Stunning drone footage captures Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's revamped glass houses
The 19th century glasshouses were closed in 2021 so that “substantial” restoration work could be carried out
To mark the reopening weekend of its newly renovated Palm Houses, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh lit up the capital’s skyline with its spectacular Cathedral of glass shining like a jewel.
Drone content captured from the air shows the Georgian and Victorian structures aglow with warm light, spotlighting the luscious greenery within.
This weekend the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's iconic Palm Houses reopened to the public, welcoming visitors from around the world to view its rare collection of plants. Following years of painstaking restoration, the glasshouses are open once again to offer a beacon of botanical wonder in the heart of the city.
The 19th century glasshouses were closed in 2021 so that “substantial” restoration work could be carried out to their stonework, ironwork and glass.
The “painstaking” restoration work saw all 5,750 panes of glass replaced, 600m2 of ironwork fully restored or updated, and 500m2 of sandstone repairs completed with replacement stones weighing up to a quarter of a tonne.
The buildings, which include the world’s tallest traditional stone-built Palm House, is now home to almost 600 of the “more tender” plant specimens in Scotland’s National Botanic Living Collection, which spans 13,500 species from 152 countries.
Stories of the plants inside are shared through a new visitor experience featuring multimedia and multisensory digital tours.
Professor Julia Knights, regius keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, described the reopening as “a major milestone” in the 365-year history of the garden.
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