"Has a large visitors centre and very nice restaurant with friendly staff and lovely food."
"All the gates have bus stops, so not a long walk entering or exiting the garden."
"People stroll along in conversation and admiring all they see."
"A lovely place for learning about nature, playing, relaxing, chilling, and enjoying a good cup of coffee."
"Toilets are clean and free of use. Free wifi and good services."
"We'll served by great quality coffee places and and fine dinning restraunt."
"The staff is very friendly and even helped us call a cab back to the Royal Mile."
Cons:
"The person who served us needed to be reminded over and over what we wanted which explained the queue!"
"Shoes can get dirty while walking over there."
"Terrace café need to improve their services."
"Lunch at the café was delicious but the queue to order was far too long a wait."
"Car parking is not. The pay stations do not take card payments .. they only work with coins… contacting Ring Go was out of action when we visited….,an utter nightmare… unless you go with lots of coins!"
"Staff were disappointingly rude when advising no drinks were allowed in the glasshouses."
"But….the toilet!? Gosh very unsatisfying! I couldn’t use it."
Garden and Plant Diversity
Pros:
"For me the highlight were the incredible glasshouses, well worth the £7 per adult (children under 16 free) - amazing collection of plants."
"The gardens are very well manicured and maintained and tell you the species of plant or tree."
"Exploring the lush greenery, vibrant blooms, and historic glasshouses made the visit both educational and visually stunning."
"Unbelievable variety of trees and plants makes you truly appreciate the beauty of nature."
"Wonderful gardens with a breathtaking variety of trees from across the world, flowers, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, phlox, thistle, cultivated and wild flowers."
"Flowers and plants and trees from all over the world, all living together in Edinburgh!"
"Beautiful gardens with a wide variety of plants and trees from across the world."
Cons:
"It was a pity that the glasshouse wasn't open due to renovation project."
"Shame as greenhouses were shut because of renovation, but definitely nice park around."
"Instead, many of the plants looked similar to one another and most if not all of them were green."
"When we went the green houses were closed."
"The glass house was closed for construction which was disappointing as it looked magnificent."
"Some of the lights also detracted from finding out the names etc of the plant/tree in question."
"Green houses were closed due covid but look absolutely massive."
Accessibility and Facilities
Pros:
"Great experience, helpful staff, great facilities. Lovely cafe, good disabled facilities. Glass house were marvellous and we found a resident cat !!"
"The outdoor garden is free but the glass houses charge a £6 entrance fee."
"There is a gift shop as well as cafes available for refreshments."
"Very informative welcome centre with photos and write ups about the types of plants and seeds."
"The staff were on hand to greet us as we arrive and show us the best ways to get around the site."
"The ability to hire mobility scooters is a great help for individuals with mobility issues, ie on a walker/rollator."
"Public toilets everywhere and disable access."
Cons:
"Only 3 food stalls, one vegan so very little choice and no tea/coffee."
"Some paths aren't wheelchair accessible."
"The parking can be a bit tricky in the area depending on the day and the time."
"We parked our hired car near the main gate with a ticket. But parked about one foot outside the designated white line. Got a fine of £100."
"All the indoor areas, including the greenhouses, are closed during the pandemic."
"There is no dedicated parking however, there is a lot of on street spaces surrounding the gardens."
"If you’re parking around the gardens avoid paying almost double by using the streets either side of the main entrances which cost more than half the price."
Overall Atmosphere
Pros:
"Lively and lovely… if you don’t come in winter."
"What a stunning place to visit; a beautiful garden to stroll around on a lazy afternoon."
"It’s a great tourist attraction but also a really peaceful place to have time to yourself/ read a book."
"A serene haven just half an hour's pleasant walk from the main tourist drag."
"You have to wander through the place. It is a quiet, pleasant walk across a green pillow."
"In summer you can find here rare truly blue flowers!"
"A wonderful enveloping natural space on the north side of Edinburgh city centre."
Cons:
"Sadly a negative experience. We wanted to go on the light trail turned up and were told the time it started and where to purchase tickets."
"Certainly wouldn’t recommend a visit to the gardens."
"I think the garden will look more alive if there will be some birds and small animals running.. It looks a bit empty and sad."
"We could not walk around the entire grounds to all the areas due to rain."
"This was a let down for me sadly as I expected the royal botanic garden to be more grand and majestic."
"The magic was just not there."
"For me a its just like any other park. If you have visited all the major places in Edinburgh and if you still have time you can visit this place, that's completely my opinion."
Special Events and Seasons
Pros:
"Our first experience at the gardens was to see the Christmas light trail. It was spectacular, so beautifully done with the different areas and music pieces."
"Christmas at the Botanics has everything you need for an unforgettable time with friends and family."
"Attended for the Christmas lights display, which was lovely."
"Visited for the winter lights event and was blown away with how good it was."
"Christmas at the botanics was a fantastic experience."
"In winter time it is decorated with lights and becomes a magical garden."
"We visited for the light show and what an amazing night out it was for us."
Cons:
"Visited a couple of years ago for the Christmas lights, it was spectacular and really magical. I was disappointed this year, for me it didn't have the wow factor of previous years."
"Not as good as last year but still a lovely night out."
"Would be much nicer in spring or summer to see all scenery blooming flowers outside."
"The latest visit revealed horrendous Xmas decorations amongst the beautiful foliage."
"When we visited most of things were closed as they were putting lights on."
"Some of the lights also detracted from finding out the names etc of the plant/tree in question."