How to Visit The Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh

Last Updated on 22nd August 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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With over 350 years of history, Edinburgh’s botanic gardens are home to a remarkable three million preserved specimens, gathered from around the world. A verdant green expanse of luscious foliage, tropical plants and rare species of trees. With the majority of the gardens free to visit, it’s the perfect spot to spend an afternoon while exploring Scotland’s capital city. Here’s your ultimate guide on how to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, the crown jewel of the city!

A brief history

The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh date back to 1670 (making them the second oldest botanic gardens in the UK) when two local doctors Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour decided to set up a physic garden in hopes of exploring the links between plants and medicine for the benefit of society.

Initially founded at a site near Holyrood Palace, the gardens were moved a couple more times before eventually settling in 1820 at the site where they remain today.

Edinburgh’s botanic gardens are one of the most important and diverse vast collections of biodiversity. Over 273,000 individual living species are grown in the gardens, representing around 13,000 species from all over the world. While the herbarium contains an excess of 3 million preserved specimens.

Do you have to pay for Edinburgh Botanic Gardens?

Edinburgh Botanic Gardens is completely free to wander around! Though there is a small fee to enter the glasshouses and it sometimes costs to visit the rotating art exhibitions on display in Inverleith House.

Things to see

The John Hope Gateway Visitor Centre

Found on the western side of the garden entrance is the main visitor centre and café area. Named after John Hope, who was a Scottish physician and botanist. Here, you can get a map of the gardens, enjoy a refreshment or bite to eat and purchase a souvenir from the gift shop, which sells a wide range of botanical-themed gifts.

Gardens

The main outdoor expanse comprises several gardens, including the Rock Garden, the Edible Garden, the Chinese Hillside and the Azalea Lawn, the Pond and Arboretum, the Rhododendron Collection and the Scottish Native Plants Collection.

All of which are open to the public and free to wander around! Strolling around the garden paths, which are well-signposted for the various gardens, you’ll find an abundance of plant species in all shades of green, local wildlife and streams of flowing water.

Tropical Palm house

As the name of this glasshouse suggests, it’s filled to the brim with palm trees, which are arguably one of the most useful species of tree- providing shelter, food, medicine and oils for human use for centuries.

Sadly, in 2021 the oldest plant in the botanic gardens had to be removed because of its decline and geriatric age. The palm tree known as the Sabal Palm had been transported from Bermuda, to Germany to the Port of Leith (almost 4,000 miles!) before it became part of the gardens for over 200 years.

The Cactus Arid glasshouse

As soon as you walk into this area of the glasshouse you’ll be greeted by dry hot air, transporting visitors to desert regions of the world, exploring the complex ecosystems of desert life. From Agave, Aloe and all types of Cacti, this fascinating display shows a completely different climate to which the plants have adapted to.

Ferns & Fossils house

A personal favourite, this glasshouse is filled to the brim with ferns, mosses and all kinds of ancient plants that would have been around for over 350 million years, back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Walking through this glasshouse visitors can truly appreciate the diversity of ferns, from the small delicate ones unfurling at ground level to the tree ferns that stretch to the height of almost 20 meters. Amongst all the green sits the Pitys withami fossil, which is a fossilised root of an extinct species of tree.

Plants & People house

In this room, you can wander through the tropical rainforest vegetation, including banana plants, sugar and cocoa plants all surrounding a central pond which has hug floating leaves resting on the still water.

The giant waterlilies are a species of lily known as Victoria Amazonica, this special species can grow up to three meters wide (able to support the weight of a small child) and are native to the tropical climate of South America.

Inverleith House

Inverleith House is a historic building which was built in 1774, but only officially became part of the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1820 when they were relocated to this area. Later, the house served as a residence for the director of the gardens, and then in 1960 it housed the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (which eventually moved in 1984).

Today, the house sits within the heart of the gardens and visitors can see exhibitions displaying botanical and contemporary art.

Christmas at the Botanics

Edinburgh’s Botanic Garden is one of the most magical places to visit during the festive season! Each year the sights and sounds of Christmas come to life as a light show, where a colourful display of neon glow and projections illuminate the gardens.

Transformed into a winter wonderland, this enchanting after-dark experience is a fun way to spend an evening with family or friends. Although it has to be said the tickets are on the pricier side, it takes around 1 hour and there are usually stalls selling hot chocolate and small snacks to enjoy along the way.

How to visit

The Botanic Gardens are situated a 5-minute walk from Edinburgh’s neighbourhood, Stockbridge. There are two main entrances that you can enter the gardens through: the West Gate on Arboretum Place and the East Gate on Inverleith Row. Thanks to the presence of the greenhouses, this also makes for a great rainy day activity.

To get to the gardens from the city centre you can reach the East Gate via the following bus routes, numbers 8, 9, 23 and 27.

Opening hours: 10 AM – 6 PM every day of the week.

The gardens are accessible to all, with the option to borrow a mobility scooter or wheelchair at no extra cost (though there is limited availability).

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