Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden

 Nature is not a place to visit. It is home - Gary Snyder (Writer and Environmentalist)

Only a short walk from the city centre there is the Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden - a beautiful place to spend a few hours surrounded by greenery and flowers, with the magnificent Glasshouse which is home to some of the world's rarest species of plants.

Here you can explore over 70 acres of wonderful landscape and one of the finest plant collections from around the planet.

Founded in 1670 to grow medicinal plants, the garden is now one of the most renowned in the world.

Here are its highlights:

Inverleith House Pond:

The Botanics Shop:

The Stream:

The Chinese Hillside and Pavillion:

The Pond:

The Rock Garden:

The Alpine House and Courtyard:

Queen Mother's Memorial Garden:

The Shell and Pine Grotto:

The Demostration Garden: