Outer Hebrides Doors Open Days Festival

05/11/2025

Congratulations to all those shortlisted for an award!🥳
So much hard work, passion and dedication goes in to promoting all that our islands have to offer, whether it be a cultural experience, a quiet retreat, a tasty tipple or a delicious delicacy. Well done to everyone for another fantastic year of sharing the history, heritage, culture and landscape of the Outer Hebrides.

🌟 It’s time to vote! 🌟

The Hebridean Digital Trailblazer Award is now LIVE and we need your help to choose the winner! 💻✨

Our shortlisted businesses have been helping to share the magic of the Outer Hebrides. Now it’s your turn to celebrate them!

🗳 Cast your vote today and show your support for the people who make our islands shine both on and offline. Voting closes Monday 17 November at 5pm – don’t miss your chance to have your say!

👉 https://bit.ly/47IbGPV

Let’s recognise the digital stars of our tourism community!

24/10/2025

Nominate your favourite business for an Our Tourism Community Award!

Visitors and Businesses can place a nomination to celebrate the very best our islands have to offer. Perhaps you recieved exceptional service, or were given a truely unique cultural experience. Maybe you want to recognise the hardwork and dedication of your team.

Head over to the website now to place your nomination
www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/industry

21/10/2025

🌿 Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2025: Routes to Resilience 🌿

📅 Wednesday 19th November 2025
🕙 10:00am – 4:15pm
📍 Hybrid event – join us online via MS Teams or in person at the Engine Shed, Stirling

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations returns for another inspiring day of discussion, collaboration and celebration!

Routes to Resilience will bring together community groups and heritage professionals to:

➡️ Share challenges and successes
➡️ Explore resilient futures for heritage
➡️ Take part in talks, panels and workshops on community-led approaches to sustainability
➡️ Connect, learn and take away practical actions

There’ll also be opportunities to join in with our ever-popular One Minute Mayhem or showcase your work with a digital poster.

🎟️ Reserve your place now on Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/3VFY3Lw

We look forward to seeing you there!

06/10/2025

03/10/2025

🚪🗝️ What a weekend – and what a festival! 🎉

What an incredible journey it has been unlocking Scotland’s hidden treasures and bringing communities closer together. We’ve loved every moment of celebrating our rich history and vibrant heritage with all of you.

🌟 A heartfelt thank you to:

• Our dedicated regional coordinators
• Passionate venue organisers
• Amazing volunteers
• And most importantly you – the visitors whose enthusiasm and curiosity brought the festival to life.

💡 We hope you enjoyed exploring local wonders and discovering hidden gems, while making cherished memories with friends and family. Whether you found inspiration, a new perspective, or a deeper bond with your community, you are what makes Doors Open Days so special.

🎁 We’d love to hear about your experience. Complete our quick survey for a chance to win a £50 voucher: http://bit.ly/4nivDD6

❤️ Thank you for making Doors Open Days 2025 unforgettable. We’re already looking forward to welcoming you back for 2026!

30/09/2025

𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 and 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 to everyone who took part in this year's Doors Open Days festival! We hope you all enjoyed taking part as much as we did and we look forward to exploring more of Scotland with you next September!

Tell us your thoughts about this years festival and you could be in with a chance of winning a £50 Scotland Loves Local gift card! Link accessible via website:

https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/

Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates places and stories, new and old.

25/09/2025

The Pairc Historical Society and the Kinloch Historical Society each had very successful events for the Outer Hebrides Doors Open Days festival. Visitors to their museums were blown away by the wealth of knowledge and history in these small rural communities.

The final weekend is upon us, so make sure to check out the website and see who is going to be opening their doors!

https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/

23/09/2025

Some pictures from the guided walk with Archaeologist, Ian McHardy, at the Calanais Stones. This walk was organised by the Islands Book Trust as part of the Outer Hebrides Doors Open Days festival. It was a successful day, with visitors saying the event was educational, great, and enthusiastic!

Weekend four is nearly upon us, so make sure to check out the website to find out what venues are opening their doors!
https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/find-a-building

18/09/2025

Some photos from the Stornoway Historical Society and St. Columbas Ui Church, who took part in the Outer Hebrides Doors Open Days festival 📸

We want to congratulate them on a job well done and thank them for taking part and sharing their expertise & passion for heritage with thier visitors & communities 😊

Weekend Three of the Doors Open Days festival kicks off today. These are the regions taking part:
Aberdeenshire🧡Argyll and Bute💙Caithness and Sutherland💛East Renfrewshire💚Falkirk💜Glasgow (18th-21st)🧡Inverness💙Black Isle💛Ross and Cromarty💚West Fife💜WestLothian

For more information on venues and events, check out the website: https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/find-a-building

12/09/2025

What an amazing turnout at the Benbecula Distillery for
Congratulations to Angus and all the team for hosting such an interesting and immersive event that truly captured the spirit and theme of this years festival.

The Outer Hebrides weekend of the festival might be over, but remember, every weekend in September there will be more venues across Scotland opening their Doors

https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/

06/09/2025

H𝐚p𝐩y O𝐮t𝐞r H𝐞b𝐫i𝐝e𝐬 𝐃o𝐨r𝐬 𝐎p𝐞n D𝐚y𝐬 𝐅e𝐬t𝐢v𝐚l!

What will you discover this weekend?
Today Saturday 06 September:

𝗔𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗿, 𝟭𝗽𝗺-𝟮𝗽𝗺
Celebrate 40 years of An Lanntair with a behind the scenes guided tour of this vibrant arts centre. Max 8 people. Booking essential.

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸: 𝟭𝟭𝗮𝗺-𝟮𝗽𝗺, 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸: 𝟮𝗽𝗺-𝟰𝗽𝗺
Ian McHardy, professional archaeologist and author of ‘Contemplating Calanais’, will be giving a talk at the Breascete Community Centre about recent research on the Callanish Stones. This will be followed by a visit to the Stones. Talk starts at 11am and there is a charge. Walk to stones starts at 2pm and is FREE to attend.

𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆, 𝟭𝟬𝗮𝗺-𝟰𝗽𝗺
FREE museum entry at the community hub in Balallan. Exhibitions include: Arnish Moor Man, Social Hostory, Military History, Clan Mackenzie, and much more. The society will also be launching their brand new Transport Exhibition.

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗰 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆, 𝟭𝟬.𝟯𝟬𝗮𝗺-𝟰𝗽𝗺
FREE entry to the museum located at the Ravenspoint Community Centre. Volunteers will also be on had to answer your questions. Exhibitions include: Emigration, Crofting, Fishing, Whaling, and the Charioteers replica.

𝗦𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮’𝘀 𝗨𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 / 𝗘𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮 𝗵-𝗔𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗵, 𝟭𝟬𝗮𝗺-𝟰𝗽𝗺
A beautiful medieval church located at the eastern end of the Braighe. Volunteers will be on hand throughout the day to answer your questions and share the history of this facinating site.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆, 𝟭𝟬𝗮𝗺-𝟰𝗽𝗺
Explore the architectural history of Stornoway Town at the latest exhibition from the Stornoway Historical Society. Learn about the stunning ironwork railings and the creative cementwork and craftsmanship that marked the growth and development of Stornoway in the late 19th/early 20th century.