On a cold windy day in Edinburgh there are a seemingly endless number of places to go that are indoors. There are a wide variety of museums and art galleries, shops (if you're so minded) and coffee places.
Being garden minded we nearly always end up at the Botanic gardens (even in February).
When we got there It was all a bit depressing. Loud noise from tree felling and chipping filled the air. (I've had enough of that at home)
In fact the gardens sustained the worst damage in over thirty years losing 34 trees in all!
Never mind we thought, it's a bit bleak and chilly, so let's head for the glasshouses. We rarely visit them as there is so much to see outside.
The Victorian Palm house is magnificent in it's own right with it's decorative metal work and spiral staircases. Unfortunately even our tour of the glasshouses was curtailed due to the damage from the January Gales. Some the glass houses remained closed while an assessment of the damage is carried out. Many of the plants were moved to other greenhouses curtailing the amount of space on the paths.
Never mind it was still a warm green space with some stunning flowers. Have a stroll round with me and my camera.
After our wee tour we headed off to "Loopy Lorna's Teahouse" for a bite of lunch. This is the place to have afternoon tea in Edinburgh and is much beloved by the "young mums with buggies" brigade. The fact that we got there for lunch in stead of tea doesn't really matter. I've booked a cake stand and big pot of tea for our next visit. Have a look of Loopy Lorna's site and enjoy!
It must be like a one day tropical holiday in that glasshouse. Great to have one so close.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so close Bridget (about two and a half hours away) but it is a treat to go there.
DeleteI'm jealous. How I miss that lovely garden! I'll be there soon :)
ReplyDeleteLoopy lornas is now also on the list! Ta
You know it well Fay. Does that mean you're off sooth again?!
DeleteMeant to say tea at Loopy Lorna's is very expensive....
DeleteYes, I agree with Orkneyflowers: I am jealous, only I won't be there soon for I live far,far away on the plain of Northern Colorado. In 2006 my friend and I spent 5 days in Edinburgh before we began a tour of England with a group of college students. We spent one day at the Botanical Gardens. What a beautiful garden. I'd love to return. Your post was the next best thing.
ReplyDeleteAnn, you'll have to come for a holiday but wait until the glasshouses are fixed...
DeleteWhen i look at those photos, it seems like i am at our backyard, they are all tropicals. Notwithstanding that outside is very cold. I wonder how much expenses in energy these conservatories spend to heat these structures.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I'm sure they energy costs are enormous. They do a lot of scientific and conservation work though.
DeleteWow! I loved this post! I would stay there all day once inside. I've not ever seen this garden even on the internet and only know about Kew down in England.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful conservatory you have there in Scotland.
I have that Agave attenuata....but only one small spike's worth. Hats off to the gardener's there. It's not the easiest plant to grow outside of zone 11! Mine barely likes zone 9a.
David/:0)
David, you haven't come across the Edinburgh Botanics? Very old and large. My parents did their courting there and we got taken there a lot as children. You are lucky to be able to grow these agaves outside and not in pots!
DeleteI love those ornate glass houses, sorry your visit was marred by the after effects of the storm damage. Sounds like lunch made up for it though...
ReplyDeleteWe did enjoy the visit but it was a shame so much was closed off. Lunch was very good but I was too full for cake!
DeleteWhat a perfect place to visit on a late winter's day. You're lucky to have so much to choose from to visit in winter. It's the one thing I don't like about living somewhere so rural. It can be a real struggle to think of things to do, especially when we have visitors.
ReplyDeleteWe used to find that in Orkney when so much closed down over the winter.
DeleteYour post reminds me of Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie series. I really need to visit Edinburgh one of these days.
ReplyDeleteEdinburgh is a great city to visit and I believe Alexander McCall Smith still lives in the Merchiston area .
DeleteSo nice on a cold day! You have wet my own appetite to go again to our local conservatory. Thanks for the photos!
ReplyDeleteIt was so much nicer than being outside, Julie.
DeleteSo lovely! It sounds like such a nice place to be able to visit when the weather is not so lovely outside. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd it's about the only place in the Botanics with something in flower.
DeleteThere is nothing like a greenhouse in winter, and a vast and ornate one is even better-- like entering another dimension. I love the smell of the unfrozen earth and the warmth of course. Great images!
ReplyDeleteThe Victorians were masters at building ornate structures.
DeleteI feel warmer already. Thank you for sharing your visit. I've been to the botanic gardens in glascow but never Edinburgh.
ReplyDeleteThe Kibble Palace in Glasgow is magic but Edinburgh is a better all round Botanical gardens and does a lot of research.
DeleteLovely, and such a nice respite from the usual winter landscape!
ReplyDeleteI would like to post some snowy photos, Ginny but we haven't had any (yet!)
DeleteEnjoyed exploring Loopy Lorna's website, sounds a great place!! Glad you managed to find some flowers in the glass house, that's the place to be in the winter, sounds as if you had a nice trip!
ReplyDeleteI think I could do a blog about places to have coffee and eat. It's the first thing we check out when we move somewhere new!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a nice place to visit in winter.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your beautiful photos and they make me worm!