A Lovely Day at the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh

Finally after days of rain, the gods must have heard our prayers and we were basking under the heat of the sun at 19 degrees here in Edinburgh. So, we decided to visit one of the must - see sights here in Scotland, the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, which is located at Inverleith Row. The garden is open daily from 10 am till 6 pm (February to October)  10 am till 4 pm (November to January). They are only close on Christmas and New Year's Day.

 The Garden was first established near Holyrood Palace in 1670 until it moved to its current location at Inverleith in 1820. Just a mile from the centre of the city and extending to some 70 acres (26 ha.), the garden is recognised not only as Scotland's premier garden but also as one of the world's greatest Botanic Gardens.

During our visit, we were able to go at the John Hope Gateway. This is named after Professor John Hope, a leading botanist and teacher who was responsible for unifying the gardens. The gateway offers visitors an unrivalled facility where they can discover the world of plants, scientific works and a unique window on biodiversity here in Scotland. We saw an exhibition of recycled products done by the likes of Bettina Schori, Lone Villaume and Lisbeth Nordskov with very creative products that ranges from £ 220 to £ 945.

We also went to the Chinese Hillside - a part of the garden highlights with an outstanding collection of Chinese plants. It has winding paths, a mini waterfall which tumbles into a pond at the bottom.

We also went to the Woodland Garden which actually provides cover for those plants that do not like a bright open aspect, and its beds are full of humus - rich soil.

Then we came across the Rock Garden and Stream created by James McNab designed for true alpines before we left the garden.

 We found out that the garden is home to nearly 15,000 species of plants. There is no way that you can look at these species in one day. But no worries, admission to the botanic garden is FREE! Charges only apply if you want to go inside the Glasshouses ( Adult £ 4.00, Concession £ 3.00, Child £ 1.00, Family £ 8.00, Members Free). They also have guided tours that departs daily from 11 am and 2 pm. We definitely plan to visit the other garden highlights at another time. There is just so much to see and explore yet so little time!

For more information about the garden, you can visit the following link: http://www.rbge.org.uk/home