A peak behind doors of heritage buildings
Doors open days continue this weekend, with a number of buildings in the Strathearn and Kinross-shire area welcoming in visitors.
Hot on the heels of last weekend’s event in Highland and eastern Perthshire, a number of places in Strathearn and Kinross-shire are taking part on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23.
The two days will celebrate the region’s heritage and built environment, giving families the opportunity to visit historic, civic and interesting buildings that are not always open to the public for free.
Gavin Lindsay, regional Doors Open Days coordinator, said:“We had a lot of fun with the Scottish theme year of ‘history, heritage and archaeology’in 2017 so decided to support and celebrate the 2018 theme‘year of young people’with a special‘back to school’feature.
“We’ve got eight centres of learning and education from the past that have been put to new uses, the present and future currently under construction opening their doors as part of the programme. Festival goers can follow the theme across all three of Perth and Kinross’Doors Open Days weekends, appreciating the architecture of education - past, present and future across the region.
“There’s even an accompanying competition to get your teeth into.”
A number of churches will be open over the weekend, including Tibbermore Church (Sunday, 11am-4pm), St Michael’s Church in Crieff (Saturday, 12.30pm-4.30pm), Forteviot Pictish Stones and St Andrew’s Church (Sunday, 11am-4pm) and Aberdalgie incised slab and parish church (Sunday, 2pm-4pm).
Tullibole Castle in the Crook of Devon will be open on both days from 11am until 4pm and Abernethy Round Tower, a monastic monument dating from around 1100 AD, will be open on both days from 2pm until 5pm with tower tours throughout the day with archaeologist Adrian Cox.
The historic library and chapel at Innerpeffray is again sure to be a hit with visitors.
As the country’s oldest public lending library from 1680, it will be open both days this weekend, from 10am until 5pm on Saturday, and 2pm until 5pm on Sunday.
Library tours will be offered at 15 minutes past every hour, and there will be quill pen workshops on Saturday at 11.30am and 3.30pm for £5.
Strathallan School will be open on Saturday from 9.30am until 5pm as part of this year’s school theme with campus tours at 2.30pm and 3.45pm.
The school also hosts its open morning for senior school candidates from 9.30am until 1pm.
And finally the POW camp Cultybraggan near Comrie will be open, showcasing 80 original Nissen huts.
At its height, the camp housed 4000 German POWs before it became an MOD training camp.
Visitors can see some of the buildings that are not normally open, including the jailblock where the camp’s cartoon collection is held, and Hut 41 which has been recreated as a prisoners’accommodation block based on historic photographs.