Doors Open Day Saturday 26 September 2026

Visitors will be able to enjoy a varied programme between 11.00-3:30pm, including several exhibitions, an archive drop-in session and a walk
About this Event

Exhibition on local heritage and buildings

Granton:hub will present an exhibition which gives a detailed overview on our local heritage. The posters offer a varied digest of what has happened in the Granton area since medieval times, with a focus on the industrial heritage throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th century. From quarrying to castles, in addition to manufacturing electric cars, printing oils, and early steel, Granton has been at the forefront of bringing innovation and wealth to Edinburgh. While most of its industries have now vanished, this exhibition will keep its heritage alive by describing through our information boards and additional materials what was once a hive of activity.

Visitors will be welcomed by local historians who will share their stories and insights on both the old and the new developments at the waterfront.

A selection of the Quiet Heroes photo exhibition will also be on display, shining a light on the everyday people who make a difference in our community, often without recognition. These striking portraits, accompanied by personal stories, celebrate these individuals and invite us all to reflect on the hidden contributions that keep a community strong.

The Granton Archive Project (GAP) (drop in, open between 11:00am-2:00pm, no booking required)

Did you know there used to be a circus school in North Edinburgh? Perhaps you have heard about local residents’ dynamic community activism in the 1970s and are interested in Edinburgh local history? It could be that you have just moved to the area and would like to know more about its history? Or perhaps you are a writer, doing a school project, or a student in history or community development who may find our History Hub archive useful.

We have photographs, films, newspapers and much more that will bring the past alive, and we’d like to invite you to come and explore, guided by our local volunteers.

The Cultural Heritage in the Metropolitan Peripheries (CUMET) exhibition deals with the diverse cultural heritage of the peripheries of three European metropolises: Paris, Madrid, and Edinburgh, and its potential to contribute positively to contemporary metropolisation.

On display at the Hub will be materials and presentations relating to a collaborative project between researchers and local people in Edinburgh, Paris, and Madrid.

Ed Hollis, Director, writes: "The centres of each of those cities are set apart as World Heritage sites: their historic architecture protected; their museums of international status; their stories relayed to millions of tourists. On their edges, however, heritage is ephemeral, disputed, vulnerable, and unvisited, in a perpetual process of making and unmaking."

This exhibition, records and celebrates that shifting heritage; sharing the contents of the granton:hub archive, creative work created by students from Craigroyston Academy and Edinburgh University.

The project will be launching HOPE, a new digital resource for people seeking to learn about how these urban peripheries mark and celebrate their cultural heritage and contemporary identity.

Walking Tour (1:45pm-3:00pm, separate booking required https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995951412404?aff=oddtdtcreator)

A community walk for all the family. We will walk, play, do an art activity, and learn about nature too. This event relates to our neighbour, United Wire, and one of our other historical and contemporary industries, fishing. You will learn some basic knotting practices, making something to take home with you.

The walk will start and end at the Granton Hub / Madelvic House. Places are limited. Booking link.