Highland venues to open their doors in celebration of built and cultural heritage
Twenty-four venues across Caithness and Sutherland will be taking part in the 35th year of Doors Open Days – a festival that sees organisations and volunteers offer free access to locations across Scotland.
The annual programme aims to ensure that the country’s built and cultural heritage is made accessible to everyone, with museums, heritage attractions and a host of other buildings throwing open their doors free of charge during September.
The Doors Open Days programme is coordinated at national level by the Scottish Civic Trust and locally by regional coordinators.
Events in the far north will take place over the weekend of September 21 and 22.
“We welcome back a number of regulars along with a clutch of new venues,” Caithness and Sutherland coordinator Ian Leith said.
“Some previous venue participants offer new displays. Castlehill Heritage Centre offers a first glimpse of the Jack Saxon Fossil Collection. The mills at Castletown and John O’Groats will provide a look at the extent of the building renovations, while 8 Doors Distillery at John O’Groats will have mini-tours of the distillery and warehouse.
“St Fergus Lodge and the John O’Groats Lodge provide unique opportunities to view their decorative interiors. Halkirk Heritage and Vintage Motor Centre has a wonderful array of vehicles.
“The North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso is creating a display focusing on the connection between Caithness and the world through local industry and commerce. Nucleus in Wick has bookable tours of the normally restricted areas of the archive.
“Old St Peter’s Kirk in Thurso will have society members present to give tours and provide information. St Andrew’s Parish Church in Golspie, built in 1737, is one of the finest examples of a Georgian parish church in Scotland.
“The Wick Society is this year offering opportunities to view inside the old herring mart and the old lifeboat shed. Strathnaver Museum will be offering family-friendly activities exploring the folklore within our landscape, from traditional medicine to mystical sea creatures.
“While every venue has something exciting to offer, maybe a little different this time will be Forsinard Flows nature reserve, especially as the area has recently been granted Unesco World Heritage Site status.
“Other new venues for 2024 include Brora Heritage Centre and the Old Clyne School, currently undergoing renovation.
“We have Halkirk and Westerdale Church with its etched window by Denis Mann of Caithness Glass fame, John O’Groats Brewery with the distinction of being the most northerly pub on mainland Scotland, and Northshore Pottery with its wood-fired and soda-glazed studio pottery and sculpture.
“Patricia Niemann will open her studio and showroom in Berriedale to the public. Pulteneytown Parish Church will have a member of the church available to answer questions about the church, its history and its role in the town. Waterlines tells the story of the village of Lybster and it has a lovely café.”
Also taking part will be North Sutherland Community Forestry Trust, which hopes soon to take ownership of Rosal Clearance Village in Strathnaver. An exhibition is being held in Strathnaver village hall.
Details of dates, times and any booking information can be found in the Caithness and Sutherland section of the Doors Open Days website.
Mr Leith added: “As always this will be a weekend of encouraging people to make the most of the opportunity to see behind some doors. Many of the venues exist in perfect geographic clusters, so why not plan some journeys and make the most of our built and environmental heritage?”
Doors Open Days 2024 – venues in Caithness and Sutherland:
8 Doors Distillery (September 21-22)
Brora Heritage Centre (September 21-22)
Castlehill Heritage Centre (September 22)
Castletown Mill (September 21)
Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve (September 21-22)
Halkirk and Westerdale Church of Scotland (September 21)
Halkirk Heritage and Vintage Motor Centre (September 21-22)
John O’Groat Lodge of Freemasons (September 22)
John O’Groats Brewery (September 21-22)
North Coast Visitor Centre, Thurso (September 21)
Northshore Pottery (September 21)
North Sutherland Community Forestry Trust (September 21)
Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives (September 22)
Old Clyne School, Brora (September 22)
Old St Peter’s Kirk, Thurso (September 21-22)
Patricia Niemann Design – studio and showroom, Berriedale (September 21-22)
Pulteneytown Parish Church (September 21-22)
St Andrew's Parish Church, Golspie (September 21)
St Fergus Lodge of Freemasons, Wick (September 22)
Strathnaver Museum (September 21)
Wick Herring Mart – The Wick Society (September 22)
John O’Groats Mill (September 21)
The Lifeboat Shed – The Wick Society (September 22)
Waterlines, Lybster (September 21)
