Doors Open Day festival: Behind the scenes of Scotland’s transport heritage from Forth Road Bridge to Queen Mary steamer

Annual free glimpse in September of hidden historic treasures including vintage buses, restored railway stations and lighthouses.

From aircraft restoration to vintage buses and breathing new life into one of the Clyde’s classic steamers, transport is to play a major part in this year’s annual opportunity to go behind the scenes of Scotland’s heritage.

Next month’s free Doors Open Day events across the country also include tours of Glasgow’s river and canal bridges, Britain’s recently-crowned best-loved station and the newly-re-built Union Chain Bridge – the world’s oldest vehicle suspension bridge – across the Tweed in the Borders.

The scale of interest in such historic infrastructure was reflected by the 360 places for tours of the Forth Road Bridge being snapped up within two hours of becoming available.

Former Clyde steamer Queen Mary, in foreground, is being restored in Glasgow and will form part of Doors Open Day. (Photo by John Devlin/The Scotsman)

Scotland’s biggest free festival, which is co-ordinated by the Scottish Civic Trust, has reached its 34th year, with activities spread across September and building openings and events in different areas on separate weekends. Among them, Glasgow’s will take place on September 16-17 and Edinburgh’s on September 23-24.

Booking is required for some buildings and most tours via www.doorsopendays.org.uk, while Glasgow’s activities are bookable via glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk from September 1.

Doors Open Day national co-ordinator Emily Sherriff told The Scotsman: “Doors Open Days celebrates the places, people and stories of Scotland and, this year, venues across the country are showcasing the rich heritage of transport in all its forms.

"From community heritage groups who have lovingly restored a former train depot in Aberdeen, a museum highlighting the importance of the Union Canal from Edinburgh to Falkirk, to seeing aircraft conservation in progress at the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian, there is something for every type of transport aficionado.

All 360 tickets to tour the Forth Road Bridge were snapped up within two hours. (Photo by Michael Gillen)

"These venues highlight the continued importance of transport and its heritage to communities and businesses throughout the years, and by opening up for free during Doors Open Days, many more people can discover this fascinating heritage.”

Forth Road Bridge operator BEAR Scotland said it had been overwhelmed by the response to its free tours. A spokesperson said: “All 360 places on our minibus tours of the bridge were filled within two hours of opening for applications.

“This is testament to the huge amount of affection and fascination that many people have for these engineering icons, and it’s why our staff are happy to take time out from their day jobs to share their knowledge about this famous old bridge. The Forth Road Bridge is only one part of the trunk road network that BEAR Scotland maintains, but it’s definitely one of the most interesting.”

Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who will lead tours of Springburn Park as part of Doors Open Day for the tenth year, said he was delighted the city’s transport history would play a major role in the festival.

He said: “Glasgow was a global pioneer in the development of municipal public transport, shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturing, so it is fantastic that the sights, sounds and smells of that rich heritage will be at the heart of the annual Glasgow Doors Open Day Festival next month.

"From tours of the 1930s Clyde-built turbine steamer Queen Mary undergoing restoration at Govan Graving Docks to the fabulous Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust at Bridgeton Bus Garage, we are truly spoiled for choice this year.”

He said of his walking tour: “It is always a treat to immerse participants in Springburn’s leading role in locomotive manufacturing under engineering geniuses like James Reid, and George Johnston building Britain’s first-ever motor car at Mosesfield House in Springburn Park.”

Mr Sweeney said a key part of the tour would highlight efforts to restore the A-listed Springburn Winter Gardens of 1900, which was funded by the Reid family, the principal shareholders in Neilson, Reid & Company of the Hyde Park Locomotive Works in Springburn, which was later merged into the North British Locomotive Company.

They lived at Belmont House adjacent to the park, a large Scots Baronial style mansion that burned down in the 1980s.

Glasgow’s bridges tours will cover the Clyde and Kelvin, while there is a separate tour of the “art park” around the new Stockingfield Bridge over the junction of two sections of the Forth & Clyde Canal in Maryhill, which opened last year.

Also on an aquatic theme, a 118-year-old rowing club boathouse on the Clyde at Glasgow Green that has been described as amongst the grandest in Britain will be open for tours.

Rail events include tours of the Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust, which includes a steam locomotive turntable, in Aberdeen on September 2-3 and of A-listed Wemyss Bay Station in Inverclyde on September 9, which was voted Britain’s best loved in May.

The restored 1848 Stow Station building, which was saved from demolition as part of the reopening of the Borders Railway in 2015, is open on September 2. Thrumster, the last surviving station on the defunct Wick-Lybster Light Railway in Caithness, is open on September 16.

The Museum of Flight at East Fortune airfield is among museums offering free admission during the festival. Its pre-bookable free entry over the September 23-24 weekend includes to the conservation hangar, which is normally only open for pre-booked parties.

The Forth Bridges Contact and Education Centre in South Queensferry, which does not normally provide open public access, will be open on September 23.

Elsewhere, there are lighthouses open at Tod Head at Kinneff, near Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire, on September 16, and Covesea, near Lossiemouth, on September 23.