Open Doors

The last weekend in September was Open Doors Day in Edinburgh. During this weekend, various places in and around the city open their doors to guests. Typically, these are places that are typically closed to the public or that usually charge for admission but allow you in for free. With all the various things we've been up to lately, I didn't get a good chance to look through the program and pick out anything really great. But, there were a few places that caught my eye during my brief perusal and I was able to visit a couple of nice spots with my friend, Rebecca.

First on our list of stops, were Drummond Gardens, a private locked garden in the New Town. It, like all the secret gardens in the city, are kept locked and you must purchase a membership to visit the garden. Since it was open and a glorious day outside, we decided to stop by and take a short stroll (it is a small garden).



After that, we cycled on over to Stewart's Melville College, a private boys' school, just around the corner from our flat.

A view from the steps of Stewart's Melville
(which happens to look right onto another private school, Fettes College)

On Sunday, Joe and I headed over to the vaults under South Bridge; underneath this bridge are 19 vaults, each separated into three stories of smaller rooms. There is a long, sad, history to these vaults which were originally intended to be used for workshops. Poor water sealing meant that the space wasn't good for much and workers moved out, making way for the homeless and the criminal (as well as animals and vermin) to move in. This dark, damp placed housed thousands, most of whom died from disease contracted (once living in the vaults, the average life expectancy was eight months). Apparently, the police would not enter and so criminals used it as a refuge to escape arrest. The vaults were eventually filled in and have only recently been excavated by a local businessman, who has now transformed some of the vaults into a posh venue for weddings and other events. (You can check out Rebecca's blog for some more pictures of the vaults, as it was so dark, we didn't get very good ones.)



I think Open Doors Day is a great idea and I'm looking forward to seeing what's on for next year!