Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – Page 2 – The NEN

Christmas is back at the Botanics – and it’s brighter than ever!

New Christmas surprises unveiled on the festive trail

Christmas at the Botanics opened today [25 November] unveiling brand new sparkling light installations that will be sure to enhance the festive cheer.

Returning for its fifth year, the shimmering trail is set to be better and brighter than ever, bringing in more stunning installations and surprising us with a new festive finale.

Attendees must book their tickets online in advance of their visit and enter the trail during their allocated time slot. A one-way trail route is in place and tickets are contactless to ensure safety measures are in place.

Showcasing a dazzling display of lights, music and projections, the one mile long after-dark spectacular will also welcome back some of the Garden’s favourite installation, including ‘Christmas Cathedral’ and ‘Fire Garden’.

A new finale for 2021, ready to create a glittering spectacular display, is ‘Sea of Light’ – which is set to impress guests with an enthralling mix of sound and light technology from award-winning company ITHACA.

Used by Coldplay during their Glastonbury 2021 performance, the display cascades across the Garden’s landscape like glittering waves.

Visitors can stroll through an enchanting forest with the brand new installation ‘Fireflies in the Woods’. Produced by Electric Foundry, 100 points of LED lights tangle through the trees above, creating a twinkling hidden wonderland.

Rest assured your umbrella won’t be needed for this display: ‘Digital Rain’ by Bespoke lighting and video is an immersive installation of LED lights that ‘rain’ down on guests below to create a shimmering shower that is bound to dazzle!

Rounding off the new installations of 2021’s Christmas spectacular is ‘Aquastell’ by PITAYA, which has large looping arches with beams of light flashing along, like shooting stars across the sky.

This year, there will continue to be health and safety measures in place to ensure that visitors follow Scottish Government guidance on Covid-19 so everyone can enjoy their experience.

Reduced capacity of attendees, a one-way system, a request to make space for others and the mandatory wearing of face coverings in indoor areas. These measures will be monitored and visitors kept informed of any changes to guidance during the run.

Kari Coghill, Director of Enterprise and Communication at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “This year’s trail is one of the most spectacular yet.  We are really looking forward to welcom ing visitors to the Garden over the coming weeks.

“Those who attend directly contribute to our wider work, with profits from ticket sales helping to support our vital research and conservation efforts in Scotland and around the world. At a time when the impact of the climate on biodiversity is high on the agenda globally, our work is more important than ever.”

Jonathan Marks, Chief Development Director at Raymond Gubbay, a division of Sony Music, which promotes the trail, added: “Christmas at the Botanics is a huge draw within the Capital’s festive cal endar.

“We are extremely pleased with the breadth of artists and installations that are part of this year’s trail and I am sure that the experience will be as magical as ever.”

Christmas at the Botanics runs for 32 nights on selected dates from 25 November – 2 January. Tickets are on sale from www.rbge.org.uk/christmas.

Tickets prices range from: Adult £20, Member £17, Child (4-16) £14, Family £66 and carers and children under 4 go free.

See booking website for calendar, prices and all ticket information. All tickets are subject to a single transaction charge.

Climate solutions from peatlands to parasites

Scientists create virtual tour showcasing research to tackle Scotland’s climate crisis

As world leaders arrive in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), scientific experts have created a virtual tour showcasing research to tackle Scotland’s climate crisis.

Researchers from across SEFARI (a consortium of six globally renowned Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes) have joined forces to highlight how innovative research is helping Scotland adapt to, and mitigate, the impacts of climate change.

Covering everything from peatlands to parasites, the Google Earth tour includes videos by scientists from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), James Hutton Institute, Rowett Institute, Moredun Research Institute, BioSS and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).

Supported by SEFARI Gateway, the tour takes in collaborative research in the Forsinard Flows and at SRUC’s Kirkton and Auchtertyre farms into the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Visitors are transported to Scotland’s rainforests, to hear how scientists are protecting the vulnerable species living there, and into the world of parasites to learn how these opportunistic organisms are adapting to climate change as part of research at the Moredun Research Institute.

The team at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh demonstrates how rain gardens can regulate the flow of water during extreme weather events, helping urban environments combat the impacts of both flooding and drought, while researchers from the Rowett Institute explain how novel crops such as hemp can help sequester carbon, promote biodiversity and restore the health of our agricultural land.

Visitors can experience the seascape of Aberdeenshire, where research into people’s perceptions has helped to develop visually appealing coastlines that also deliver renewable energy, and visit the James Hutton Institute’s Climate-Positive Farming initiative at Glensaugh farm, where a transformational approach to farming is helping to achieve net zero targets, while protecting and enhancing biodiversity and ensuring a sustainable farm business.

Finally, at SRUC’s GreenCow facility near Edinburgh, researchers explain how state-of-the-art respiration chambers are being used to identify measures to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from cattle production systems.

Dr Lorna Cole, an Agricultural Ecologist at SRUC, said: “Last year saw me working from home, lecturing Wildlife and Conservation Management students and home-schooling two teenagers.

“This really highlighted the value of interactive online teaching resources that are both accessible and accurate.”

Professor Lorna Dawson, SEFARI Gateway Lead for Environment and principal scientist at the James Hutton Institute, said: “The best thing about this virtual tour is that everyone can join, in their own time, from the comfort of their home or office, to learn more about how we are working together in collaboration and cooperation, across the institutes and with our partners, to help tackle the important issues of climate change and biodiversity loss – ensuring that Scotland’s people, biodiversity and industries continue to thrive now and into the future.”

To join the tour, visit: https://bit.ly/OnSEFARITour

Events line-up to enrich climate conference

A 10 metre tall puppet, STORM, will make an appearance in Glasgow and many projects are already well underway in the run up to the climate conference, including the launch of Climate Beacon hubs in seven locations across Scotland.

STORM is a huge sea-goddess puppet made entirely out of recycled materials with oyster shells for eyes and kelp for hair and is created by Vision Mechanics. She is due to walk in Govan on 10 November.

Led by Creative Carbon Scotland, the Climate Beacons project is a collaboration between climate change, environmental, arts, heritage and cultural organisations to stimulate long-term public engagement in climate change. The hubs throughout Scotland, including Argyll, Caithness and East Sutherland, Fife and Inverclyde, will provide information about climate change in each local area.

The hubs will be run as sustainably as possible with many of the projects and activities using recycled materials.

For instance the Message in a Bottle project in the Outer Hebrides will send messages to people at COP26 in plastic bottles washed up on the beach and the Midlothian hub at the National Mining Museum Scotland will feature outdoor clay sculpture that will eventually degrade back into the earth.

Creative Carbon Scotland’s film, Climate Action Needs Culture, made in collaboration with national cultural and heritage organisations, will be shown to a variety of cultural leaders and policymakers on November 5 as a virtual event.

Scotland’s five national performing arts companies, each receiving regular support from the Scottish Government, are among the many cultural organisations across Scotland organising events around COP26.

On 31 October, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra will premiere Symbiosis, a new commission for strings in a 20 minute video. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra will give a pop-up performance at ScotRail’s Haymarket Station on 1 November to welcome delegates to COP26 while the RSNO Junior Chorus will perform a selection of specially commissioned Green Songs in the official COP26 Green Zone the following day.

Scottish Opera have launched an intergalactic view of climate change in The Last Aliens, an opera for primary children. Schools can access the production online now with live tours planned next year.

Schools and communities across Scotland and India have created 100 shoes for a digital shoe shop as part of Millipede, the National Theatre of Scotland’s collaboration with ThinkArts, a Kolkata-based children’s organisation. Launching on 1 November, the interactive art installation will explore personal responses to climate change and carbon footprints through a range of creative activities.

Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “With the world’s spotlight on Scotland, COP26 in Glasgow is a once in a lifetime event and our cultural organisations have risen to the occasion by programming an impressive line-up of live and online activities to engage audiences at home and abroad.

“The Scottish Government is proud to support the cultural and heritage sectors as they have a major role to play in encouraging debate around environmental issues.

“Climate change affects us all and it’s heartening to see so many communities taking part in these projects to create a lasting legacy for future generations.”

A dedicated website, Culture at COP, for all cultural activities around COP26 has been set up by Museums and Galleries Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and the Climate Heritage Network.

Christmas at the Botanics unveils more surprises for festive trail

The winter spectacle, Christmas at the Botanics, has confirmed more installations for this year’s trail when it opens on 25^th November, including a new festive finale.

Running for 32 nights at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, friends and family will be able to come together to explore 15 dazzling installations along the one-mile route and experience the outdoor twilight trail.

The latest installations confirmed for this year include Digital Rain, Fireflies in the Wood and the cascading Sea of Light (above) which will feature as the festive finale:

Digital Rain – is an immersive installation by Bespoke Lighting and Video, featuring LED pixels that ‘rain down’ on those below to create a shimmering shower of light.
Fireflies in the Woods – is an enchanting installation from Electric Foundry, containing 100 points of light that twist through the tress to create a magical woodland wonderland.
Sea of Light – brings an enthralling mix of sound and light technology, from award-winning company ITHACA, that flows across the landscape in spectacular, glittering waves.

To meet current Scottish Government guidelines, reduced capacities and a one-way system will be in place for the comfort of visitors coming together to celebrate the festive season. Health and safety measures, in place to protect visitors, will be monitored throughout the run.

Simon Milne, Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “This year’s trail promises the arrival of new, exciting and atmospheric installations enabling visitors to enjoy the Garden landscape in a completely different way.

“As we begin our landmark restoration programme, Edinburgh Biomes, we greatly appreciate the contribution that the trail makes to funding our plant research and conservation projects. By coming to the trail, visitors help to support our important work in Scotland and around the world.

“I look forward to welcoming visitors from within the capital, Scotland, the UK and overseas to the Garden to experience this magical moment in Edinburgh’s festive calendar.”

Jonathan Marks, Chief Development Director at Raymond Gubbay, a division of Sony Music, which promotes the event, added: “This year’s easing of restrictions will allow more people within Edinburgh and beyond to safely visit this enchanting spectacle.

“We are excited to welcome new artists and a brand-new festive finale that is bound to impress. There is so much to look forward to and we can’t wait for people to visit this magical winter experience.”

Tickets for this year’s show are on sale now. For further ticket information, pricing and timings, please visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas.

A timed entry system will remain for the trail this year with visitors encouraged to book now to avoid disappointment.

Christmas at the Botanics is one of 15 illuminated trails staged across the UK by leading events promoter Raymond Gubbay Limited, a division of Sony Music. Christmas at the Botanics is presented in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the trail is created by Culture Creative.

For more details visit https://mychristmastrails.co.uk/ and follow @mychristmastrails on Facebook and Instagram.

City care residents get a taste of the outdoors with first post-lockdown outings

RESIDENTS at Edinburgh Care Homes have had the chance to experience their first organised outdoors activity after a year of lockdown, with a visit to Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic and Saughton Gardens.

Apart from the short trips to the end of the garden and stints in the home’s purpose-built outdoor seating area, residents at Mansfield Care’s Eildon House and Belleville Lodge have not been on a day out in more than a year.

Pre-lockdown, trips out were a regular staple for residents, with visits to the Royal Yacht Britannia, the National Museum and the Zoo.

Now with all residents and staff fully vaccinated and restrictions easing, carers at the homes organised garden outings as a special treat for the residents.

Staff from each care home planned and assisted the residents to travel to and from the Botanic and Saughton Gardens, which is only a short walk away.

Fiona Shale, Activities coordinator at Eildon House said: “While some of our residents do still feel more comfortable remaining indoors for the time being, the vast majority have been very excited to get out and about again.

“The Botanic Gardens were very accommodating with our visit and it all went off without a hitch, although we made sure the residents were well wrapped up for the unpredictable weather.

“We spent the majority of the time in the Garden of Tranquillity which is a new area of the Botanic Gardens that has been created specifically for people with dementia. As the name suggests, it’s a lot quieter than some of the other areas, with beautiful landscaping and water features giving visitors a peaceful and safe space to enjoy.”

Residents from Belleville Lodge took a trip to Saughton Gardens enjoying the rose and herb garden in the sun.

Margaret Russell, Manager at Belleville Lodge said: “The residents really enjoyed looking at all the flowers. The herb garden was a resident favourite and we even tasted some of the different herbs.

“One of our residents, Heather Salzen (above), is a Botanist so she really enjoyed her day out and was telling us all about the plants.

“It was a great day out. We ended our tour of the garden with a cup of tea and refreshments in the garden café and sat outdoors as the weather was lovely.”

With activities requested, led and coordinated around the interests of the residents, Mansfield Care staff are dedicated to creating a homely, supportive and exciting environment, putting the needs of its residents at the forefront of everything they do

Fiona added: “Our priority is keeping the lives of our residents as enriched as possible. It’s been a very tough year not being able to do the range of activities we normally would, but we’ve been keeping residents entertained through the likes of craft activities such as painting, physical seated exercise and also reminiscence story telling.

“Following on from our Botanic Gardens trip, we’ve got some excellent stuff in the pipeline for later this year and look forward to resuming our regular frequency of outings.”

Mansfield Care operates 11 small, friendly and residential care homes in Edinburgh, the Borders and the west of Scotland.

Inspired by a golden rule ethos of providing the care we would wish for ourselves in later life, Mansfield Care offers bespoke care that support residents’ health and wellbeing.

For more information on Mansfield Care, visit: https://www.mansfieldcare.co.uk/

Top 10 Best Days Out for Over 65’s

Natural History Museum tops list of Best Days Out for Over 60’s
The National Space Centre is in 2nd, while the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is a close 3rd
Results determined by criteria including Admission/Senior Discount, Blue Badge Parking, On-Site Assistance, Wheelchair Accessibility, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Accessibility and Number of Cafes, Restaurants and Rest Areas
Research conducted by Age UK finds that 1 in 3 (4.4million) or 36% of over 60’s feel less motivated to do the things they enjoy

Research carried out by Care Specialists New Care Homes has revealed the best days out for over 60’s in the UK this summer.

The team compiled information on some of the UK’s most popular museums, art galleries, botanical gardens and stately homes and gardens and scored them out of a possible 100 to find out which could offer the best days out for older people across the UK.

Key criteria that was scored includes the cost of admission / senior discounts, blue badge parking, on-site assistance and accessibility, number of cafes, restaurants and rest areas.

As the UK begins to open up, there are now more opportunities than ever before to get out and explore. However, for many older people across the UK, getting out and visiting some of our national institutions can be a challenge, especially when it comes to things like accessibility, walking distances and opportunities to have a rest and grab some refreshments.

And the Covid-19 pandemic has only created more uncertainty. A survey carried out by Age UK finds that 1 in 3 (4.4million) or 36% of over 60’s feel less motivated to do the things they enjoy, while another survey conducted by the ONS found that two in five (39%) over 70s said they felt unsafe and unsure when outside of their home.

Reflecting on the findings Dawn Collett, Commissioning Director at New Care Homes, hopes the results will give older people more confidence to go out and see some spectacular events and venues across the country.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on the health of older people across the UK. When lockdowns came into effect many struggled to maintain a healthy level of physical difficulty. And as the surveys by the Age UK and ONS have indicated, issues such as anxiety, depression and isolation have increased as a result, which has had a considerable and lasting impact on their mental health.

“As the UK begins to come out of lockdown and measures ease, there are now more opportunities for older people to stay active and find engaging activities. Museums, art galleries, botanical gardens and stately homes often have excellent facilities and allow visitors to explore at a pace that suits them, which makes them a perfect choice for a day out.

“We hope this list will help inspire people to head out and explore these amazing venues, and be safe in the knowledge that they will have the best help and support on hand throughout their visit.”

The Results

Rank	Venue	Type	Total score	Location
1	Natural History Museum	Museum	95	London
2	National Space Centre	Museum	93.8	Leicester
3	Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh	Botanical Garden	93.2	Edinburgh
4	The Whitworth	Art Gallery	93	Manchester
5	Victoria and Albert Museum	Museum	92.5	London
6	Lyme Park	Historic House + Garden	92.1	Cheshire
7	Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum	Art Gallery	92.1	Glasgow
8	British Museum	Museum	92	London
9	The Eden Project	Botanical Gardens	92	Cornwall
10	Royal Academy of Arts	Art Galleries	92	London

A spreadsheet with the full results can be found here

According to the NHS, Older adults (60+) should aim to do some type of physical activity every day and offer this advice:

Try to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none. The more you do the better, even if it’s just light activity

Do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both

Do activities that improve strength, balance, and flexibility on at least 2 days a week

Reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity

Botanic Gardens is top ten UK family-friendly eco-attraction

Uswitch.com reveals the best family-friendly eco-attractions in the United Kingdom, ranking each attraction out of 100
The attraction ranking in first place, with 71 points, is GreenWood Family Park based in Gwynedd, Wales
The second-best eco-friendly attraction is Pensthorpe Natural Park in Norfolk, with a score of 64 out of 100
Wildwood Trust in Kent, ranks third with a total score of 53 points out of 100
A quarter (24%)^[1]of all analysed reviews praised the attractions’ eco-conscious factors, such as educational information and sustainable ethos^[2]
Find out how you and your family could be more eco-friendly by reducing your personal carbon footprint with the Uswitch Carbon Footprint Calculator

The summer holidays can often be overwhelming for parents who don’t know where to take their children for a fun-filled family day out, so Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, have analysed the best eco-friendly attractions for parents and children to enjoy.

Uswitch.com experts scraped TripAdvisor reviews for eco-friendly attractions in the UK^[3], monitoring keywords and phrases that reflect having a great family visit^[4]. Over 34,000 four and five-star reviews were analysed, with six categories to determine a family-friendly eco-friendly attraction – Enjoyability, Family compatibility, Food availability, Affordability, Conservation and eco-friendly components and Cleanliness^[5].

Table 1: The UK’s eco-friendly attractions, ranked

Rank	Attraction	Location	Percentage of reviews mentioning keywords and phrases in each category	Final Score
Enjoyability	Family- friendly	Food availability	Affordability	Eco-friendly components	Cleanliness
1	GreenWood Family Park	Gwynedd	78%	73%	80%	5%	38%	14%	71
2	Pensthorpe Natural Park	Norfolk	64%	53%	79%	4%	56%	8%	64
3	Wildwood Trust	Kent	53%	47%	63%	4%	76%	5%	53
4	The Eden Project	Cornwall	43%	27%	63%	7%	23%	3%	40
5	The Living Rainforest	Berkshire	40%	38%	56%	4%	52%	4%	37
6	Centre for Alternative Technology	Powys	42%	32%	59%	2%	24%	6%	35
7	Markshall Estate	Braintree	42%	27%	64%	4%	20%	6%	35
8	National Botanic Garden of Wales	Carmarthenshire	48%	24%	70%	3%	20%	5%	35
9	The Royal Botanic Gardens	London	38%	18%	56%	4%	21%	3%	20
10	Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh	Edinburgh	26%	11%	43%	1%	15%	2%	6

Source: Uswitch.com

GreenWood Family Park in Gwynedd scored the highest of all the attractions with 71 points out of 100. This is no surprise since the park is home to two spectacular attractions: the world’s first people-powered rollercoaster, and Wales’s longest sled run.

The park’s Enjoyability factor was notable, with three quarters of reviews mentioning how fun (78%) or family-friendly the park is (73%), and even more favoured the quality of food (80%).

Norfolk’s Pensthorpe Natural Park scored 64, awarding itself second place in the eco-attraction rankings.

Four-fifths of reviews (79%) praised the quality of food, while over half (53%) cited the family-friendly nature of the attraction. In line with this, over three-fifths (64%) applauded the park for its fun factor.

The Park gained a mediocre score on affordability, with 4% of reviews showing negativity towards the cost of the attraction.

Table 2: The top-scoring attraction for each category analysed

Category analysed	Top scoring attraction	Location	Percentage of reviews relating to the category
Enjoyability	GreenWood Family Park	Gwynedd	78%
Family-friendly	GreenWood Family Park	Gwynedd	73%
Food availability	GreenWood Family Park	Gwynedd	80%
Affordability	The Eden Project	Cornwall	7%
Eco-friendly components	Wildwood	Kent	76%
Cleanliness	GreenWood Family Park	Gwynedd	14%

Source: Uswitch.com

Wildwood Trust, formerly known as Wildwood Discovery Park and located in south-east England, is ranked as the attraction with the most eco-friendly components, with over three-quarters (76%) of reviews mentioning this factor.

Overall, a quarter of reviews (24%) for all the attractions combined mentioned eco-friendly and conservation efforts made by the sites – and a further quarter (24%) noted the family-friendly elements of the attractions.

Uswitch encourages anyone interested in how eco-friendly their household is to find out their personal carbon footprint and read tips on how to lower it using the Uswitch Carbon Footprint Calculator.

Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com comments: “The relatively high numbers of reviews regarding how eco-friendly the attractions are show that visitors are mindful of where they like to spend the day with their families.

“It is great to see that a majority of these eco-friendly attractions live up to their status and are excelling in customer satisfaction.

“It is unfortunate, however, that eco-friendliness seems to come at a cost; affordability is low-ranking for these attractions, which is not ideal for those with large families or low incomes.”

Find out how you could save nearly £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.

Let there be light!

Christmas at the Botanics returns for 2021

Christmas at the Botanics – the botanical festive spectacle – will once again take up residence at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh this winter.

The one-mile after-dark illuminated trail will run from 25 November to 2 January (selected evenings only) featuring a series of new installations.

The first installations confirmed for 2021 include Meadow of Light, a newly designed Fire Garden and a shimmering Field of Light.

Meadow of Light is an enchanting installation featuring thousands of fibre optic lights covering the ground which when caught by a breeze will mesmerize all who pass by.

Fire Garden returns to bring serenity and calm and is themed around pinecones this year to reflect seasonality and the environment.

Field of Light is an exciting light show containing hundreds of LED light strands set across the ground that shoot up the surrounding trees, creating a dazzling display.

As ever, the trail will feature the eye-catching Cathedral of Light and the Festive Finale projection at Inverleith House which has a new narrative for 2021.

Despite restrictions in place in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the trail attracted over 66,000 visitors during its five-week run. With the current easing of restrictions, should these continue into the winter months, it is hoped that more people than ever before will be able to attend and experience the spectacle under the stars.

Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Simon Milne said: “While the summer solstice may only be around the corner, planning is in full swing for our popular Christmas event. I am so pleased to announce the return of Christmas at the Botanics, a highlight of Scotland’s winter.

“Last year, more people from the city than ever before visited the event where they enjoyed a magical light show set within one of the world’s greatest plant collections. The benefits of Christmas at the Botanics go beyond the festive season as ticket sales help to maintain the garden and continue our work in plant research, conservation and education.

“This year, we look forward to even more people from across Scotland and beyond celebrating Christmas at the Botanics and experiencing a new and exciting light trail.

“At a time when the role of botanic gardens has never been more important to society – on a global scale – this event provides us with a wonderful opportunity to engage new audiences with the work we do to for nature, human health and a sustainable economy.

“Health and safety is at the forefront of our minds in planning the trail, and we will continue to have measures in place to ensure all visitors feel comfortable and to enjoy the trail safely.”

Jonathan Marks, Director at Raymond Gubbay, a division of Sony Music, which promotes the event, added: “Christmas is a time of joy and restrictions allowing, we can’t wait to be able to extend an invitation to Christmas at the Botanics to everyone from Edinburgh and beyond.

“With new and popular returning installations, we’re aiming for the 2021 trail to be brighter than ever. We are also now able to accommodate larger groups and so we hope that more people can come to enjoy the magnificent experience.”

Tickets for this year’s show are on sale now. For further ticket information, pricing and timings, please visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas.

A timed entry system will remain in 2021 with visitors encouraged to book now to avoid disappointment.

For more details visit https://mychristmastrails.co.uk/ and follow @mychristmastrails on Facebook and Instagram.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society partners with Botanic Garden and renowned mixologist to create floral cocktail menu

THE SIGNATURE COCKTAIL MENU COMBINES THE FRESH FLORAL FLAVOURS OF SUMMER WITH WHISKY IN ITS PUREST FORM

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) have teamed up with world-renowned mixologist, Jason Scott, of Bramble and Lucky Liquor Co. and The Royal Botanic Garden to create a limited-edition range of floral cocktails.

In this iconic partnership, mixologist and Edinburgh independent bar owner, Jason Scott, will be working with Dr Greg Kenicer of The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Together they have created cocktails that explore the more delicate and floral notes within the Society’s June Outturn whiskies, complementing and contrasting them through edible flowers and exciting mixers.

Jason, who is the owner of Bramble Bar, Lucky Liquor and The Last Word Saloon, is a key figure in the Scottish cocktail industry and has trained some of the best bartenders in the country.

Inspired by the flavours of summer, the signature cocktails will be created using a range of natural mixers, that include lavender, primrose flower, borage flower, fresh mint, and gorse.

Jason Scott, said: “I have long been a fan of the Society and really admire what they do.

“After visiting The Botanics and meeting up with Greg, it’s been a journey of fun and discovery to create these fantastic floral cocktails. I’m confident whisky and flower lovers alike will adore this summer cocktail menu.”

Dr Greg Kenicer of the Royal Botanic Garden, said: “I am delighted to be working with Jason and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society on this exciting and unique project.

“When it comes to enhancing and developing cocktail flavours, there is so much out there for drink makers and bartenders to explore from the botanical Kingdom. Many of these plants can be grown in a garden or even a window box, or you can find them at your local supermarkets.

“Since the Stone Age, botanicals and fresh plants have been used as compounds to enhance the flavour of drinks. It’s really exciting to see mixologists across the world continuing this ancient legacy, and also innovating in so many creative ways.”

The signature cocktails will be available at SMWS Bath Street, Queen Street and Greville Street from tomorrow (Friday 11th June).

Non-members are also welcome to attend Queen Streets’ Kaleidoscope Bar and can visit both Bath Street and Greville Street venues on Tuesday evenings, by booking online or by phone.

To celebrate the signature cocktail menu, the SMWS will also be hosting an event on the 29th of June, at their Queen Street venue.

With the aim of breaking down the perceived barriers of traditional whisky drinking, the cocktails have been designed to encourage whisky enthusiasts to delve deep into the modern use of whisky, by mixing the water of life with fresh ingredients:

Cocktail list:

Queen Street, Edinburgh – Joy & SorrellThe Joy & Sorrell features vibrant fuchsia flowers with a taste of citrus lemon and sweet sorrel syrup.

Bath Street, Glasgow – Melancholy CrushThis refreshing julep combines an elegantly fruity and herbal dram with fresh mint, lemon and Angostura Bitters.

Greville Street, London – Four SeasonsThis London inspired violet Penicillin, features a 2008 Speyside distilled whisky combined with ingredients that include fresh lavender, finished in an old fashioned glass.

Bottled – Flaming Primrose Garnished with a primrose flower, this vibrant blood-red cocktail incorporates infused gorse Campari and Sweet Vermouth with an 8-year-old single scotch oily and coastal whisky.

For more information about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society click here.

Antiques Roadshow is coming to The Botanics

We’re delighted to announce that the BBC Antiques Roadshow is coming to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh!Do you have hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered?

Join us in over 70 acres of beautiful landscape to discover some fascinating stories.Find out more at: www.rbge.org.uk/antiquesroadshow #AntiquesRoadshow

Fiona Bruce and the BBC Antiques Roadshow team are set to come to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh later this year for the 44th series of the much loved family favourite.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the team are once again asking members of the public who’d like to participate to share their stories online. The series will be filmed on a closed set with an invited audience only to ensure the safety of guests, production and the wider public. Successful applicants will be invited to attend a recording session where they will share their items with a Roadshow expert who will be able to reveal more about the craftsmanship, history and provenance of each piece – as well as the all-important value.

Share your story

Returning for her 14th year at the helm, Fiona Bruce acknowledges the team’s success at recording the show under challenging circumstances in 2020 and goes on to encourage people to apply to be a part of the programme in 2021:

“We were thrilled that we managed to make a series of the Antiques Roadshow last summer despite all the difficulties of filming during the pandemic . Hopefully things will be easier this summer though life may not yet be back to normal by the time we start filming . So if you have an item that you’d like to bring along to the Roadshow, do please get in touch with us beforehand. Here’s hoping for a summer of great finds!”

Series Editor Robert Murphy said:

“We can’t wait to see what long lost treasures and family heirlooms might be lurking in the attic or gathering dust on a shelf. Sometimes it’s the most unexpected items that catch our interest – a silk escape map that belonged to a Caribbean airman in the Second World War, a 19th century guitar, a vintage movie poster, even old Star Wars toys! What mystery objects have you found during that lockdown clear-out? Get in touch and you’ll have a chance of being invited to the Roadshow this summer to find out more without even having to queue! We look forward to hearing from you.”

More information and frequently asked questions can be found at the Antiques Roadshow website or on the show’s Facebook page.