Cockburn Association - Edinburgh Civic Trust

26/09/2026

Come along to St. Michael's Parish Church this weekend to see a fantastic exhibition of artwork from Impact Arts! Their summer Cash Back programme, ages 14-19, visited eight Edinburgh Doors Open Days venues to get to see new parts of their community, creating fantastic lino cut prints and drawings of the buildings that have been developed into a colouring map for children.

The exhibition also features artwork from Impact Arts Craft Cafe, which runs weekly sessions for people 60+ to develop a social network, create, craft, and hone their artistic techniques!

St. Michael's Parish Church is an A Listed church dating to 1881-3. It is a stunning example of neo-gothic architecture that is under the threat of closure this year, making it a key example of this year's Doors Open Day theme: Heritage at Risk. Please come inside to visit the exhibition, as well as look in awe at the beautiful timber ceiling, historic organ, and a particularly fine example of an Arts and Crafts pulpit.

25/09/2026

Opening Edinburgh’s historic buildings, spaces and places to more people, in more ways

25/09/2026

Your weekly Edinburgh buildings, planning, streets and neighbourhoods news, w/e September 25

25/09/2026

This Doors Open Days (26-27 September), Edinburgh based primary school children are invited to take part in an art competition. Visit the following venues to collect a free box of colouring pencils and a colouring sheet designed by Impact Arts
Colour it in and enter our competition for the chance to win a fantastic family day out.

📍 Pick up your materials at:
Advocates Library
Benjamin Tindall Architects
Camera Obscura
Central Church
Cramond Heritage Trust
Edinburgh Central Library
Edinburgh Central Mosque
Edinburgh Central Quaker Meeting House
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital
Edinburgh NorthWest Kirk – Pennywell
Edinburgh Photographic Society
Edinburgh Printmakers
Filmhouse
Gladstone’s Land
Gorgie Road Church
Gracemount Mansion
Granton Hub
Greyfriars Kirk
Greyfriars Kirkyard (Friends of Greyfriars)
The Lost Close
Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage
National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge
NGS Conservation Studios
NGS Granton Art Centre
NGS Modern Two Prints and Drawings Study Room
NGS Modern Two Reading Room
The Old Assembly Hall, Simpson and Brown Architects
Palmerston Place Church
Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
The Scottish Genealogy Society
St Vincent’s Chapel
Starbank Park
UoE: St Cecilia’s Hall

25/09/2026

How open is an open door?

Edinburgh’s historic buildings were not designed with every visitor in mind. But thoughtful adaptation, clear information and imaginative alternatives can make our heritage much more accessible.

With Edinburgh & East Lothian Doors Open Days taking place this weekend, our latest blog looks at accessibility across this year’s programme, from ramps, lifts and hearing loops to BSL support, digital experiences and the importance of helping everyone plan their visit with confidence.

More than 120 venues are taking part on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, making this our most accessible Doors Open Days yet.

Read **Opening the Doors Wider: Access and Doors Open Days in Edinburgh**, then start planning your weekend.

https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/news/opening-the-doors-wider-access-and-doors-open-days-in-edinburgh/

Opening Edinburgh’s historic buildings, spaces and places to more people, in more ways

24/09/2026

We are Anna and Kara from The Cockburn Association here to share a bit more information behind the upcoming Doors Open Days festival. We would like to invite you to visit the exhibition on this weekend at St Michael’s Church in Slateford, where you can see beautiful artwork created by students from the Impact Arts Programme.

🎨In partnership with Impact Arts, we are inviting every primary school child in Edinburgh to attend a Doors Open Days venue where they can pick up a colourable map designed by Impact Arts, a box of pencils, and the chance to colour it in to win a prize (prizes discussed in detail in a previous video)!

As part of our digital offerings, we are partnering with Jill Harrison, Research Associate at the Open University, and lead of the Trinity Network, for an online exhibition on Trinity Apse, all that remains of a mid-15th century collegiate church.

Come visit one or more Doors Open Days venues this weekend!

23/09/2026

Meet Zakia from , a social enterprise that trains and works with people who have experienced homelessness to become tour guides. They deliver wonderful walking tours, showcasing their side of the city to both locals and tourists!

This weekend, Invisible Cities will be running
four walking tours based on themes that the guides are very passionate about:

Saturday 26th September:
➡️11am-1pm: Women of Edinburgh Tour
➡️3pm-5pm: Innovators and Inventors of Edinburgh

Sunday 27th September:
➡️11am-1pm: Crime and Punishment Tour
➡️3pm-5pm: Authors and Writers of Edinburgh

Book these free tours by going to doorsopendays.org.uk and searching for Invisible Cities!

23/09/2026

🎨 Calling all young artists! Anna and Kara have been dropping off free colouring sheets designed by Impact Arts and colouring pencils at Doors Open Days venues across Edinburgh, with more deliveries still to come.

Pick your pencils and colouring sheet up this Doors Open Days weekend (26–27 Sept) and enter our primary school children’s art competition for a chance to win prizes from Camera Obscura & World of Illusions , Filmhouse Edinburgh and National Galleries of Scotland

👀 Keep an eye out for a venue near you.

ADVOCATES LIBRARY
Saturday 26 September 10:00 - 15:30

EDINBURGH CENTRAL QUAKER MEETING HOUSE
Saturday 26 September 10:00 - 16:00

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND (GEORGE IV BRIDGE BUILDING)
Sunday 27 September 10:00 - 16:00

GREYFRIARS KIRK
Sunday 27 September 14:00 - 17:00

THE SCOTTISH GENEALOGY SOCIETY
Saturday 26 September 10:00 - 16:00

GLADSTONE’S LAND, NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
Sunday 27 September 10:00 - 17:00

BENJAMIN TINDALL ARCHITECTS @ 17 VICTORIA TERRACE
Saturday 26 September 10:30 - 16:30

CAMERA OBSCURA & WORLD OF ILLUSIONS
Tickets for their Doors Open Day event are now sold out. However local residents, those with an EH postcode, can still visit during September at a special discounted rate. Our Resident Rate gives EH postcode holders 20% off admission Sun-Fri, using code RESIDENTRATE20.

Colouring pencils to colour in your masterpiece!

Doors Open Days map designed by Impact Arts arts