Mausoleum opening its doors for big event
Hamilton Mausoleum is taking part in this year’s Doors Open Days — Scotland’s largest free festival celebrating heritage and the built environment.
The event offers free access to more than 1000 venues across the country throughout September every year.
And the mausoleum will take part on September 30, with its doors open to visitors from 10am until 4pm.
Hamilton’s most striking landmark was built by Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, as his final resting place.
The building is impressive on the outside as well as inside, with its massive dome, magnificent bronze doors, marble floors, and eerily atmospheric crypt — to say nothing of the record-breaking echo.
Outwith the Doors Open Days event, tours of the mausoleum are available on the first Sunday of each month at noon and 2pm. They must be booked at least two days in advance. Tickets cost £3.50 and £2 for concessions, and are available from Low Parks Museum reception. Contact Low Parks Museum at lowparksmuseum@ southlanarkshireleisure.co.uk or call 01698 452382 for more information.
Other venues taking part in the Doors Open Day festival in the county include Pettinain Church in Lanark.
The present church of Pettinain is the successor of earlier places of Christian worship upon or very close to this site. Little is known of the church’s origins, but it was a chaplainry attached to St Kentigern Church, Lanark, in 1150, when both churches were granted by David I to the abbot and canons of Dryburgh Abbey.
In the mid-fifteenth century Pettinain appears to have been separated from its mother church, but it remained one of the possessions of the Dryburgh monks until after the Reformation in 1560.
Today, the church is cared for by the Friends of Pettinain and used for occasional worship and as a venue for community events.
Episodes of the TV series, Taggart, shown in 1992 and 2008 were filmed at the church.
The building will take part in Doors Open Days on September 30, from 1 to 4pm.
For more on the festival, visit www. doorsopendays.org.uk.