Doors will open for free across East Dunbartonshire next month

The event, which takes place on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, allows free access to lots of venues which are not usually open to the public.

Seven venues in the Milngavie and Bearsden area have signed up for this year’s programme – New Kilpatrick Parish Church in Bearsden and Clober Farm, Gavin’s Mill, Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie Library, Milngavie Waterworks and St Paul's Parish Church in Milngavie.

Each has their own interesting story to tell...

New Kilpatrick Parish Church will be open from 10am to 12.30pm and 1.45pm to 3.45pm on September 7 with guided tours of the church and graveyard at 10.30am and 2pm. A hidden gem with a rich history dating back to the 13th century, the stunning church was built in 1808 on the grounds of an earlier 1649 structure.

At Clober Farm, visitors will be able to view a historical and fully accessible holiday apartment which has been meticulously designed to cater to the needs of wheelchair users. It will be open from 10am to 5pm on the Saturday and Sunday.

Gavin’s Mill is one of the oldest buildings in Milngavie, dating from at least the 16th century. Powered by the Allander Water, it operated as a grain mill and latterly a sawmill until about 1960 when a fire gutted the interior. It was bought and reconstructed by architect Bert Morris and functioned as an office and restaurant until 2014. In 2017 the Gavin’s Mill community project took it over and opened as a fair-trade shop and café. It will be open from 10am to 4pm on September 7.

Or why not enjoy a guided tour of the gallery store at the Lillie Art Gallery, a purpose-built gallery opened in 1962. It owes its existence to local banker and artist Robert Lillie (1867-1949), who left a substantial number of his own artworks as well as funds to build the gallery. Around 450 works are contained in the collection, which includes paintings, prints, drawings and a small collection of sculpture and ceramics.

The tour is at 2.30pm on September 7 and will last approximately 30 minutes. Booking is essential on 0141 956 5536. The Gallery will also be open from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm that day.

Thanks to Milngavie Heritage Centre Group, Milngavie Library will be hosting the exhibition, The Loch Katrine Scheme – a feat of Victorian Engineering. It will give people a chance to explore the fascinating history of Loch Katrine and its transformation into the primary water reservoir for much of Glasgow and its surrounding areas. It will be open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, September 7 and will run until Saturday, November 9.

The same group, headed up by a local historian, will lead a walk on the Sunday afternoon exploring the waterworks in Milngavie, which is the primary source of water for the city. Booking is free but essential on 0141 956 3541.

And last, but by no means least, visitors are being invited to step into a world of craftsmanship and history at St Paul’s Parish Church. Built in 1906, it has been hailed as “the finest ecclesiastical building in Dunbartonshire”. The church will be open from 10am to 4pm on the Saturday and noon to 4pm on the Sunday.

Councillor Jim Gibbons, Chair of EDLC Trust, said: “If you have ever walked past one of these buildings and wondered what it was like inside, I’d encourage you to go along to one of the many events taking place in our towns and villages. As well as being about wonderful architecture and design, our buildings reflect our communities and the stories of the people who have shaped them.”

For the full programme, visit www.edlc.co.uk/whats-on/doors-open-days-2024.