Royal Botanic Garden

**What Is It?**
The Royal Botanical Gardens are situated in Edinburgh. This famous collection of incredible plants from the weird to the wonderful, from all over the world, are all for public view.

**Why Go?**
I went there on a school trip as i am studying standard grade biology (Scottish version of GSCE) so i guess the teachers thought this would be a very educational trip as we were doing about plants at that precise ...
...**History Behind It**
The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh was founded in 1671 by Dr Andrew Balfour and Dr Robert Sibbald. Both where leading Doctors and Botonists. This makes it the second oldest Gardens in the UK (Oxford being the oldest). It was built in St Annes Yard near Holyrood Palace. Since then it has been moved to it's currant location in 1820. The idea was to grow a garden for Doctors to use to find out different uses of plants ... more

**What Is It?**
The Royal Botanical Gardens are situated in Edinburgh. This famous collection of incredible plants from the weird to the wonderful, from all over the world, are all for public view.

**Why Go?**
I went there on a school trip as i am studying standard grade biology (Scottish version of GSCE) so i guess the teachers thought this would be a very educational trip as we were doing about plants at that precise moment. There are lots of reasons to go. The most obvious one if you like Plants or are studying Botany. It is very interesting if your interested in medicine or pharmacy as it has lots to do about that. Or even if you just like open fresh air (it has a lot of that) The kids would also find it very interesting as there are some incredible plants there.

**History Behind It**
The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh was founded in 1671 by Dr Andrew Balfour and Dr Robert Sibbald. Both where leading Doctors and Botonists. This makes it the second oldest Gardens in the UK (Oxford being the oldest). It was built in St Annes Yard near Holyrood Palace. Since then it has been moved to it's currant location in 1820. The idea was to grow a garden for Doctors to use to find out different uses of plants and for other medical reasons. It is also originally used to experimentally grow different species that weren't supposed to grow in in Scotland (e.g. Tropical plants) Over the last 100's of years it has always been used as this until 1929 when it became open to the public as the first regional gardens in Scotland.

**Where Is It?**
It's only one mile from the city centre which makes it great for transport links. Lying on Inverleith Row, it is next to a busy perimeter. It is a 32 hectare site so it is pretty big and has a big wall around it so don't worry. It has two entrances, one for walking pedestrians and one for buses etc. It is surrounded by big name restraunts like Pizza Hut as well.

**Price**
Entry to the grounds is completely free and you are able to explore the incredible trees and plants outside. If you are wanting however to go into the glasshouses (which i strongly recommend) it is £3.50 adults, £3 concessions, £1 child and £8 family. There is a 50p charge for use of 'Audiopass' sound guide. You can use this if your very interested in plants or what they do. Althrough the gardens including the greenhouses and outside there are signposts which you type tell you to type in a number e.g. 45 to hear about e.g. South Mexico Cacti and their properties. You also get a free map and Junior Explorer leaflet. Booked tours (what i went on) cost £4 per person but you need a minimum of 10 people. It can also be used for private events or conferences at night as well.

**First Impressions**
When i first walked into the gardens my first impression was WOW! It is so vast and the greenhouses are just beautiful to look at. When you first walk in the first thing i noticed was the trees and little dots beside them. When you get closer you realise these are very sneaky squirrels. There was an ice-cream truck there, when i went, that also sells nuts to feed to them. As you walk deeper into the site you start to really appreciate the amount of plants. At one are the greenhouses which gleam in the sunlight and the other vast amounts of trees and a huge pond. The site has a magival Harry Potter theme through it in my opion because your surrounded by just reath taking plants. My overall first impression was that i thought this would be good, interesting to visit.

**Whats There To See**
There is a lot to see. Since i was on a school trip and only had a limited amount of time i didn't even get to see half of the site. That is why i am going to try and go there again (will write update to review if do go back!) But i will tell you what i wen to see. We first went to the education part where we got an hour lecture and worksheets from a lady. She was very funny but nice. There we learned basically what plants do etc. So that was ok. We then head off to the Greenhouses which i was really looking forward to. Each greenhouse has a different name and temperature. The tropics was really hot and even steamed up my glasses as it was so humid. But the variety of plants was 5 tars. Beside each plant had it's name, any medical use or industrial use, when i came to the Botanical Gardens and sometimes who it was donated by. When you look around each greenhouse you never failed to be amazed. My favourite was the Food one where it had bannana trees, cocoa trees, sugar cane, rice plants and so much more. Then in the middle it had a huge pond with lily pad the size of my desk (which is about 1m 10cm) and there was one in the middle as big as me! It was astonding.

**Disabled Access**
Yes althrough the building. The grounds are completely flat and are very suitable for wheelchair users. To get into the greenhouses is completely wheelchair friendly using ramps, which are already there. There are disabled toilets and facilltities through out. This is a very wheelchair friendly place to go.

**Opening Times**
The Botanical Gardens are pen daily from 10am (except 25 December & 1 January) There are different closing times for different times of the year. 4pm November-February, 6pm March, 7pm April-September and 6pm October. This will because of the different temperatures and the increase of the amount of care needed of plants in winter.

**Educational?**
Educational is one thing Botanical gardens always get a high mark in. Edinburgh doesn't fail and actaully excels at its educational facillities. First of all because the grounds are free to enter it can make a really relaxing place to sit down and just read or do homework. That is one of the less obvious points however. The most obvious learning curve at Botanical Gardens is that beside almost every plant is a sign to inform the viewer which plant etc and back round history.
There is also classrooms there that can be booked for classes, which i went to. That was really good and since were doing about plants at the moment it was pretty easy but informing. Another big educational feature it hosts are worksheets which are used by either Primary or Secondary students. These contain different questions about different plants in the greenhouses, so requires kids to find different plants and describe them or answer a question. We had to find one which was near impossible but found it tucked underneath something else. Primary school kinds obviously get it easier.
So it has a huge variety of different educational experiences for children and adults alike. Oh and forgot to mention actaully looking at the plants and feeling them. That is very important.

**Any Mutant Plants?**
When i was on the bus to Edinburgh we all asked our teachers if there would be any head-eating, poisonous, tentacle covered trees. Sadly however this sort of tree doesn't exist but there is a huge variety of exciting and dangerous plants. One of the best in my opion was the one that digested ants and flies. Absolutely disgusting to watch yet so fasinating.
The cacti are very cool and your free to touch the 'fluffy' ones but not the very spikey ones for obvious reasons. There was on that if it puntured your skin it would stop your heart! Don't worry all dangerous or harmful ones are kept behind glass. Still very cool to look at and imagine the amount of power it has. So no there are no mutant plants, but you will be amazed what other plants can do. How many knew there were carnivore plants out there?

**Would I Go Back?**
A one word answer... YES! I loved it. I'm already going to arrange a trip with my mum as she went years ago and would like to go again. When you go you have to go again as it is so vast, you aways know you've missed out something. For anyone who has gone there they'll probibly agree with me that there are a lot of tourist there so if you have you Aunty Betty from Devon up go and take her there and she'll love it! Also an excuse for you to go there. So yes i'm definately going back.

**Whats Right With It?**
It is a fantastic place to visit. The plants are really interesting and fasinating to look at. The site itself is so relaxed and calm. It is very natural and is just beautiful to look at the different gardens. It is very educational as well so would benefit younger and older children. It really is a fantastic place to visit and is so family friendly and welcoming.

**Whats Wrong With It?**
There isn't really anything at all wrong with it. But i do see a flaw. It wouldn't interest some people and if your children weren't interested for example then it would make your trip not as good as it could be. However this could be by-passed by distraction etc but if there not interested. But that really is the only flaw with it apart from that it is almost perfect.

**Conclusion**
A really fantastic visit. if your wanting somewhere in Edinburgh to visit then put this in your top ten. It really was a delight to visit and i was very interested. You don't just get to look at the plants you get to read about them, a lot of the time feel them and just learn about it. I loved seeing the baby bannanas which where about a the size of a clenched fist which was really cool. I found it leaves you with really memorable thoughts and information. I am definately recommending this to reviewers.

Janie x

Website About Royal Botanic Gardens:
http://www.rbge.org.uk/ 

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