Browse Items (4104 total)

Designed by John F Matthew in 1927, housing a large lecture theatre and laboratories as well as a suite of rooms designed to house the collection and its curator. The large laboratory windows span from ceiling to bench level and face N and NE to gain…

The Assembly Rooms officially opened in January 1787 and ever since, the building has been at the heart of special occasions and celebrations in the capital, hosting royalty, celebrities and nobility.The venue has continued to evolve with the times,…

The Assembly Roxy is a year round venue for theatre shows, events and functions. Run by Assembly Theatre Limited, the building houses three popular Edinburgh Festival Fringe spaces during August. A former Church known as the Holy Trinity Church and…

The Astley Ainslie is a rehabilitation hospital in the south of Edinburgh and the much-loved site comprises beautiful landscaped parkland. Established in 1921 thanks to a bequest from David Ainslie in memory of his nephew John Astley Ainslie. Canaan…

The recently refurbished and renamed Astoria Centre houses the last Ingram Cinema Organ in the world. A rare opportunity to see and hear the fully restored Ingram 2/4 organ which originated from The Astoria Cinema in Corstorphine, demolished in the…

Augustine is a diverse, progressive Christian congregation of the United Reformed Church, with a rich history of global connections. Our four-storey building rises up from the Cowgate towards an elaborate tower that earned the church the nickname of…

Designed in 1883 by the architect AG Sydney Mitchell for John Ritchie Findlay, the editor of The Scotsman newspaper. The interior is richly decorated in a Franco-Italian style and was sensitively refurbished and modernised in 2011 by the B+B…

Completed in July 1884 and built of free stone in early English style by architect Mr James Fairley of Edinburgh. The church has a hammerbeam roof and in the south gable there is a stained glass window which was gifted by a Mrs Braidwood in memory of…

Roman Baroque head office, substantially by David Bryce from 1863, replacing sedate Adam-style villa of 1801 by Robert Reid and Richard Crichton. Magnificent views from the banking hall and upper floors to the New Town and Fife. Small Museum tells…

Barclay Church was built in 1862-64 to the powerful Victorian Gothic design of Frederick Thomas Pilkington following an architectural competition. Heavily influenced by John Ruskin, Pilkington mixed northern medieval elements with those from Gothic…

During WWII, Barnton Quarry was the home of the RAF sector operations centre for the Turnhouse Sector of 13 Group, RAF Fighter Command. From this building, Radar returns from German aircraft were triangulated and RAF fighter attacks were coordinated.…

Built by Dr John George Bartholomew as the Edinburgh Geographical Institute (H Ramsay Taylor) in 1911 but incorporating the Palladian portico (1824) from Falcon Hall in Morningside which had been the former Bartholomew family residence. Converted…

This A listed building was built in 1791 for General Sir Ralph Abercromby. It housed Tods Murray solicitors for nearly 150 years and is now occupied by Basil Paterson College, who are now in their 83rd year. The building retains many original…

At the Bayes Centre, world-leading data science and artificial intelligence teams are shaping a better future for everyone. Working with partners, we are a proving ground for data-driven innovation to solve real-world problems through scientific…

After the first successful urban community right to buy campaign, Action Porty reopened the former Portobello Old Parish Church in June 2018 as Bellfield, a new community hub for Portobello just steps from the sea. Constructed in 1809 to designs by…

Being part of Edinburgh�s first city wall, the history of 17 & 18 Victoria Terrace is one of almost 600 years of adaptation and re-use; sustainability at its very best.� In the past the building served as a leather works (1786), Institute for the…

Built in 1904, this category B listed church was designed by P McGregor Chalmers whose links with Iona Abbey are reflected in the nave with clerestory, apses and the curved arches of Romanesque Architecture. Of interest are the stone font and…

Bonhams is the only international auctioneer with a saleroom in Scotland. Located in the heart of Edinburgh?s Neo-Classical New Town, 22 Queen Street was originally a Georgian townhouse before serving as a meeting space after a large Victorian…

Although the school has been in existence since 1904, the building on Viewforth opened in 1913 to replace the first, smaller Boroughmuir on Bruntsfield Links. It is an inspiring grand building which was seen as cutting edge design internationally…

The Botanic Cottage is a unique building providing an important insight into Edinburgh's botanical, social and built heritage. Designed by John Adam and James Craig, the cottage was built in 1765 to serve as the gateway to the botanic garden site on…

Richard Murphy Architects purchased the majority of the 'Edinburgh Free Sabbath Breakfast Mission' in 2000 and converted the premises into workspace area for themselves and others. A mezzanine floor was inserted into the original mission hall and a…

A late eighteenth century farmhouse on the Craigmillar Castle estate that has been restored for the benefit of the local community after being left derelict for 17 years. It hosts a community café, training kitchen, an exhibition space/room, kitchen…

These two churches frame the historic space known locally as �The Causey�. Buccleuch and Greyfriars, C listed and dating from 1856, dominates the area with its towering steeple. By J, WH & JM Hay, who also built Augustines on George IV Bridge.…

Designed by James Simpson in 1875 with additions signed and dated George Craig in 1907, this large 2-storey T-plan school with gothic details was formerly Bonnington Primary School, which opened in 1877. It is currently serving as Edinburgh's Gaelic…

This prominent monument on the slopes of Calton Hill commemorates poet Robert Burns. Monuments in this style were built in ancient Athens to celebrate the poetic arts, and was designed by Thomas Hamilton to house a statue of the bard by sculptor John…

Opened in 1869, this is a remarkable survival of a small Victorian brewery, still retaining much of its original equipment, including the only direct-fired open coppers still operating in Britain. New visitors centre and cellars provided after a fire…

Edinburgh Doors Open Day were very pleased to have had the RBS Gogarburn Campus on the programme for the first time this year, however acting on the advice of the authorities, RBS has had to withdraw due to security risks.Whilst it is unfortunate…

Canongate Kirk, The Kirk of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle, was founded in 1688.� The architecturally unique design is by James Smith, with aisles and a cruciform plan.� The finely built ashlar fa�ade is in a Dutch architectural style and the…

Canongate Kirk, The Kirk of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle, was founded in 1688. The architecturally unique design is by James Smith, with aisles and a cruciform plan. The finely built ashlar fa?ade is in a Dutch architectural style and the…

The graveyard of the Royal Kirk was established in 1687 and provides glorious views of Calton Hill. Famous people buried here include the economist Adam Smith, the poet Robert Ferguson and Robert Hurd, a 20th century pioneer of conservation…

Fine late 17C house attributed to Sir William Bruce for Viscount Tarbat, Justice General in 1681, Lord Register, and later Secretary of State for Scotland in 1702. Incorporates East Granton Tower built around 1580 in the Barony of Royston.

Edinburgh Printmakers transformed the former North British Rubber Company HQ into a vibrant new creative hub, Castle Mills. Placing art and creativity at the heart of Edinburgh?s Fountainbridge area, this much-loved post-industrial building is once…

Crichton Wood, architect, ran workshops on Doors Open Day for children & adults to design and make modern Scottish Castles.

Constructed in just a few weeks in 1922 as Edinburgh�s Industrial Exhibition Hall, the building played host to many large national shows in the 1920s, including the Scottish Motor Show and Edinburgh�s Christmas Fun Fair. The building became a bus…

The elegant red sandstone building was designed by the City Architect and completed in 1901 for the oldest municipal Fire Brigade in the UK. Photographs and exhibits from the middle ages onwards. A popular venue for both adults and children.

Central Library is a beautiful Victorian building, designed by the 19th century Scottish architect, George Washington Browne, in French Renaissance style. Funded by Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1890 it was built on the site of the mansion of Sir…

The University of Edinburgh’s main gym facilities and the indoor sport centre are based at the Pleasance, an interesting complex of buildings which form an important part of Edinburgh’s brewing history dating back to the 18th century. The…

The Thistle Foundation is a Scottish charity that supports people living with long-term health conditions. In 2016 the Thistle Foundation opened a purpose-built Centre of Wellbeing in the heart of Craigmillar. 18,000 people have visited the Centre…

Chalmers Church, opened in 1839, was the first ecclesiastical building opened in Morningside.Decommissioned by the Church of Scotland in 1990 it was purchased by Napier University and used as a performing arts centre.It is now owned by a thriving…

The Chapel of St Albert the Great is part of St Albert?s Catholic Chaplaincy which exists to serve the spiritual needs of staff and students at Edinburgh?s Universities. The Chapel was designed by Stuart Allan of Simpson and Brown and opened in 2012.…

Founded in 1677, Lodge Canongate Kilwinning meets in the historic Chapel of St John, the oldest purpose-built Masonic meeting room in the world today dating from 1735. Throughout its long history, the Lodge has drawn members from all ages and walks…

Free St George?s Church, designed by David Bryce, was built on the corner of Shandwick Place and Stafford Street in 1869. A 56m campanile, designed by Rowand Anderson, based on St Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, was added in 1881. This is the building that…

Christ Church (Scottish Episcopal Church) circa 1876, was one of the churches built to service the growing population of South Edinburgh in the 19th century. It is French Gothic, the apse with its gables and flying buttresses face onto the road while…

The stupendous tomb of William Henry Miller of Craigentinny, designed 1848-56 by David Rhind, is an extraordinary sight amongst the prim 1930s bungalows of Craigentinny. Known as the Craigentinny Marbles, relief panels by Alfred Gatley depict "The…

Owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council the Church Hill Theatre, once a church, is one of Scotland's leading non-professional theatres playing host to local amateur dramatic and dance groups.

The Assembly Hall was designed by David Bryce and built in 1858-9. The United Free Church of Scotland united in 1929 and the Hall has been the site of the Kirk's General Assembly since then. Overlooking the Moderator's chair, the centre of the south…

The Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic Church that is served by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The architect of the Church was the Jesuit priest Fr. Richard Vaughn SJ and the Church was founded in 1859. Over the years, the church has been…

This original mews workshop has been converted by WT Architecture into a small and intricate maisonette by connecting it to the previously inaccessible vault beneath. Sections of glass floor and walls and deep cuts into the vaults let light in to…

The main part of the building known today as the City Chambers was built in 1753 by John Adam and was called The Royal Exchange. In 1811 it was taken over by the Council as they had outgrown their previous accommodation at the Tolbooth. From…

The only category A-listed Methodist church in Scotland, this 1816 building and its adjacent halls have recently been refurbished and transformed under the direction of architects Page\Park. Beautiful light-filled sanctuary, ingeniously adapted…

Next to John Knox House is Moubray House. Although the frontage dates from c. 1630, the house was originally built around 1477, by Robert Moubray. ˜Andrew Moubray built a new house at the rear in 1529. It was restored by the Cockburn Society in 1910.…

Architects Page & Park have fitted a large modern building, providing a range of flexible spaces, into the burial ground of Sidney Mitchell's 1907-08 St Cuthbert's Church. A simple steel frame, natural stone ground floor walls, timber and glass…

The iconic City Observatory on Calton Hill, designed by William Playfair in 1818, was restored and re-opened in 2018 as part of Collective, a new centre for contemporary art. Calton Hill was the birthplace of astronomy and time-keeping in Edinburgh…

The Hall was opened in 1843 as the meeting place of the Liberton and Newington Free Church of Scotland. Built to the design of Free Church architect David Cousin, it was enlarged with Galleries and schoolrooms soon after.This year is the 25th…

The church was constituted in 1929 by members of local congregations of the United Free Church who did not wish to re-join the Church of Scotland. The building was opened on the 6th June 1930. It was the first United Free Church (Continuing) building…

Well-preserved 16th century beehive-type doo'cot, now in the care of Historic Scotland. Still has the potence (French for gallows) for gaining access to the 1,060 nesting boxes on 28 tiers to collect squabs (baby pigeons), an important source of meat…

This Tower on the summit of Corstorphine Hill was built as a viewpoint and as a memorial to Sir Walter Scott in 1871, 100 years after Scott's death. It is built of local stone and is ascended by an internal staircase to the viewing platform. From…

This Tower on the summit of Corstorphine Hill was built as a viewpoint and as a memorial to Sir Walter Scott in 1871, 100 years after Scott's death. It is built of local stone and is ascended by an internal staircase to the viewing platform. From…

This Medieval Church opened in the 15th Century, originally as a Collegiate Church. After the Reformation, the College was dissolved and the Church was used for Parish worship. From 1650 to 1651 the Church building was occupied by Cromwell's troops…

The Cottage is nestled in the heart of West Princes Street Gardens, below the floral clock. This Category C-listed cottage was designed by Architect Robert Morham in 1886. Originally the Head Gardener’s house, the Cottage has now been restored into a…

The Cowgate Under 5s Centre is a wonderful teaching facility in the centre of Edinburgh. Designed by Allan Murray Architects, the building won Best Public Project at the 2003 Scottish Design Awards and was a finalist in the Prime Minister?s Award for…

Craiglockhart Parish Church was designed by Edinburgh architects Hay & Henderson. It was built in red sandstone, quarried at Locharbriggs, in the style of fifteenth century Gothic with Scottish characteristics. Grade B listed, the church features…

The station was opened on Doors Open Day to provide a fun look behind the scenes including the custody suite and a chance to enjoy displays by some of the specialist services (horses, dogs, traffic etc.) as well as displays from other emergency…

This Sanctuary was designed in the 1960s by Sir William Kininmonth. Influenced by Le Corbusiers Chapel at Ronchamp, the Sanctuary has an illusion of floating above ground with its the striking square plan and plain white windowless exterior. The…

New church hall by Smith Scott Mullan Architects. Large airy spaces, interesting use of copper and traditional materials in a modern style, with unusual apertures and shafts of light illuminating throughout.

Cramond Kirk is a church situated in the area of Cramond in the north west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Built on the site of an old Roman fort, parts of the Cramond Kirk building date back to the fourteenth century and the church tower is considered to be…

Originally very much part of the Medieval street plan of the West Bow, the house burnt down in the early 18th century and was replaced with an interesting Dutch gabled building with its own internal timber stairs. The house retains its internal…

17C corner-turreted L-plan house with an interesting decorated ceiling of probably 1640s. Until recently divided into 2 flats for Palace gardening staff, but now restored by Historic Scotland as their regional office.

The north side of Charlotte Square was built to Robert Adam's 1791 design, making the square one of the finest in Europe. Designed to look like a single palace, the north side is in fact several individual town houses, each separately built and with…

The site of Currie Kirk has been a place of Christian worship for over a thousand years.� The first recorded church was in 1200.� Currie was known as Kildeleith at this time.� A new church was built in c1300 and extended in c1600.�� The present…

Custom House Leith is the oldest custom house in Scotland. An A-listedGeorgian Building designed by Robert Reid in a neo-classical styleconstructed between 1810-12 with alterations by William Burns in 1825.Custom House is managed by the charity…

A Category A-listed Romanesque 12th century church at the heart of Dalmeny village. It is one of the best preserved Norman parish churches in Scotland. The main entrance to the church is on the south elevation, where its bestiary carvings and…

Dance Base offers a beautiful and inspiring setting for dance. Designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects, 2001, the centre makes use of the different levels offered by the site. Roof lights and glass floors flood the building with natural light. With…

A Georgian town house in the New Town and home to the Danish Cultural Institute since 1957 it is a category A listed building designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822. The building was completed in 1830-31 is located in what was originally the…

The most fashionable of Edinburgh�s mid-19th century garden cemeteries, chosen by many of Edinburgh�s historical figures � including Lord Cockburn � for their final resting-place.

The Dean Gardens is the largest of the four 'pleasure grounds' to border the Water of Leith. They are the second-biggest private amenity gardens in Edinburgh encompassing over seven acres, featuring a series of planted slopes and level lawn areas…

Diageo, formerly Guinness UDV, moved to their new office building in 2000. the building was designed by Allan Murray with the internal fit-out by BDG McColl to create a building which combines office space, meeting suite, and a spectacular lounge…

Schop Institute is run by architects from Oliver Chapman Architects and offers a programme of events to encourage participation in design, architecture and cities.As part of Doors Open Days, visitors were invited to step into Schop Institute and take…

Dolphin House is a listed building in Hunter Square, Edinburgh. It was designed and built in 1788-1790 by John Baxter Junior as the Merchant Company Hall. It has previously been used, among other things, as a bank and a bed shop and had fallen into…

Dovecot Studios is a world-renowned tapestry studio and leading centre for contemporary art, craft and design. Located in the heart of Edinburgh Old Town, Dovecot Studios occupies a former Victorian Bath House, the Infirmary Street Baths, which were…

Built c. 1587, The Dower House sits in the corner of St Margaret?s Park. It is thought to have been built with stones from Corstorphine Castle. The building?s alternative name, Gibsone?s Lodge, comes from the Gibsone of Pentland family who lived…

A unique chance to take a look behind the gates of this private garden.Covering nearly three acres, the garden has a wide variety of trees and shrubs in the borders and in the central grassed area.

The Drumsheugh Baths Club was designed by Sir John James Burnett (1857-1938) on the steeply sloping north side of Belford Road. The Baths opened in 1882, articulated in the Moorish style, with a deeply shadowed entrance under a low-pitch stone…

Drylaw Police Station is a modern 2 storey building housing a chief inspector, an inspector, 6 sergeants and approximately 80 constables responsible for policing the Forth and Inverleith areas.

1970s car show room, now the Department of Trade and Industry's National Repository for more than 300km of rock core taken from wells drilled in UK waters. For Doors Open Day, examples from UK oil and gas fields were displayed together with videos…

Duddingston Village Community Land comprises an old, walled kitchen garden and tennis court, cow byre and paddock. Adjacent is The Field, an environmental project of planted woodland & herb-rich meadow, also containing a Scottish apple orchard…

Superb classical villa of 1763 by Sir William Chambers for the bachelor 8th Earl of Abercorn. Two storeys in pale stone, with a quartet of Corinthian columns forming a pedimented portico. Superb sculpted plasterwork and magnificent fireplaces. Now…

This 12th century church is located in Duddingston Village. Built c1124 on land granted to Kelso Abbey by King David I, it originally consisted of a chancel and nave. The original entrance includes a particularly fine example of Scoto-Norman stone…

Palladian villa built in 1771 by William Chambers as a private mansion for Sir Laurence Dundas. Headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland since 1825. Magnificent sculpted plasterwork. The spectacular domed telling room, John Dick Peddie, 1857, is…

The site of R&R Clark printworks, redeveloped in 1979 and refurbished by Standard Life in 2002. BDG McColl created a practical and modern working environment incorporating the facade of the old printworks. Inside the four-storey atrium provides…

Edwardian Baroque C Listed Building (George Beattie & Son 1888) with Masonic Temple on first floor and hall on second floor. Originally the meeting place of two embryonic church congregations (South Morningside Free Church then Episcopalians), it…

Simpson & Brown Architects have designed an innovative, low energy house in Currie that is superinsulated, air-tight and incorporates a mix of renewables. It is compact to minimise heat loss. A heat recovery system circulates heat generated by…

Edgar Hall was presented to North Morningside Church by the sister of Robert Edgar. He was elder of the church for 28 years. It is attached to Stenhouse St Andrews Parish Church and is now used by the charity Drake Music Scotland.Music equipment was…

44 Albany Street is a category 'A' Listed Georgian Townhouse from the early 1800s probably by William Sibbald. Albany Street was not part of the Reid and Sibbald first extension of the New Town but was incorporated into it. It was the home of the…

Edinburgh Central Mosque and Islamic Centre is the largest mosque in Edinburgh, located in the middle of the capital city and officially opened in 1998. It remains one of the few purpose-built mosques in Scotland, featuring a unique mixture of…

Edinburgh's Old High School has been transformed into an award winning, energy efficient hub to foster innovation, joint working and bold forward thinking in the move to a low carbon future. The 19 month, �10.5m refurbishment of this unique 18th…

Established in 1822, Edinburgh Chess Club is the oldest chess club in the UK. In the first hundred years of the club’s existence it had many homes around the city, notably on Princes Street, George Street and Queen Street. However, in the years…

The A-listed Beaux-Arts style Main Building designed by John More, Dick Peddie and George Washington Brown was built in 1907-09 to house the College, providing north-facing studios, a lecture hall and the impressive Sculpture…

Edinburgh Cyrenians FareShare Programme is a social enterprise with a mission to bring good food and healthy lifestyles to people who are experiencing disadvantage, isolation, poverty and homelessness. They prevent landfill and environmental damage…

The Lauriston Building, 1981 by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall was first phase of the intended redevelopment of the Royal Infirmary. In 1997 the Dental Hospital moved here from Chambers Street. Redevelopment by Lewis & Hickey DJP includes…