Buildings, private gardens, and venues across Edinburgh, normally closed off to the general public, throw open their portals and doors as part of the Doors Open Day this Saturday.
Organised by the Cockburn Association (The Edinburgh Civic Trust) in partnership with Edinburgh World Heritage, the day allows free access to over 80 buildings, ranging from historic landmarks to contemporary designs.
There is also an Edinburgh Parks and Gardens Open Day in the Spring (first week of May).
Among buildings participating are the Calton Hill City Observatory (10am-4pm), which was designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818, and still houses many original astronomical instruments; Gayfield Square Police Station (10am-2pm), a busy, operational police station at the top of Leith Walk; Drumsheugh Baths Club (8.30am-8pm), a 70 foot-long private swimming club pool built in the Moorish style in 1882; the grand-looking Donaldson's College (10am-4pm), the home to Scotland's national school for the deaf, due to relocate in 2008; and Seafield Crematorium (10am-4pm), with guided tours around the B-listed building which opened in 1939.
Last year around 70,000 people took up the invitation to pass through the normally closed doors.
Many of the venues will be organising tours and in the case of Parliament House opening (10am-4pm), there will be a re-enactment of a murder case from 150 years ago where a woman accused of poisoning her French lover with arsenic walked free after the jury returned a verdict of not proven.
Doors Open Day takes place on Saturday 29th September. For further information visit www.cockburnassociation.org.uk