Free tours of the Scottish Parliament – anytime

Wow…it’s now absolutely free to visit the Scottish Parliament building known as Holyrood.

Scottish Parliament garden lobby

This is the Parliament’s way to be more “open and transparent” to both Scottish citizens and visitors. The tour last about an hour and gets you behind the scenes to see where the business of running Scotland takes place.

Tours will operate regularly throughout each day, from 10am – 5pm on weekdays and 11am – 4.30pm on Saturdays. To book your free tour or find out exactly when the tours are scheduled call 0131 348 5200.

Beth’ Recommendation: I happen to be a big fan of this architectural delight. As a rather new Scottish citizen I find the building reflects a country that has many visible and hidden landscapes across a small geographical space. Maybe I like this new architecture because I’m originally from the New World but at the very least it deserves an hour of your time to take the free tour!

Open Doors Day Edinburgh – 26 & 27 September 2009

Doors Open Day is your chance to explore some of Edinburgh’s architecturally and culturally significant buildings – all for free. From heritage landmarks to the city’s newest architecture, Doors Open Day offers free access to properties that are either not usually open to the public or would normally charge anhttp://storytellingapartment.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php entry fee.

Here’s the full brochure.

Beth’s Recommendation: It’s impossible to make it to all the buildings in a day so I recommend prioritising a few that are in close proximity to each other (all near the Royal Mile) and then do your best to get around to all of these. Some places are only open on the Saturday OR Sunday so check ahead of time.