Over 750 people enjoyed the day, with hall staff, students and University gardeners laying on face painting, refreshments, plant sales, children’s treasure hunts and quizzes, 18th-century seed plantings, juggling and other sideline attractions, in addition to the pleasures of wandering around the grounds. Much interest was shown in the historic monuments and follies that draw people to Goldney – the grotto, canal, tower, bastion and rotunda.

‘It was a lovely afternoon’, said hall warden Professor Gregor McLennan, paying tribute to hall staff colleagues and to the many student residents who helped out by baking scones, serving teas and briefing groups of visitors. ‘An awful lot of hard work goes into this kind of event,’ he said, ‘but the atmosphere remains relaxed and convivial, even if the open day sets many current students into a panic by reminding them that by the summer term there is not much time left for them to soak up the unique Goldney ambience and community!’

Professor McLennan noted too that it is important for the University as a whole that the public gain occasional access to premier settings such as Goldney, even though its privacy has to be guarded for most of the time for residential, educational and security reasons.

With the maintenance and restoration of the grounds and monuments being an ongoing and major concern, profits from open day activities go towards minor repairs.