Our much-loved Doors Open Day event is set to return on Saturday 27 September at our Marine Depot from 11:00 – 15:00, and promises another jam-packed programme of family-friendly activities.
Things to see and do
We’re delighted to once again be working with a wide range of partners from across Edinburgh and the Lothians, and would like to take this opportunity to thank them in advance for joining us at our Doors Open Day event. See below for details of what visitors can expect to see and do on the day.
- Vintage bus display courtesy of the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum
- Edinburgh Zoo
- Police Scotland
- Bus Users Scotland
- Stina Sparkles (face painting and glitter tattoos)
- ZF (provider of products and systems for vehicles)
- Lothian’s Training School Team with driver training buses
- Armed Forces
- Hot food and refreshments from Lothian Catering
- Young Scot
Important information
Admittance to our Doors Open Day is free! It’s important to us that our event is as accessible as possible which is why there’s no cost to enter and many of the activities on-site are also free.
While we don’t charge visitors an entry fee, we strongly encourage donations on the day to our Charity of Choice, Age Scotland, who do incredible work across the country to support Scotland’s older people.
Volunteers from Age Scotland will be in attendance with donation buckets and card machines to take contributions – please give what you can!
This event does not have car parking and drop-offs at the depot are strictly prohibited. The depot is a working garage and there will be some bus movement during the event, so it is vital that access is maintained at all times.
We strongly encourage visitors to use public transport to reach the event, with connections available via Services 12, 15 and 45 – all of which terminate within the depot grounds. Alternative services go to nearby King’s Road.
The event has ramped access and is set on one level with some displays and activities located outside and others inside the depot under cover.
Accessible toilet facilities will be available on-site.
As detailed in the section above, there are no parking facilities at our event and this includes disabled parking. For those with disabilities who are travelling by car, your nearest disabled parking facilities will be located in Portobello High Street.
Due to the nature of the event it is not possible for us to provided a ‘quiet’ or ‘sensory’ hour. Experience from past events has shown that the first couple of hours of the event are usually the busiest and most crowded. Visitors who might need a bit of space to decompress are welcome to leave the venue and return when able.
Entrance is via a queuing system which will run along Seafield Road East. This is a very busy road, so we ask that visitors remain on the pavement at all times and follow any instructions given by event staff/security.
Please note that we cannot provide ‘fast-track’ entry to visitors. There is usually a large queue for the event opening at 11:00, so if you or someone you support finds queuing difficult you may wish to come later in the day.
Buggy parking facilities will be provided.
Baby-changing facilities will be provided.
Please be aware that this event takes place in a working garage, so children must be accompanied at all times by a responsible adult. Their safety is your responsibility.
Please be aware that there will be bag checks at the entrance of our event carried out by our security partners. Please bear this in mind before attending, and be prepared to open your bag to security personnel for the purposes of a quick inspection.
During the event, if you have any safety concerns please bring them to the attention to a member of the security team or to an event volunteer.
This is for the safety and protection of all staff and visitors to our event and we thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Yes! Dogs are welcome to attend but must be kept on a lead and under control at all times.
Tours of Seafield Coachworks
Following on from the success of last year, we are delighted to announce that we will provide tours of our Seafield Coachworks with a limited number of places available. Please note that places will be given on a first-come, first served basis and that priority will be given to people who did not take a tour in 2024.
A minimum £5 donation per person to our dedicated charity, Age Scotland, will be required in lieu of an entry fee and this will be taken prior to the start of each tour. Cash donations and card payments will be gratefully accepted.