Exploring the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

This week’s #SecretGarden takes us back to Scotland, to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RGBE), a globally important site for conservation and learning.

Above: Inverleith House Gallery

The garden's history

As you may have read in our previous blog post, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh originated as the Physic Garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the UK’s second oldest botanic garden.

As the garden grew in size it was moved to a site next to Trinity Hospital, which is where Edinburgh’s Waverley Station now stands. Following the siege of Edinburgh Castle in 1689 a dam was broken and subsequently the garden was flooded, and almost completely obliterated!

Above: the large Victorian glasshouses

The Tropical Palm House was opened in 1834. At 47 feet tall, it was the tallest glasshouse in Europe until Joseph Paxton (architect of London’s Crystal Palace)’s conservatory was built at Chatsworth House.

Despite the size of this monumental structure, it was eventually considered too small! After 20 years, its palms had begun to grow leaves through the roof. A new Temperate Palm House was built to house the tallest palms. Now almost 200 years old, the Palm Houses and Victorian glasshouses are currently undergoing a huge restoration project to protect them for future generations.

Above: the Alpine house and courtyard 

Arthur Conan Doyle studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and botany at the gardens, when it was a compulsory subject for all medical students. His knowledge of botany and plants is often referenced in his Sherlock Holmes novels.

Above: plants in the courtyard garden

RGBE conserves 154 of the 181 rare plants in Scotland, as well as many others that are already extinct in nature. 

Above: Shells adorning the walls of the Pavilion inside the Queen Mother's garden

One of the most interesting structures is a shell house in the garden. Constructed as a Pavilion to reflect the life of the Queen Mother and her travels. The shells and pebbles that decorate its insides were collected by school children from around Scotland, and the pinecones adoring the ceiling were gathered from around the gardens and RGBE’s three other regional gardens.

 Above: Scottish flag made from pinecones on the ceiling of the Pavilion

Take a walk around the garden and see what you discover.

How to get there

Arboretum Pl
Edinburgh
Scotland EH3 5NZ

Travel: the garden is a 30 minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley Station, or you can catch the 8, 23 or 27 bus from Princes Street in the city centre to the garden's entrance. The journey is about 20 minutes.

Entry: Free

Opening times: Open daily from 10.00am to varied closing times throughout the year.

Visit the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh website for more information and up to date opening times.