Seventeen Scottish courthouses will be taking part in the annual ‘Doors Open Day’ events being held next month - including the Court of Session in Edinburgh which is to feature a striking exhibition commemorating a five-year, £58 million redevelopment project.
The exhibition in Parliament Hall, which opened as a fringe event in August, has attracted thousands of viewers keen to learn more about the historic building, home of Scotland's original Parliament. Visitors will get a glimpse into famous court cases as well as the history of the building - which once housed hardware and hat shops and was twice struck by devastating fires. Life-size panels also identify many of the unusual statues, paintings (several by Henry Raeburn) and the spectacular stained glass windows in the Hall. The exhibition celebrates a five year, redevelopment project which was completed last year on time and under budget.
Other courts across Scotland will also host events including building tours, mock trials, dog handling, video link displays and family competitions. Many of our justice partners will be participating including Police Scotland and G4S.
The sheriff courts taking part are: Alloa, Ayr, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Elgin, Forfar, Glasgow, Greenock, Hamilton, Inverness, Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy, Lerwick, Paisley and Stirling. The supreme courts in Glasgow and Edinburgh will also open their doors.
The Judicial Office for Scotland will also be taking part with a behind the scenes tour of the Judicial Institute Learning Suite.
The Scotland-wide event, organised by the Scottish Civic Trust, enables people to visit hundreds of buildings normally closed to the public.