Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world. From Loch Lomond to Wester Ross, Scotland’s botanical gardens have grand glasshouses filled with exotic plants to beautiful woodland trails lined with redwoods.
Scotland’s botanical gardens also play an important role in plant conservation, research, and education and some date back over 200 years.
Whether you fancy visiting a well-known garden like the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh or a lesser-known treasure like Arduaine Garden, here are the most stunning botanical gardens Scotland has to offer!
Here are my favourite botanical gardens in Scotland.
Logan Botanic Garden, Galloway
Thanks to the North Atlantic drift, the Rhinns of Galloway in south west Scotland has its own special microclimate – the gulf stream gives the Rhinns the mildest climate in Scotland – even warming up the peninsula in winter allowing for tropical plants to grow with ease.
The Logan Botanic Garden’s almost sub-tropical climate and allows for a quite staggering collection of plants from Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America and Southern Africa, including ferns, palm trees, and a stunning walled garden complete with its own castle.
> Visit Logan Botanic Garden
> Logan Botanic Garden is open from 1 March to 31 October 10am to 5pm and 1-15 November 10am to 4pm. Adult £10.00, Concession £8.70, Child (15 and under) Free.
> Eat at The Potting Shed Cafe.
Benmore Botanic Garden, Dunoon
Within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and to the west of Loch Lomond and stretching to the Firth of Clyde is the huge Argyll Forest, Britain’s oldest Forest Park established in 1935. within the forest is contains the fabulous Benmore Botanic Garden with the Benmore Botanic Garden Cafe.
The garden is famed for its towering avenue of Giant Redwoods and plant collections from around the world including over 300 species of rhododendron. Explore the gardens for fabulous views and discover the fernery and the Bhutanese and Chilean pavilions along the way.
> Visit Benmore Botanic Garden
> Open daily from 1 March – 31 October, 10am – 5pm. Adult £10.00, Concession £8.70, Child (15 and under) Free
> Eat at the Redwoods Cafe
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Established in 1670, this renowned garden spans 70 acres and features a vast collection of plants from around the world. Highlights include the Rock Garden, Chinese Hillside, and the Victorian Temperate Palm House. From a tropical rainforest to an arid desert, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh glasshouses hide a botanical wonderland.
There are 10 glasshouses to explore, with over 3000 plants making up 25% of the garden’s collection; from towering palms to beautiful orchids. The glasshouses also make for one of the most beautiful and relaxing spaces to visit in the city.
The Temperate Palm House at Edinburgh’s Botanic Garden must be one of the city’s most recognisable buildings, and is a spectacular entrance to the glasshouses.
Hidden behind the temperate house is the Tropical Palm house, the oldest of the Victorian glasshouses, built in 1832. Look out for the glasshouse’s oldest palm, a Sabal Bermudana, native to Bermuda (it is called a bibby-tree there) amazingly it is over 190 years old.
> Visit Edinburgh Botanic Gardens
> Please note that the Glasshouses are currently closed as part of Edinburgh Biomes, the Garden’s major restoration and construction project.
> The Garden is open daily February to October 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm), November to January: 10am – 4pm (last entry 3.15pm). Garden entry FREE
> Eat at: The Gateway Cafe, The Terrace Cafe, The East Gate Coffee Bar
Dawyck Botanic Garden, Peebles
A north-facing hillside rising 850ft above sea level, wouldn’t normally be where you’d expect to find a botanic garden, but deep in the Tweed Valley hides one of the world’s most spectacular arboretums.
Dawyck Botanic Garden offers a stunning collection of trees and shrubs across 65 acres, with seasonal displays of bluebells, azaleas, and autumn foliage. Whilst Dawyk comes alive in Summer and Autumn when the colours of the famous Azalea Terrace are at their brightest, the garden is truly one for all seasons.
Dawyck Botanic Garden is the result of over 400 years of hard work by three notable Borders families. From the Veitche family who planted the first Silver Firs in Scotland (one of which planted in 1680 still stands) to eminent lawyer Sir James Naysmith who built the Scottish Jacobean Dalwick House and planted over 2000 acres of Douglas Firs, Giant Redwoods, Brewer’s Spruce as well as the estates own Dawyck beech, to the Balfour family, who added to the collection with rare trees from Asia and rhododendrons from around the world.
> Visit Dawyck Botanic Garden
> Open daily from 1 February – 30 November. Adult £10.00, Concession £8.70, Child (15 and under) Free.
> Eat at The Dawyck Cafe.
More Botanic Gardens to visit in Scotland
Looking for more botanical gardens in Scotland to visit?
Arduaine Garden, Loch Melfort
Located on the west coast of Scotland, Arduaine Garden or ‘green point’ was established in 1898 by James Arthur Campbell, and thrives due to the warming effect of the North Atlantic Drift. Now managed by the National Trust for Scotland, Arduaine Garden is famous for its rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolia – and viewpoints overlooking the Sound of Jura. Its sheltered location supports plants from temperate regions worldwide, including East Asia and South America.
> Visit Arduaine Gardens
> Open daily 1 Apr–31 Oct, daily, 10.00–17.00 (last entry 16.00). Free with National Trust for Scotland membership otherwise £10 per adults.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Located in the West End, Glasgow Botanic Gardens was stablished in 1817 by botanist Thomas Hopkirk. Take a woodland walk along the River Kelvin before visiting the iconic Kibble Palace, a stunning Victorian glasshouse originally built in the 1860s. It houses a collection of tropical plants, tree ferns, and sculptures. Other glasshouses, such as the Main Range, showcase orchids and even carnivorous plants.
> Visit Glasgow Botanic Gardens
> Open daily 7.00am until dusk daily. Glasshouses: April to September 10.00am – 6.00pm (4.15 pm in winter) Tea Rooms: April to September 10.00am – 6.00pm (4.00 pm in winter). Free entry.
> Eat at The Tea Room at the Botanic Gardens.
Branklyn Garden, Perth
Created in the 1920s, Branklyn Gardens is a 2-acre hillside garden to the south of Perth city centre. Now managed by the National Trust for Scotland (free for NTS members) the garden is full of alpine plants and Japanese Maples. Built as a garden for John and Dorothy Renton Arts & Crafts-inspired house, Branklyn has a lovely cafe on site serving up tea and homemade cakes. Branklyn Gardens is dog friendly.
> Visit Branklyn Gardens.
> Open 29 Mar–31 Oct, daily, 10.00–17.00. Free with National Trust for Scotland membership otherwise £8.50 per adults.
> Eat at: The Branklyn Gardens cafe
Inverewe Garden, Poolewe
Located in Wester Ross, the spectacular Inverewe Garden and Estate at Poolewe was established in 1862. Inverewe House has recently been opened to the public for the first time in its history and gives visitors a snapshot of 1930s life in a Scottish estate. The garden showcases exotic species from around the world including Californian Redwoods.
> Visit Inverewe Garden and Estate
> Open 1 Jan–3 Apr, daily, 10.00–15.004 Apr–31 Oct, daily, 09.30–17.00. £5 per adults or free with National Trust for Scotland membership.
> Eat at: Osgoods Cafe.
Attadale Garden, Strathcarron
Attadale Gardens at Strathcarron forms part of the Attadale Estate, a 30,000-acre Highland estate which stretches from Loch Carron to Loch Monar north of Skye and east of the Applecross peninsula.
Hidden between the huge rhododendrons and specimen trees are quirky sculptures, monet-style bridges & architectural benches, beautiful greenhouses and even a Japanese water garden waiting to be found.
> Visit Attadale Garden
> Open: 25th March until 31st October. Adult: £10.
> There is an honesty box cafe on site – Midge Bite at Attadale
It is time to visit a botanical garden in Scotland!
Love from Scotland x