As if trying to prove to us that ever-earlier darkness isn’t such a bad thing, Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden is putting on a special nighttime event this month.
After dark (when the botanics are usually closed), visitors can now follow a kilometer-long trail of light installations through the gardens. The trail starts at the Victorian glasshouses, which pulse with ever-changing colors.
Tickets are timed entry, so we were with a large group at the beginning, but we soon realized the benefits of losing the crowd by lingering over the first part of route.
We were glad to have shown up armed with camera, tripod, and long underwear. (Do Brits call long underwear “long pants”?) It was a chilly but dry evening, and the nearly-full moon was interacting playfully with some moody clouds to enhance the whole scene.
The pond was a highlight, with a spooky soundscape to accompany the lights.
By the time we climbed the hill to ogle the Edinburgh skyline, we were a bit chilly. Luckily the cafe at the top was open and serving some tasty mulled wine to warm us back up. (First glühwein of the season!)
If you don’t get enough alone-time at the glasshouses at the beginning of the loop, you can sneak back over for another look at the end.
Night in the Garden runs through 23 November and costs around £15 per adult (once you add in the compulsory fees). Tickets seem to mostly be sold out already for weekends, but if you can snag some for a non-rainy weeknight, we recommend a visit. Bundle up.
Wow – that is super cool! I’m usually skeptical about light shows but this looks awesome.
A belated thank you also for all of your Oktoberfest posts. We finally went for the first time this year and your advice was invaluable!
I share your light-show skepticism. I went to one at a zoo in the US years ago, and it was less than inspired. Luckily the botanic garden did a lovely job of creating things with lights that were actually interesting to look at.
Glad our Oktoberfest posts could be of use!
Great pictures – Aberdeen had a similar event “The enchanted Castle”at Crathes castle where the gardens were lit up and there were sound effects to boot. was inspired to go after reading your post – we thoroughly enjoyed it and it felt as though we were in the middle of a Harry Potter movie!