Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Seventy acres of garden with glasshouses and a skyline view across the lawns.
The garden is free and the glasshouses are ticketed, which makes it a fine-weather choice with a wet-weather escape built in. The rock garden, the Chinese hillside and the view of the Old Town from the lawns are the highlights. It is a twenty-minute walk north of Princes Street through the New Town.
When it works
Partly outdoors: better on a dry day, with shelter if it turns. Best morning, afternoon. Garden free; glasshouses ticketed.
Good for kids, a date, step-free visits and locals' favourite.
On these lists
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Opening hours and prices change; the official site has the current ones. See everything in Edinburgh ranked for right now.