The Christmas at the Botanics trail at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh officially opens to the public on Thursday evening, allowing visitors to "embrace the festive season".
The botanical illuminated trail, which runs for 37 nights on selected evenings from November 17 to December 30, includes brand new installations. Among these are Aurora by Ithaca, which recreates the famed visual tones of the stunning lights, and Christmas Gifts by Woody Fox—14 giant wicker sculptures of Christmas presents.
Other new installations include Lilies by Jigantics—12 one-metre high Christmas illuminated lilies floating on the Botanics Pond — and Feathers by Pyrite Creative, which is a display of UV feathers up to two metres in length. Elsewhere, Floraison by French artistic collective Pitaya features 240-red-lit flowers, while Edison Trees includes 60 reproductions of the filament bulbs made popular by London’s historic Edison Electric Light Company.
READ MORE — Innis & Gunn opening new taproom in Glasgow with 5,000 free pint giveaway
READ MORE — Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Director of Enterprise and Communication at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Kari Coghill said: “Christmas at the Botanics has increased in popularity each year and has become one of the city’s most popular festive traditions. Its opening is a milestone moment in the capital’s festive calendar that kicks off the holiday season feeling for so many people.
“Bringing new installations to the trail is exciting and we are also bringing back much-loved favourites this year too, such as the light projection on the front of Inverleith House and the ‘Christmas Cathedral’, a tunnel of sparkling LED which has provided so many fantastic Christmas images for visitors in recent years.
“Visitors to the light trail contribute directly to our wider work because our profits from ticket sales support the Garden’s plant research and conservation efforts in Scotland and around the world.”
According to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, sustainability is a major theme of this year's Christmas at the Botanics trail. The new installations are "low in energy usage", while more than 90 per cent of the trail is LED.
It is also powered via the Garden's main supply to avoid the need for separate generators. Additionally, audience area lighting is only used where it is important for safety.
Coghill continued: “Part of the joy of the trail is that it is a chance to be in the Botanics after dark and to experience the Garden from a whole new perspective. Our trail designers have been appointed on the strength of their experience of working in environmentally sensitive ways in heritage and landscape settings. This year’s trail is the best yet.”
Jonathan Marks, Director at Raymond Gubbay, the division of Sony Music that is promoting the event, added: “It is always exciting to open Christmas at the Botanics. The trail attracted over 90,000 visitors during its five-week run last year and we hope that this year’s trail will inspire even more people to come and enjoy the trail, a festive tradition for so many.
"Everyone involved in the production has worked hard to provide a special experience for all who attend as they explore installations old and new.”
Tickets for Christmas at the Botanics are available now. More information can be found on the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh website.
Don't miss the top culture and heritage stories from around Scotland. Sign up to our twice weekly Scotland Now newsletter here.
