www.rbge.org.uk
MORE PHOTOS OF THE
BOTANICS
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Edinburgh's
magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens began life in
1670 as a physic garden to grow herbs and plants
for medicinal purposes at St. Annes Yard near Holyrood
Palace. The collection was moved away from the
pollution of the old town in 1763 to a site near
Leith then in 1820 it was moved again to it's current
location at Inverleith.
Today Edinburgh
is one of four locations that the gardens occupy
across Scotland, each having it's own specialist
collection. The other sites include; Dawyck,
Logan and Benmore. Edinburgh however is the main
garden and is Scotland's national botanic garden
and the collection is of unique botanical importance. Covering
72 acres early 34,000 plants are grown here representing
over 17,000 different species plants from all
over the world.
As well as an important
scientific centre The gardens are a popular visitor
attraction. "The botanics" as the gardens
are known is made up of Rock Gardens, Woodland
Gardens, A Scottish Heath Garden, Peat Walls, Chinese
Hillside, The Queen Mother's Menmorial Garden,
A Glass House and Palm House containing tropical
plants and a desert area with a large cacti collection.
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