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Royal Botanic Garden EdinburghPage 2
ABOVE: Sally Heron was the first Garden Guide at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden. She's been leading tours and walks since 1991, and she recently received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to the garden. INSET BELOW: The Rock Garden and its waterfall, and a squirrel sunning itself on a log. Guided tours of the Royal Botanic Garden
Although admission to the Botanics is free, I'd suggest taking a guided tour through the garden. Tours leave the West Gate at 11 and 2 p.m., and you can buy your ticket inside the Botanics Shop for a few pounds. (The tour is a great bargain, since you get a 50p Visitor Information and Map leaflet and a short walk through the Glasshouses at no additional cost.)
Note: The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has weekend "theme" tours and guided walks throughout the year; consult the RBGE's events calendar to see what's on during your visit. Next page: Practical information, Web links
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The
guided tour lasts about 1½ hours and is a lively
blend of history and horticulture. You needn't be a gardener or a botanist to
enjoy the tour; my own knowledge of plant species doesn't go much beyond my
supermarket's produce department, but I found Sally Heron's guided tour quite
fascinating. 
If
you're botanically brilliant like one of the guests on my tour, not to worry:
The guide will be happy to answer your plant questions while yokels like me
enjoy the scenery or try to figure out why cages sit next to the park benches.
(Answer: The cages are squirrel-resistant trash baskets.)