Free Doors Open Days unlock rare Scottish Borders sites

Doors Open Days returns to the Scottish Borders on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 2026, opening buildings at various locations across the region to the general public. Every participating venue is free to visit, although advance booking may be required for certain tours and locations.

The programme, announced by Scottish Borders Council, is particularly relevant to visitors interested in architecture, art, conservation and the changing use of local buildings. This year’s central theme is the architectural legacy of Peter Womersley, whose modernist work presents a different side of a region often associated with much older buildings.

Three stops introduce Peter Womersley’s work

High Sunderland, the woodland home Womersley designed for textile artists Bernat and Margaret Klein, is one of the principal venues. The nearby Bernat Klein Studio extends the connection between architecture, art and landscape, making the two buildings a useful pairing within the programme.

The cantilevered stand at Gala Fairydean Rovers’ Netherdale ground is another highlight. Seen together, the three sites demonstrate Womersley’s use of bold structures, framed views and expressive materials. They also provide an accessible route into the Scottish Borders’ postwar architectural history rather than treating the region’s heritage as exclusively ancient or traditional.

Councillor Simon Mountford, the council’s Executive Member for Planning and Community Assets, said the festival offers rare opportunities to enter buildings that people may pass regularly without seeing inside. He described Womersley’s Borders work as experimental, international and modern.

New venues broaden the 2026 programme

The festival also includes recent Scottish Borders Design Awards projects, giving visitors examples of new construction, conservation, regeneration and the creative reuse of existing buildings.

New additions named by the council include Port House in Jedburgh, Gunsgreen House in Eyemouth and the Monteith Mausoleum near Lilliardsedge. These venues join a wider selection of familiar and lesser-known properties, allowing visitors to look beyond one architectural period and compare different approaches to building, preservation and reuse across the region.

Check each venue before setting out

Doors Open Days is spread across multiple locations rather than held at one central venue. The council announcement does not provide a single opening time or confirmed transport and accessibility details, so visitors should use the full 2026 programme to choose their stops and check the arrangements for each property.

Admission is free at all participating Scottish Borders venues. Before travelling, check whether the building or tour you want to visit requires advance booking through the programme published by Scottish Borders Council News.

Source: Scottish Borders Council News