Area's venues ready for 30th Doors Open event

Dozens of Aberdeenshire properties are to open to the public this weekend as the Scottish Civic Trust prepares to celebrate 30 years of Doors Open Days.

The Aberdeenshire-wide activities will take place over Saturday and Sunday as a celebration of heritage and the built environment in Scotland.

Visitors will be able to visit a wide range of properties for free over the weekend as the largest number of participants to date prepare to welcome the public.

This year, there are 63 participating venues, ranging from a traditional home to a busy coastal fishmarket, with the programme highlighting Aberdeenshire’s rich architectural history.

There are a number of new additions this year, including The Museum of Banff, founded in 1828, which is the oldest museum in Scotland north of Perth; the Aden Recording Studio at Aden Country Park and the Salmon Bothy Museum in Portsoy, which has just been refurbished.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee, councillor Peter Argyle, said: “Aberdeenshire has a wealth of fascinating architecture and this is an ideal opportunity to explore the area’s rich history and to get a behind the scenes look at properties not usually open to the public.

"I encourage everybody to take the opportunity to get out and about and see what’s on offer."

The full list of participating venues can be found via the Doors Open Day website www.doorsopenday.org.uk by searching for Aberdeenshire.

Committee vice-chairman councillor John Cox said: “As well as what’s happening in our towns, Doors

Open Days are a chance to visit some of our more rural communities where our unspoilt countryside is the perfect setting for some of our oldest and most inspiring buildings across all parts of Aberdeenshire.”

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