The final part of our Scotland tour saw us squeeze another botanical garden in, this time the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh, which dates back to the Victorian times. I had pretty high hopes before going and I did not leave disappointed.
Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to learn about the value of medicinal plants, the garden is home to more than 13, 000 plant species.
Set in over 70 acres of beautiful landscape and just one mile north of the city centre, the Garden offers superb panoramic views of the city skyline featuring Edinburgh Castle. The Botanics, as the Garden is affectionately known locally, is breathtaking at any time of year.
A highlight is a tour of the Garden's 10 magnificent Glasshouses including the Victorian Temperate Palmhouse and Tropical Palmhouse. With ten different climatic zones, from steamy tropics to arid desert, the Glasshouses are home to over 3,000 exotic plants from around the world.
Other highlights include the Rock Garden, the Alpine Houses, Woodland Garden, Pond, the Arboretum or tree collection, the Chinese Hillside, the Rhododendron Collection and the Scottish Native Plants Collection in the Heath Garden.
