Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a scientific center for studying plants, their variety and how to protect them, and it’s also a popular place to visit. It began in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants and today runs four gardens across Scotland: the main site in Edinburgh, Benmore in Argyll, Dawyck in the Borders, and Logan in Galloway.
The Edinburgh garden is the largest and acts as the RBGE’s headquarters. RBGE is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. The gardens are open to the public, and entry to the grounds is free while there is a small charge for the glasshouses.
A brief history
- The first garden was created near Holyrood Palace in 1670.
- It moved to Inverleith Row in the early 1800s.
- The Leith Walk site became Hopetoun Crescent Gardens, part of the New Town gardens.
- The Temperate Palm House was built in 1858, and Inverleith House became part of the gardens in 1881.
The four gardens
- Benmore (west coast, Argyll)
- Dawyck (near Peebles, Borders)
- Logan (in Galloway)
- Edinburgh (Inverleith), the main site
What’s in the collection
- Living plants: about 13,300 species (roughly 34,000 accessions)
- Herbarium: over 3 million preserved plant specimens
- Library: around 70,000 books and 150,000 periodicals
Digital and research work
- RBGE is digitising its herbarium so people can view high-resolution images online.
- The millionth digitised specimen was Stereocaulon vesuvianum (a lichen from Ben Nevis) in 2021.
- The garden’s scientific focus areas include Scottish biodiversity, plants and climate change, and conservation.
Facilities and culture
- John Hope Gateway opened in 2009.
- Inverleith House now hosts contemporary art exhibitions.
- The RBGE supports education, courses and public events throughout the year.
Regional gardens
- Benmore Botanic Garden (Argyll)
- Dawyck Botanic Garden (Borders)
- Logan Botanic Garden (Galloway)
RBGE Medal
- Established in 2010 to recognise outstanding contributions in fields related to the work of RBGE.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:15 (CET).