Scottish Civic Trust was set up in 1967, to help people connect to their built heritage and take a leading role in guiding its development. In its infancy, it successfully campaigned for the restoration of Edinburgh’s New Town, was instrumental in the revitalisation of New Lanark and can also claim credit for bringing Doors Open Days to the United Kingdom.
Through supporting amenity groups, the Trust’s original objectives were:
- Well-informed public concern for the environment of town and country
- High quality in planning and in new architecture
- The conservation and, where necessary, adaptation for re-use of older buildings of distinction or historic interest
- Knowledgeable and therefore effective comment in planning matters
- The elimination of ugliness, whether resulting from social deprivation, bad design or neglect
The latest Doors Open Days report from the Scottish Civic Trust highlights the impressive scale and impact of Scotland’s largest free festival celebrating places and stories.
In 2024, a total of 976 venues took part across all 32 local authority areas, attracting an estimated 179,147 visits. Notably, 30.4% of attendees were first-time visitors, with visitor spend estimated at £2.3 million. The programme was made possible by the dedication of 5,465 volunteers, who contributed over 25,000 hours of their time, and the festival website received 1.5 million visits during the period.
