During your visit
Information to help you plan your trip
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Garden regulations
Everyone is welcome at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. We are committed to becoming a truly inclusive place for all those who visit, work, study and volunteer at the Garden.
As a precious museum of living plants, the Garden's Visitor Welcome team has a duty to protect the Collection. Therefore, please note our regulations:
- Assistance animals that are highly trained are welcome at the Garden. However all other pet animals will not be able to access the grounds
- Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult
- We do not allow bicycles, scooters, frisbee, kites, footballs, mechanically-operated toys and models or drone cameras into the Garden
- No jogging or running is permitted inside the grounds
- Please do not have picnics or sit in the Rock Garden
- Please do not scatter ashes in the Garden. If you are interested in having a memorial at RBGE please visit Celebrate Life
Also as part of our official Scottish Parliament Rules and Regulations, visitors are not permitted to:
- pick, cut or destroy any flower or part tree, shrub or plant
- bring into any part of the Garden any flowers or plant life
- bring any package or other article or container after being requested by the Visitor Welcome Team not to do
- climb any tree, railing, fence or structure
- enter any part of the Garden after having been requested by the Visitor Welcome Team not to do so or in contravention of any notice or sign displayed at any part of the grounds or remain in any part of the Garden after having been requested by the Visitor Welcome Team to leave it
- behave or be clothed, whilst in any part of the Garden, in a manner reasonably likely to offend against public decency
- fish, bathe, swim, boat or skate in any part of the Garden
- collect or solicit money in the Garden
Acts for which written permission is required:
- Undertake any trade or business in the Garden
- Sell or distribute anything or offer anything for sale or hire
- Exhibit or affix any notice, advertisement or other written or pictorial matter or give any display, performance or representation
- Play or cause to be played any musical instrument in any part of the Garden
- Make or give any public speech or address
- Take, in any part of the Garden, photographs for commercial purposes
- Play any game or engage in any form of sport of physical exercise in the Garden
- Light a fire or discharge any firearm, firework or other weapon or missile
Photography
You can take photographs and videos in the Garden for personal use; if you are using a tripod, please ask for a photography permit on arrival at either the East Gate or John Hope Gateway.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh can be used as a location for wedding photography and non-commercial photoshoots, a member of staff will act as a steward for all photography sessions of this type. Please note that there is also a fee charged for this service.
In order to ensure that we can accommodate your request, please contact us two weeks in advance of the date of your visit.
- Please contact visitorwelcome@rbge.org.uk for further information and to request a booking form.
- For student photoshoots, please contact the Education Department at schools@rbge.org.uk
- For Commercial photography, please check the Media and Commercial Photography page.
Facilities
Lost Property
If you have lost any item
- in the Garden: please call 0131 248 2909 or email the Visitor Welcome team
- at a wedding or a corporate event: please call 0131 552 1974 or email the Events team
- in Balfour or a Science Building: please call 0131 248 2800 or email the Office Reception team
Lockers
Lockers are available for hire at both the East and West entrances of the Garden. The cost is £1 (non-refundable). The internal size of the lockers is as follows:
West Gate – H85cm, W40cm, D40cm
East Gate – H85cm, W35cm, D40cm
Lockers are only available during Garden opening hours and no items can be stored overnight.
Accessible facilities
For information about facilities for disabled visitors please see the Accessibility at the Garden page.
If you need assistance during your visit, please speak to a our Visitor Welcome team.
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Botanics Recommends
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Cultivate your curiosity with our programme of courses for all ages and interests.