Grab a golden ticket to rich historical past

Across the weekend of November 26 and 27, visitors will have the chance to explore centuries of history as part of St Andrews Day celebrations.

To mark the celebrations, social media users are being encouraged to take to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share how they plan to mark St Andrew’s Day this year using the dedicated hashtag #ourstandrewsday.

The Blackhouse, Arnol, is amongst 32 attractions taking part in the promotion throughout Scotland. This traditional, fully furnished thatched house once sheltered a family and its animals under the same roof. Today it looks just as it was left in 1966, with the peat fire never allowed to go out.

Stephen Duncan, director of commercial and tourism for Historic Environment Scotland, said: “As Scotland’s largest operator of paid for tourist attractions, we’ve got a lot to offer the public. 32 historic sites will be opening their doors this Ticket Giveaway weekend, giving visitors the unique chance to get a taste of what’s available in their area for free.

“Our hope is that this will encourage communities to explore and discover more about some of their local sites, helping foster interest in and passion for Scotland’s iconic castles, abbeys and palaces.

“It’s important for us that we’re reaching out to new audiences, and finding new ways to engage them. If you’ve never visited your local historic site, now is the time!

“As well as being filled with historic stories and interpretation, many of our sites offer first class catering, and uniquely tailored shopping experiences too – so there’s something for the foodies and the shoppers as well as for history buffs.

Stephen added: “Ticket Giveaway weekend is always very popular, so we would encourage people to register online through our dedicated website as early as possible.”

Visitors have until 5pm on Friday, November 25 to register and can apply for a maximum of two adult and three family tickets to each historic property of their choosing.

Tickets can be applied for by visiting www.ticketgiveaway.co.uk.