Botanic Gardens for Guides

Before the trip

Ensure you have the group register and emergency contact numbers for all leaders and students
Make sure you have the tickets you need to enter with your group
Wear the official group T-shirt or hoodie for easy identification
Charge your phone fully and bring a power bank
Review the risk assessment for the day’s route and activities
Remind students to bring a raincoat or umbrella in case of light rain
Take group photos at key locations and share them with the programme WhatsApp group

Downloads

▶️ Registers for this trip

The Timetable for the Trip

0:00 – Go to your meeting point
0:20 – Arrive at the Botanic Gardens
0:40 – The group gathers at the main entrance. Activity Leader gives an overview on the garden. Students are divided into groups for their game.
0:50 – Students complete their game and then have free time
2:00 – Regroup at the entrance. Activity Leaders answer questions & collect activity results.
2:10 – Prepare for departure; students gather belongings and use restrooms if needed.
2:20 – Leave

Glasshouses

These are large glass buildings that recreate different climates from around the world — from hot tropical forests to dry deserts, and cool mountain zones.
Inside you can see exotic plants such as palms, orchids, cycads, ferns, desert plants, and rainforest species
Note: the glasshouses are currently being restored (as part of the “Edinburgh Biomes” project), but they remain one of the Garden’s main highlights.

Rock Garden

The Rock Garden is a special area in the Garden built to show mountain- and rock-dwelling plants from many parts of the world. It is designed with rocks, slopes, a stream, and a waterfall, to give conditions similar to high mountains and rocky places.

The Rock Garden holds more than 5,000 alpine and mountain-type plants from many world regions — including Europe, North America, China, South Africa, and South America.

Chinese Hillside

The hillside aims to recreate — in a smaller scale — the feeling of climbing a hillside in southwest China: as you walk up, you move through different “altitude zones” like those in nature.

The planting is arranged so that the lowest parts have broad-leaved trees; higher up you find coniferous woodland and forests of shrubs like rhododendrons; and at the highest parts there are alpine and meadow-type plants, to mimic different natural zones.
Other beautiful features include a stream and waterfall that flow into a pond, with plants such as iris and primulas around the water’s edge — giving a sense of natural water-landscape from China.
There is also a small traditional pavilion (a “T’ing”) by the water: a peaceful spot to rest, relax, and enjoy the surroundings.

Woodland & Arboretum

This area has large trees and a mixture of habitats. There are exotic trees such as redwoods, and also a mix of shrubs and woodland-type plants.

The woodland garden is split into “Upper” and “Lower” zones. The Upper Woodland Garden has large trees (including redwoods), while the Lower Woodland Garden includes smaller shrubs, shade-loving plants, and micro-habitats.

The Arboretum part and tree collection make it a lovely calm place — good for strolling and seeing big, mature trees from around the world

Page updated

Report abuse