appear in the upcoming series of Dept. Q on Netflix - Granton Art Centre in Edinburgh which is an art storage facility typically only open to visitors by appointment, and even unique buildings which double as event venues such as The Merchants House of Glasgow and the Trades Hall of Glasgow.

Pictured during Nuart earlier this year, Bon Accord Baths in Aberdeen can be visited during Doors Open Days 2026. | Lauren Jack/The Scotsman

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Do I need to book?

If you plan on making the most of Doors Open Days this year, make sure to visit the official website to find out more.

While some events will be open to all, many must be booked in advance. More details about each region and all participating venues, dates and more can be found here.

Doors Open Days 2026 will take place each weekend in September.