Took our Sightseeing Bus to West Gate Entrance. Free to walk around with a suggested donation that…read moreyou can offer or not. The gardens are tranquil, quiet and calm. The array of plant species is abundant. Follow a path or wander into/out of an area, spread a blanket or sit on a bench and people watch. Snack bar, gift shop and clean bathrooms. We really enjoyed the downtime after a long week of travel. Simply Beautiful. Enjoy.

Worth a visit if you need a splash of greenery and nature to complement the history, architecture…read moreand man-made majesty of the Scottish capital, which we did. Walking the beautiful grounds on a picture perfect day, after visiting Edinburgh Castle, Old Town and The Royal Mile, we rejuvenated ourselves for more sightseeing and gallery viewing. Pro-tip: get drinks, sandwiches and snacks to-go from one of the famous bakeries in old town and enjoy them on a bench at the Royal Botanic Garden.

It's a hidden pocket garden with a gated entryway. I don't think a whole lot of tourists pass…read morethrough here unless on a tour. It's kind of obscure, and looks like someone's private garden. I love that it's maintained very well. You can thank the Mushroom Trust for that. On a cool November day, it was a nice little retreat from the Royal Mile. It's very quiet in there, and maybe due to the high walls of Canongate Kirk. It's a nice pass thru for locals walking through from neighboring businesses. It's lovely to pass by the manicured shrubs and to see falling autumn leaves. I think I saw an herb garden as well. The Canongate Mercat Cross is also there as you walk further into the garden. I'd be here daily if I lived or worked nearby. It's just one of those hidden gems that deserves a visit when on Canongate.

Absolute gem that we encountered by accident after tea at Clarindas. Definitely worth a stroll…read morethrough these beautifully manicured gardens. Great photo ops as well- and it's free! Felt like we were in the countryside in the middle of Old Edinburgh

Huge grassy area with a playpark as well as beautiful gardens with white benches to sit and relax…read moreand inhale the lavender that surrounds you.

Beautiful garden but small and would take less than 30 mins to get round. I wouldn't go out of my…read moreway to visit again but pleasant enough.

Love this place. One from Edinburgh's Secret Gardens. Always calm and quiet. Very relaxing spot…read more Admission free but £2 donation is recommended.

Saughton Gardens are one of those places you can only really stumble upon by accident as you rarely…read morehear anything about it and is one of those hidden gems that you never expected to find. The gardens themselves are very well done and clearly laid out by someone who knows what they are doing with a large proportion of it highly influenced by traditional Tudor styles and includes a large rose garden. Really this is your typical show garden broken down into the standard components and the old house really finishes it off. What does stand out a bit is the tropical greenhouse area and that is certainly worth a visit while you are here. It doesn't get very busy here making it very peaceful so it does offer a great place to relax and enjoy your surroundings.

This is some gem to be found! And I'm kicking myself to why I've not visited this little haven…read morebefore. Uh huh! Why on earth would I pass this so often and not venture into these gardens ... Why why why??!! The tropical plant house is small compared to botanical gardens but is packed with bird of paradise flowers and other wonderful flowers. Follow through and you have the walled gardens, which I have yet to explore due to time commitments. But I will be back, oh yes! Toilets need a proper clean sand one does not have a lock! It's council run and has a wee cafe too.

Cool house in botanical gardens with art exhibitions! Free with different artist for the changing…read moreseason. Right next to the Garden's cafe in the centre of the gardens. The Art exhibition that's here for the spring2015 is great using of the space, the artist has painted the walls to further the paintings! Really a treat!

Have you ever wondered what an art gallery/installation/experience in The Capitol of Panem would be…read morelike? It's Jupiter Artland. If you know Hunger Games, you'll know exactly what I mean. If you're not familiar, think indulgent, a spectacle, disturbing, hedonistic, garish, innovative, creative, thought-provoking... you will feel polarizing things here, you will remember your visit here forever. According to their website, "Jupiter Artland is an award-winning contemporary sculpture garden... set over 120 azores of meadow, woodland and indoor gallery spaces, Jupiter Artland is home to over 30 permanent and unique site-specific sculptures... as well as a seasonal programme of carefully curated exhibitions..." Try to come on a beautiful day since this is an outdoor adventure! While it's mostly very accessible, there's a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes! We got the map and made it a point to visit and read about every site. I think Jupiter Artland became famous because of influencers showing off the vibrant Gateway pool (which you can actually occasionally swim in). I loved I Lay Here For You (about women in nature), Rivers (a collection of water from one hundred different rivers in the UK), Animitas (two hundred small Japanese bells that are constantly making different melodies; no two ever the same; it's supposed to be like how no two souls are the same); Rose Walk (the gothic and chinoiserie pavilions); I liked the Weeping Girls (statues in the woods) but my partner felt haunted, vice versa for In Memory (the cemetery with people's names erased); we were both left speechless, creeped out, and concerned after Upside Mimi! which we watched in its entirety. Woof. The Cells are also very iconic and apparently you can wild swim occasionally there too. The VERY LONG point? You SHOULD visit here. Art is supposed to make you feel stuff, and you will very much feel stuff here.

Jupiter Artland is out of this world COOL!!!! On our recent trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, this…read moreplace was one of the highlights of our visit. Definitely the BEST sculpture garden that we have ever visited anywhere in the world. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits. The exhibits are displayed all over the more than 100 acres property. You can get a lot of exercise walking while searching and exploring the place looking & admiring the exhibits. Personally, my favorite area was the Cells Of Life. Very beautiful landscape work of art!! You cannot miss it because once you enter the property.....there it is!! "Cells of Life consists of eight landforms and a connecting causeway which surround four lakes and a flat parterre." Unfortunately, we only had a couple of hours to spare. So we did not have the opportunity to explore everything that Jupiter Artland had to offer. Still, we did enjoy our time. If you are in the Edinburgh, Scotland area, I recommend dropping by.

If its tranquility you are after perhaps for a quiet read or just a chance to get away from it all…read moreyou can't do much better than Blackford Pond. It's surrounded by well placed benches and inviting lawns encouraging you to take a bit of time out and have a rest. Location wise its a stones throw away from King's Buildings and easily accessable to the local residentual area. As a place to rest you don't get must better - really though the photos speak for themselves and perhaps I should have just posted a photo where the review usually sits.

Blackford pond is so beautiful and peaceful, a wonderful place if you need some quiet, relaxation…read moreand get back to nature. Blackford pond gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with the many birds: swans, ducks, geese and robins (my favourite). There is so much for kids to see and explore and even a small play park close to the pond. The only negative I will say is I think there should be toilets available and if there are any I don't know where they are, but definitely a beautiful place to visit again and again.

Gorgeous paintings and prints by edinburgh artist, love the Edinburgh images of the union canal,…read morebotanic gardens and Arthur Seat. My fave gallery!

We were on the way back south and had some extra time. This place looked interesting, has an…read moreimportant place in history and some grounds for some small walks. There was a bit of a line to get in, but was moving fast. Carpark is close to the palace and included in your entrance fee (for the grounds only or the combo with the palace). At the time we visited there was a happening going on. Some fitness celebrity meeting kids and parents. Along with a "Mini" promotion. A long line for both of that...but no bother for us. No line for the palace, which we were interested in. It is worth going inside. The history of the Scone Palace is long and colourful. As the centre of the Scottish realm, Scone became the focus of struggles for power. Macbeth and his mortal enemy, Malcolm, whose father had been killed by MacBeth's forces, both ruled here in the 11th century. I'm very much hooked on the history of Scotland, especially the history of Robert The Bruce. In 1306, Robert the Bruce was dramatically crowned here with the blood of his rival, Red Comyn, whom he had killed in a church, still fresh on his hands. There's too much to tell about Scones history here. Best to read it or come visit. In 1803, the 3rd Earl of Mansfield began rebuilding the medieval house as a gothic palace. The Mansfield family continue to live here today, preserving the Palace of Scone and its surrounding estate as a unique living testament to Scotland's heritage. It has very interesting rooms and exhibits and helpful staff with more information. Really worth a visit. The grounds are wonderful. There are busier areas like the Stone of Scone and the chapel. And then the small but tricky Murray Star Maze (big fun). If you head south from the maze, you will find a nice little trail that makes a circle (across the street) back to the palace. Pretty, easy and very empty and quiet. We - and our Bulldog - loved it. Souvenir shops, restaurant, toilets. All on the grounds as well. All in all a very nice visit. Perfect to learn more about Scotlands history and to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet on the grounds.

Scone Palace was my favorite castle in Scotland, and I saw a lot of castles. Constructed in the…read more12th century, it is famous as the place where they crowned the King of Scots. As we came in the Winter off-season we didn't have the opportunity to go inside since they weren't giving tours. Even with that fact, it was still so scenic and so magical that it was still worth the stop. I guess since it was free admission to just walk around that is okay too! After a hazy, rainy morning the skies opened up and a rainbow appeared over the castle. We couldn't believe our eyes the sight of this beauty. The photo I took doesn't even begin to do it justice. The grounds were pristine and we loved seeing the highland cattle with their long mops of hair covering their eyes. I would love to come back when I can actually see the interior as I'm sure it'd be beautiful as well.