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It was only a chance encounter on a trip to the Netherlands.

But thanks to John Gerrard's trip to Groningen, Scotland's own Doors Open Days event was born.

Back then John was technical director of the Scottish Civic Trust.

And impressed that normally private parts of the medieval Dutch town were "resounding to brass band music and a general sense of enjoyment", he decided to try and introduce the notion back home.

That was just before 1990, when Glasgow took up the title of European City of Culture, and about 30 buildings in the city took up the challenge.

Over the last 20 years, that's grown across the country, and across the calendar month.

Not accessible

More than 900 buildings are involved this year, from a lighthouse in Shetland to a network of Victorian sugar warehouses in Greenock.

The motivation remains the same, to encourage people to take an interest in the architectural heritage on their own doorsteps.

Often, as in the case of the Greenock sugar warehouses, the buildings are right in the middle of communities but not always accessible.

George Hunter of Riverside Inverclyde, which is the midst of a £3.7m development of the site, says one of the first things his agency did when they took over the site, was take down part of the brick wall which blocked the view of the building from the A8.

"People locally see it as something of an icon," he says.

"They joke about it being their Eiffel Tower, but it has that same sort of effect on the pysche of this community.

"It has such a presence on the Greenock skyline and almost everyone has a connection with the place, whether they worked here, or knew someone who worked here."

Sadly, not everyone feels so strongly.

Heavily monitored

Four years ago, the A-listed building was badly damaged when vandals set it on fire.

The site is now heavily monitored with alarms and CCTV cameras.

And like many of the buildings featured, it has the double-edged honour of being both an architectural gem and a Building At Risk.

For as well as playing to that universal urge to have a look round a building not normally open to the public, it also raises the question of how best to maintain and develop such buildings in the current economic climate.

And there are certainly no shortage of visitors.

When the Clyde Port Authority opened its opulent head office in the very first year, a director warned the caretaker he might expect a few people to call in, and he might want to make them a cup of tea.

By the end of the day, 2,000 people had visited and he'd given up trying to share the custard creams.

Grabs the imagination

Last year, more than 250,000 people visited - thanks in no small part to more than 5,000 volunteers who made the tea and gave the tours.

And no matter how many buildings you've visited, there's always one which grabs the imagination - the private telephone museum in Darvel? A 1940s bunker in Inverness? A Masonic Temple in Aberdeen?

On a similar note, although not officially attached to Doors Open Day, the Colony of Artists who live and work in the Colonies in the Abbeyhill area of Edinburgh, are throwing their doors open to the public this weekend too.

The event has been running for the past seven years with artists who live in the area opening their homes to the public.

In keeping with the Doors Open theme, the buildings themselves are architecturally significant and it's a good chance to learn something about their history.

This year, there are 20 artists exhibiting work and workshops, as well as exhibition spaces.

Artist Debbie Phillips tells me the event is fuelled by community spirit rather than public funding, and they make everything from the bunting to the home baking themselves.

The event takes place from 1pm on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September and you can get more information from their website www.colony-of-artists.com/

For more information about Doors Open Day, go to www.doorsopendays.org.uk