MORE buildings than ever before will be throwing open their doors to the public next month.

Glasgow's Doors Open Day, which is now in its 18th year, was set up to give visitors and local people a chance to find out more about city buildings.

This year 22 buildings have been added to the list, bringing the total to 124.

The most popular last year was the new STV building on the banks of the Clyde and this year it will be joined by the new BBC headquarters next door.

Nature lovers will be able to go behind the scenes at the filmy fern house in the Botanic Gardens and Castlemilk community fire and rescue station will be showing off old and new fire appliances.

There will also be an exhibition and guided walk to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the outlawing of the British slave trade.

One of the other highlights will be a tour of the 1750s Castlemilk stables block which has just opened after a £3.6million restoration. Children from the nursery now based there helped celebrate the restored building becoming part of Doors Open Day.

The stables formed part of a former home of Bonnie Prince Charlie's family and a number of historic figures are expected to drop in to say hello during the Doors Open weekend.

Last year a record 50,000 people visited the buildings which took part in the event and organisers are hoping to top that number this year.

Glasgow Building Preservation Trust director Anne McChlery said: "Doors Open Day has developed a momentum of its own and people now like to be part of it. We get inundated with people who want to open their buildings to the public."

Preservation Trust development director Neil Baxter said: "Doors Open Day is aimed at the people of Glasgow and it is free.

"Many Mackintosh buildings are open, including the newly-repaired Queen's Cross church, Glasgow School of Art and Mackintosh's own home recreated in the Huntarian Art Gallery at Glasgow University."

nDoors Open Day is on September 15 and 16 and copies of the full programme will be included in the Evening Times on August 23.